Tyler Bate is an English wrestler who is currently in his second reigns as NXT UK Champion, and is set for a NXT Championship Unification match at NXT World’s Collide. He is considered one of the top young prospects in the world of wrestling and one of the top in-ring talents WWE have on their books.
Hailing from Dudley in English, the young star is only 23 and already looks every bit of the star his wrestling ability would suggest. He was part of the incredible trio British Strong Style in Progress wrestling, alongside WWE’s Butch (Pete Dunne) and recently released talent Trent Seven.
He Was The First NXT UK Champion
Tyler Bate was signed by WWE to be part of the first ever United Kingdom Championship tournament. This was in response to the growing popularity of British independent wrestling at the time. WWE wanted to stop the growth and keep their monopoly in wrestling so formed their own show and own championship, signing all the top prospects in British wrestling they could.
Three of the most notable signings from the batch of wrestling for the tournament were Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne and Trent Seven, also known as the faction British Strong Style. The trio were some of the top wrestlers in the UK and held all the top titles in Progress, with Dunne their world champion and Bate/Seven as their tag team champions (known together as “Moustache Mountain”).
They were signed with hype going into the tournament, with Pete Dunne particularly given a huge spotlight and segments with William Regal and Triple H. He was the favourite to become the first ever WWE UK Champion and was position as the top heel in the tournament.
His teammate Tyler Bate would be his main rival, with the pair meeting in the final. It was an incredible match that showed the wrestling world just what “BritWres” was all about, and made both men stars overnight. Tyler Bate defeated Pete Dunne to become the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion, although the championship was later renamed the NXT United Kingdom Championship.