10 Wrestlers Fans Most Want To See In WWE's UK Tournament
You can't have the best of British without these guys.
Provided nothing huge happens over the next few days, the WWE United Kingdom Championship will go down as wrestling's last major news story of 2016. In January, Blackpool's Empress Ballroom will play host to a two-night, 16-man tournament to crown the first ever UK Champion, and if all goes well, WWE will look to add a new UK-based show to their weekly programming.
The UK expansion is WWE's latest move in their ongoing product diversification. The Brand Split, Cruiserweight Classic, and 205 Live have left WWE almost recognisable since January, and coupled with the rumoured women's tournament, the UK Title will change the complexion of the business again.
16 British talents will be granted an opportunity to shine in WWE's spotlight. WCPW regulars Joseph Conners, Trent Seven, and Tyler Bate stand among them, but the esteemed group also includes the likes of ICW Champion Wolfgang, and Irish wunderkind Jordan Devlin. It's an exciting line-up for sure, and one that'll surely produce a stream of great match's across both nights.
That being said, there are more than a few notable omissions among the list of released names. There are a number of big-time British wrestling stars that fans would love to see take part in the tournament, and should a spot open-up through injury or other circumstances, WWE could do much worse than call on one of the names within.
Here are 10 wrestlers fans what to see in the WWE UK Tournament.
10. Joe Coffey
British Wrestling’s Iron Man has had a hell of a year. When not teaming with his brother Mark in WCPW, Joe Coffey is working as a major player in PROGRESS and ICW, and recently scored the biggest victory of his seven-year career.
Taking place on November 20th, ICW Fear & Loathing IX was the biggest British wrestling show in decades. The cult Glaswegian promotion booked big name stars like Finn Balor, Ricochet, and Kurt Angle for the event, and it paid off: thet drew over 6,000 fans in their home city, and Coffey had the honour of closing the show with Angle.
Coffey didn’t just wrestle Angle, however: he defeated him. He locked the Olympic Hero in his trademark Boston Crab, and Kurt just couldn’t escape. Few British wrestlers will ever be able to score such a monumental feather in their cap, and the win serves as the highlight of a highly impressive 12 months for Coffey.
A robust, powerful wrestler, Coffey is both an excellent brawler and a refined technical wrestler. He’s one of the most impressive workers in the country, his entrance music is incredibly infectious, and it’s tough not to get behind his fighting spirit. Coffey would be right at home alongside Wolfgang, the man who beat him for the ICW Championship, in WWE’s forthcoming UK tournament.