When Pete Dunne's fantastic 685-day reign as United Kingdom Champion came to an end in April, most assumed him broadly better off.
Cruelly (to the talent, if not WWE) NXT UK had become wrestling shorthand for the most boring kind of Good Wrestling™, and Dunne had always seemed beyond its limitations right up until he lost his precious prize to Walter. It appears, in hindsight, it was saving him from the hinterland.
A series of half-baked mini-feuds kept him on television but with issues even 'The Bruiserweight' himself admitted to not really caring about. A Survivor Series NXT Championship match against Adam Cole was a pyrrhic victory for the character - it gave him something to do on the night but nothing to chase in the aftermath of a predictable defeat.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
