WWE has revealed its first ever UK Championship, with a 16-man tournament being organised for early 2017 in order to decide upon who should hold it.
The announcement was made by Triple H during a press conference today, with WWE Superstar Finn Balor and NXT general manager William Regal also in attendance. The UK Championship with be the subject of two specials that will be broadcast exclusively via the WWE Network, featuring talent from across the pro wrestling independent circuit vying for the new title in a tournament.
Triple H revealed that the WWE has worked with the likes of Rev Pro, PROGRESS and ICW and OTT in order to bring in a number of talented wrestlers, though no existing WWE Superstars such as the Manchester-born Jack Gallagher have been added to the line-up. The UK Championship will be the prize taken home by the victor of a tournament in William Regal’s home city of Blackpool, which is set to take place in the Empress Ballroom on January 14 and 15.
While the WWE has previously featured a European Championship in its roster of titles, this is the first time the company has ever introduced a UK Championship. Its creation seems to confirm speculation that WWE owner Vince McMahon is cautious of ITV’s upcoming World of Sport Wrestling series, which is set to rival the WWE in the UK by hosting a weekly wrestling show featuring some of the best talent in the region’s indie wrestling scene.
Speaking of the new title, Triple H said: “We spent that time to identify and cultivate the best talent in both the UK and Ireland, and today we are excited to announce that we will crown, for the first time ever a WWE United Kingdom Champion.”
“This is the next chapter of our talent and development recruitment strategy.”
Finn Balor also spoke highly of the upcoming tournament, with the Scot saying: “This tournament is the bridge between the independent scene and the WWE. I would have loved to have been able to compete in it.”
The 16 competitors announced for the tournament include Sam Gradwell, Wolfgang, James Drake, Tucker, Joseph Conners, Tyson T Bone, Roy Johnson, HC Dyer, Dan Moloney, Jack Starz, Tiger Ali, Ringo Ryan, Saxon Huxley and Chris Tyler.
