5 British WWE Superstars who have won championships
Many British professional wrestlers have attempted to succeed in WWE, but few have succeeded considerably. Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom has a long and storied history, and wrestlers such as Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks once enjoyed tremendous popularity.
The last decade saw the British professional wrestling circuit create and polish multiple surefire stars, some of whom made their way to WWE before the Vince McMahon-led promotion decided to scoop up the entire circuit and create NXT UK.
#TylerBate is concerned with @trentseven’s tactics in the ring, but Seven reassures him that what is most important is keeping their #NXTUK Tag Team Titles. https://t.co/AsEE9x73NG
William Regal, a Blackpool native who gained success and respect in North America, recently moved to AEW, managing Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley. However, WWE still has a handful of British talents who are former champions.
Here is a list of 5 current WWE Superstars from the United Kingdom who won championships in the company:
#5. Former WWE NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray
.@shirai_io and @Kay_Lee_Ray explain that they joined forces to end #ToxicAttraction, and they plan to start by taking the #WWENXT Women’s Championship Saturday at #StandAndDeliver. https://t.co/cI5WLxZQNf
Kay Lee Ray has proved to be an exceptional talent, versatile enough to merge ground and technical wrestling with her signature high-flying action. She was a top competitor at World of Sport when WWE signed her.
Ray's NXT UK Women's title reign saw her engage in feuds against Piper Niven and Toni Storm. After joining NXT in 2021, she found success with Io Shirai, winning her first WarGames match and the 2022 edition of the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
#4. Former WWE NXT UK Champion Butch
Before he got introduced as a buddy of Sheamus & Ridge Holland, Butch was a force to reckon with in NXT and NXT UK. dunne' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>dunne" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Pete Dunne, the young star from Birmingham, delivered excellent matches against WALTER, Tyler Bate, and Zack Gibson.
After Dunne lost the NXT UK Championship to WALTER, he joined NXT, where he teamed up with Matt Riddle to win the Dusty Rhodes Classic and the brand's Tag Team Championship.
On the main roster, Butch will have to utilize his excellent in-ring skills and natural charisma to overcome the negative reception of his odd new name. However, he seems a surefire contender to win a midcard title soon.
#3. Current WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champion Tyler Bate
Alongside Dunne and Trent Seven, Tyler Bate is a member of the British Strong Style faction, whose members have dominated the NXT UK landscape since the brand's inception. Bate was the first-ever NXT UK Champion and subsequently won more championships.
Bate is a team member that currently holds the NXT UK Tag Team Championship. He was previously in the NXT UK Heritage Cup, thus marking him as the inaugural NXT UK Triple Crown Champion.
Bate has also earned some success in the original US branch of NXT.
#2. Current WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champion Trent Seven
The other half of Moustache Mountain is the only "Founding Father" in the UK Division to have never won the NXT UK Championship. He's been challenged for the title in excellent matches time after time but has always been unsuccessful in his attempts to claim it.
However, Seven has found success in the tag division. Alongside his longtime tag team partner Bate, he's won the tag team championship in NXT and NXT UK.
His longtime desire to win the top singles title of the brand may come true shortly if WWE doesn't decide to call him and Bate up to the main roster.
#1. Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
After being part of high-profile matches in the past few editions of WrestleMania, Drew McIntyre's upcoming match against Happy Corbin feels like a major step down.
McIntyre's first run in WWE saw him christened "The Chosen One" by Vince McMahon. Still, his star power fizzled after an Intercontinental title reign, although he also claimed a RAW Tag Team Championship reign. It was after his return that he proved his worthiness.
He won the NXT title and, after shifting to the main roster, won the RAW Tag Team title and the Men's Royal Rumble before claiming the WWE Championship twice. McIntyre is a leading force on the main roster and will surely win more titles once he dispenses with Corbin & Moss.