Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne is an English professional wrestler signed with WWE. Born Peter Thomas England, he is best known for his work with WWE as Pete Dunne and Butch. He is a former WWE NXT UK Champion, NXT Tag Team Champion, and 2020 Dusty Rhodes Classic winner.

Also Read: What was Butch called in NXT?

Early Life

Pete Dunne was born in Birmingham, England on the 9th of November in 1993. He was raised in Chelmsley Wood in West Midlands, England. In 2006, at the age of 12, he started training for his pro wrestling career in England. He trained for about a year before making his first appearance as a wrestler in 2007 Holbrooks Festival, kickstarting his pro wrestling career.

Professional Wrestling Career

Independent Circuit (2006-2017)

At the age of 12, Pete Dunne began training to become a professional wrestler. He spent most of his early days wrestling for smaller promotions and teaming up with his brother Damien Dunne. Later, he began working for larger independent promotions such as Attack Pro Wrestling, Progress Pro Wrestling, and Chikara. He was a member of The British Strong Style with Tyler Bate and Trent Seven.

WWE (2017-Present)

UK Champion (2017-2019)

In 2017, he began working with WWE and entered the United Kingdom tournament. He lost to Tyler Bate in the finals but worked on several dates with the company. At TakeOver Chicago, he defeated Bate to win the WWE UK Championship. In 2018, he began working for NXT and teamed up with Roderick Strong.

At TakeOver New Orleans, Dunne and Strong faced The Undisputed Era and AOP in the finals for the Dusty Cup and NXT Tag Team Championship. During the match, Strong turned on Dunne and joined UE. Dunne spent the rest of the year feuding with The Undisputed Era. At TakeOver WarGames, Dunne, Ricochet, and The War Raiders defeated The Undisputed Era.

In 2019, they heavily featured Dunne on NXT UK, where he was defending his championship on shows and PPVs. At TakeOver New York, he faced Walter and defended his championship. After 685 days, Walter ended his reign. After failing to reclaim the championship, they moved Dunne to NXT.

NXT (2019-2022)

After moving to NXT, he won a number one contender match to face the NXT Champion. At Survivor Series, Adam Cole defeated him for the championship. In 2020, he entered the Dusty Rhodes Classic with Matt Riddle. The two formed a team called Broserweights and won the tournament.

At TakeOver Portland, they defeated The Undisputed Era to win the NXT Tag Team Championship. However, the reign didn't last long as Dunne could not travel due to COVID-19. In September, Dunne made his return to NXT UK.

In October, he returned to NXT and joined forces with Pat McAfee. At WarGames, he joined Team McAfee, which lost to The Undisputed Era. Dunne feuded with Kyle O'Rilley and won. At Vengeance Day, Dunne faced Finn Balor for the NXT Championship and lost.

After NXT 2.0, Dunne joined Team Ciampa to face Team 2.0 at WarGames and lost. Dunne feuded with Tony D'Angelo and defeated him in a cage match. After losing to Carmello Hayes, Dunne was moved to SmackDown.

SmackDown (2022-Present)

Dunne made his SmackDown debut under the ring name Butch and allied himself with Sheamus and Ridge Holland and formed the faction "The Brawling Brutes". He underwent a major change of personality and slowly became a furious warhead.

Butch assisted Sheamus in his feud against Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship and unsuccessfully challenged The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship alongside Ridge Holland on a couple of occasions. At Survivor Series: WarGames, The Brawling Brutes teamed up with Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre against The Bloodline in a losing effort. In the following months, Butch continued helping out Sheamus and Ridge Holland. He also transitioned back a bit to his former persona.

June 2023 saw a high note for the Brawling Brutes as Butch secured a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match, though victory ultimately went to Damian Priest. SummerSlam brought less success, with none of the Brutes finding their way to the top of the 25-man battle royal. Unfortunately, late August brought another blow as Sheamus suffered a shoulder injury, leaving Butch and Ridge Holland to carry the torch.

Butch found individual opportunity in the NXT Global Heritage Invitational, topping his group and defeating Joe Coffey. He even reached the NXT Heritage Cup finals against Noam Dar, but ultimately fell short. Meanwhile, back on SmackDown, cracks began to show in the Brutes' foundation. Losses to the Street Profits and Pretty Deadly fueled visible tension between Holland and Butch, culminating in Holland's dramatic walkout during their final tag match together in November. With this act, the Brawling Brutes, once a formidable unit, were left split.

Hope emerged for Butch in January 2024. First of all, he was renamed Pete Dunne The Bruiserweight, much to the delight of fans. Following Tyler Bate's promotion to SmackDown, the two reunited to resurrect their formidable British Strong Style partnership. This reunion marked a turning point for Dunne, who reclaimed his iconic ring name and swiftly triumphed over Pretty Deadly in a rematch. However, the duo wasn't done there. On February 16th, they received a fresh start with a new name: New Catch Republic. The two stars also became the number one contender for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship and will face Damian Priest and Finn Balor for the titles at WWE Elimination Chamber in Perth, Australia.

Championships and Accomplishments

Pete Dunne Wife

Beyond the ring, Pete Dunne finds happiness with his family. Married to Demi Burchel, their long-standing relationship blossomed into a family with the arrival of their daughter, Emmi Rae, in 2018. Now a lively six-year-old, Emmi fills their lives with joy. Together, the couple resides in Buffalo, New York, both holding American citizenship. While information about Demi's personal details remains private, their strong bond and supportive presence are evident in their life together.

Click here to read more about Pete Dunne and his wife

Pete Dunne Net Worth 2024

As per multiple sources, WWE Superstar Pete Dunne formerly known as Butch is worth around USD 2 Million as of 2024.

Click here to learn more about the net worth of The Bruiserweight