100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
86. Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT UK, 29 October 2020)
The world is full of mysteries. One of the biggest in WWE's sphere over the past decade or so is why Vince McMahon either couldn't see or refused to see what everyone else could see: That Walter/Gunther is one of the best pro wrestlers on the planet. Apparently, McMahon fancied demoting him back to NXT from the main roster before being shunted out of power. Ridiculous.
COVID meant no fans were in attendance at the humble BT Sports studios in London for the 29 October 2020 NXT UK taping. Everyone missed one hell of a match, but don't worry - WWE's cameras were to grab all of the action between the then-Walter and Ilja Dragunov. Together, the pair worked a half hour epic that took fans on a journey through some of Walter's hardest hits and the best of Ilja as an underdog.
WWE will put this on a collection of Gunther's greatest matches someday. Guaranteed.
NXT UK wasn't the most pressing product in October 2020 overall, so not too many fans would've even noticed this match at the time. They'd have heard about it afterwards by scanning social media though. People gushed with praise for what the pair accomplished. Forget 'catching the final few minutes'. You owe it to yourself to go back and find this somewhere, then sit down and take in the entire thing from beginning to end.
It had all of the hallmarks of Gunther greats to come, and it should give fledgling Dragunov fans something to look forward to once he really gets going on WWE's main roster.