The Bruiserweight, Pete Dunne

4/7/2018

This some impressive acting talent. His very expressive face tells us everything we need to know about Pete Dunne. He says he likes to hurt people. We don't doubt him. Even when he says it calmly, we believe it even more. He isn't out of control; he isn't a beast. He's a high functioning psychopath, and that's the most frightening person he could be.

Dunne carries all his belts like animals he's killed with his bare hands. He even carries them in his mouth, again, like an animal with a trophy.

Even his outfit constructs his character. He was a very basic wrestling outfit, and a sleeveless vest that looks like he stitched it together with animal skins. When he makes occasional appearances on NXT in normal dress, he wears well tailored outfits, suits or vests with ties. He looks civilized and sexy in a primitive way. He's like a thug from a 1940s film noir who would slap around his mistress for giving him sass. And though I find abuse of women nauseating, there's something hot about this fantasy.

His attitude is never snotty; he simply doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks or does. He never screams about being disrespected because, well, everyone respects him. He insists upon it.

Dunne doesn't need to say or do much to convey all of this: watch him in the ring, watch him walk down the entrance way, watch him look someone up and down. This kind of talent is extremely difficult to have. Having such a fully developed character such as Pete Dunne has, and at such a young age, is impressive.

And, of course, he's amazing in the ring. He's young and has more talent and charisma than wrestlers who have been doing this ten years longer than him (and he's been doing this since he was 12). In ten years, he could be running the wrestling world.

I first experienced him, truly experienced him in full character mode, during the WWE UK Classic. The WWE classics are all great wrestling, but the UK Classic is tight, well structured, and the wrestlers are fun as fuck. And of course you get Pete Dunne. Below is the final match in the classic between Dunne and Tyler Bate, who in his own right is dazzling.