Daily DeMarco: Pete Dunne Taking Increased WWE Role In 2019?

Are we going to see more of WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne stateside for WWE in 2019? Greg DeMarco thinks so!

Pete Dunne has taken the wrestling world by storm since his initial appearance in the WWE United Championship Tournament. Dunne would lose to Tyler Bate in the finals, but would go on to defeat Bate for that same title at WWE NXT Takeover: Chicago in what I recently called one of the best matches I’ve ever seen.

Fast forward to December 31, 2018, and Dunne has held that championship for 590 days (and counting), and is on a collision course with Gallus member Joe Coffey at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool on January 12. Dunne may have given us reason to pick against him at that event earlier today.

Pete Dunne defeated Tyler Bate in the main event of PROGRESS Chapter 82: Unboxing today, and shared an interesting tweet after the event:

Finished my time on the British independent scene tonight. Closing out a week that saw me in New York, Germany, Spain and London. 13 years that I wouldn’t change for anything, on to the next chapter 👌 pic.twitter.com/ATDcN1fUVA

— Pete Dunne (@PeteDunneYxB) December 30, 2018

“Finished my time on the British independent scene tonight” is a hell of a statement for Dunne, who at age 25 is already considered a 13-year veteran of the ring and has been a staple of the UK wrestling scene. While he is under contract to WWE, he has seen the same flexibility as other NXT UK talents, wrestling at specific independent events in the United Kingdom, including PROGRESS.

That seems to be coming to an end, according to his tweet.

Pete Dunne has been much more involved in non NXT UK events over the past two years, wrestling on the main roster in a win over Enzo Amore, and being part of multiple NXT Takeover events, including working the recent War Games match alongside Ricochet and the War Raiders–a team that was victorious over Undisputed Era.

Dunne is an amazingly talented performer, and is over with the WWE United States audience to a huge degree. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him drop the NXT UK Championship to Joe Coffey–himself deserving of such an honor. Coffey has been one of the most impressive NXT UK stars since the brand’s inception, and has a crew to back him up as a strong heel champion.

As for Dunne, he can be an asset to any brand. If I were WWE, I would put him wherever a shot of energy is needed. If that’s 205 Live, count me in, as long as Dunne gets regular work. Personally, I would love to see him in NXT, where he can work the likes of Adam Cole, Ricochet, Velveteen Dream, Tommaso Ciampa, and Johnny Gargano.

Dunne could still work the NXT UK tapings, so dropping the UK Championship isn’t a “must” at this point. But I have a feeling it’s likely, so he’s fully available to the WWE’s US brands. I would expect him to appear in the Royal Rumble, and a spot at Takeover: Phoenix isn’t out of the question. Either way, this all reads like a change in focus for Dunne–one that he is more than ready for.