Tyler Bate says he and Pete Dunne are "two of the best" to represent the United Kingdom and predicts an exciting match tonight.
At a WWE event in Norwich, England, Pete Dunne earned a chance to face WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate for a second time. A match has been set for tonight at NXT Takeover: Chicago. The two previously met in the finals of WWE's United Kingdom Championship tournament. In an interview with Inside the Ropes, Bate explained what made the tournament special.
"I think what made the event special was a whole lot of people watching didn't fully know who we were. I think it was a breath of fresh air for a lot of people. It wasn't the typical Smackdown or NXT show. It was kind of more 'let's get a British indy show and put a few cameras on it.' Just to see where it goes from there. It also had an organic feel, I think that's what made it so special," said Bate.
After the tournament, Bate, Dunne, and others from the tournament have appeared on NXT. Bate has defended his title against guys like Trent Seven and Jack Gallagher who showcased a style that Bate said will have a strong showing at NXT Takeover. In an interview with Bleacher Report, he said he and Dunne are two of the best the United Kingdom has to offer.
"Myself and Pete are two of the best people to represent what the UK style has to offer. I'm looking forward to taking that pressure and making the most of it. You don't even need me to tell you how physical he is. All you have to do is watch the first 30 seconds of a Pete Dunne match. He had a big hand in training me, so I know all his secrets. There's nothing he can pull out that would surprise me," said Bate.
He also said the next match is about keeping momentum from the tournament. Bate said this match will top the last time he and Dunne wrestled for the championship.
"When I first faced Pete at the UK tournament, we barely scratched the surface of what we can do and show the WWE Universe. Both of us have plenty more tricks in the bag that we can pull out. It's just going to be balls to the wall," says Bate.
NXT Takeover: Chicago also features three other championship bouts. The NXT, NXT Women's and NXT Tag-Team championships will be defended. The event broadcasts from WWE Network at 8pm eastern. Fightful Wrestling will be providing live coverage and a post-show podcast.
The Inside the Rope interview is available on YouTube. The Bleacher Report interview is available at BleacherReport.com.
