11 months ago
34 ARTICLE AD
WWE/X
Following a heart-to-heart vignette on last week's "WWE SmackDown," in which Tyler Bate implored Butch to remember just who he was deep down and what name came to mind when he did so, Bate was joined for his tag team match against Pretty Deadly not by Butch, but by Pete Dunne — burgundy singlet, boa, "Bruiserweight" mannerisms and all. Snapping fingers, stomping hands, and carrying a snarl all the while, Dunne finished off Elton Prince and Kit Wilson with The Bitter End in a match he dominated.
The return to Dunne's former name puts an end to a near two-year run as Butch that began in April 2022 with a loss to Xavier Woods in Dunne's "SmackDown" debut. Most of those two years were spent with Dunne doing the bidding of The Brawling Brutes alongside Sheamus and Ridge Holland, but re-aligned with Bate, he has seemingly (and quickly) found new life — and an old attitude.
In a backstage interview following the match, Pretty Deadly feigned ignorance, with Prince blurting out, "We were prepared for Butch, and then they bring in a brand new person we've never seen! Who's Pete Dunne?" It seems unlikely that they'd be completely unfamiliar with Dunne, a former WWE United Kingdom Champion, who also can stake claim to a Dusty Rhodes Classic and "NXT" Tag Team Championship, but it seems they will have plenty of time to get acquainted with "The Bruiserweight" going forward.
