Before the main event of the United Kingdom Championship tournament kicked off, Finn Balor came out to talk to the crowd. Balor thanked the crowd and told them that this tournament took place because of them. For those of you wondering, Balor is not cleared to wrestle yet but the feeling is that he’ll be ready in time for WrestleMania.
19-year-old Tyler Bate is the first-ever WWE United Kingdom Champion after he defeated Pete Dunn in the finals on Sunday in Blackpool, England. The story going into this match was that Bate had a partially separated AC joint (shoulder) after Dunn attacked him earlier in the show. After several near falls, Bate won after hitting the Tiger Driver. It was an excellent match. Balor, Fit Finlay, William Regal and Triple H presented the championship to Bate.
So where does WWE go from here? The long-term goal is to launch a weekly TV show produced in the UK with stars from the UK and Ireland. Most, if not all, of the names featured in the tournament will still be allowed to work for other promotions as long as they do not have a TV deal. If you missed the tournament and want to know what to watch then I would suggest that you check out the second day of matches and definitely check out the fantastic main event between Bate and Dunne.
"You people, the UK fans, have made this happen!" – @FinnBalor#WeDeserveIt #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/sTdouPxyGG
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 15, 2017
#HesStillGotIt!@FinnBalor #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/GvR10PdU0d
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 15, 2017
History has been MADE! @TripleH, @FinnBalor, @RealKingRegal, & @ringfox1 help #WWEUK Champion @Tyler_Bate celebrate his victory! #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/U0SYb35IAA
— WWE (@WWE) January 15, 2017
"Tonight, he built an empire! … @Tyler_Bate is the KING of the United Kingdom!" – @MichaelCole #WWEUKCT pic.twitter.com/I1jBd67D3y
— WWE UK Championship (@WWEUKCT) January 15, 2017
