7 Times WWE Tried To Unbury Someone (& Failed!)
6. Pete Dunne
In 2022, Pete Dunne was a dog.
Well, that's not wholly accurate. Pete Dunne was now "Butch", a member of Sheamus' Brawlin' Brutes stable, and constantly compared to a canine in the manner at which he scampered around the ring snapping at the heels of his master's opponents. To paraphrase an infamous WWE/Michael Cole-ism, his work took on a dog-like structure.
Here's the twist though; it was the most over he'd been on WWE's main roster. The former record-setting WWE UK Champion had made a respectable living for himself in the nascent days of the company's half-hearted steamrollering of the UK indie boom, with the 'Bruiserweight' having more than enough credit in the back to exist on late 2010s NXT that mostly dined out on the talents Triple H and William Regal pilfered from a thriving US scene. Following that era's sacrifice to attempting to hobble AEW in 2019, Dunne joined many in trying to shake off a stigma on a main roster not really built for his ilk.
"Butch", for better and worse, was his attempt to prove his depth of field for a day that something better came along. It didn't, but Triple H did, and after taking the creative reins after Vince McMahon resigned in disgrace, 'The Game' tried and tried again with many of his black-and-gold favourites. The old Pete Dunne resurfaced, but fans didn't care and Hunter forgot about the bit where he gives them a reason. Alongside fellow former UK titleholder and British Strong Style partner Tyler Bate, Dunne slogged through bland tag and singles runs before the pair donned lucha hoods and finally found parodic new form as part of the El Grande Americano saga.