Pete Dunne Says His WWE and NXT Experience Has Been Surreal

– Pete Dunne spoke with ESPN for a new interview ahead of the UK Championship Tournament special. Highlights are below:

On his surreal experience with WWE and NXT: “It’s crazy. I think I’m in one of the best positions in all of sports entertainment. I really do have the best of both worlds — being able to experience things from our own U.K. show, to being on main roster tours, to being a part of NXT — [all] while still being able to take my own independent bookings and take the UK title with me. It’s been a pretty surreal experience.”

On the booming British wrestling scene: “That’s a testament to the WWE, but it’s also a testament to [PROGRESS Wrestling owners] Jon Briley, Jim Smallman and Glen Joseph. They’ve done such hard work to build PROGRESS and that addition of the WWE, having whatever that working relationship is and becomes, has definitely helped take it to the next level.”

On others hopefully getting the opportunity he had: “I would love it if more people got the opportunity that I have. Anyone who’s dedicated some time to this and worked really hard, now it’s an option. More of my peers and friends are now able to work full time with this because of what the WWE has allowed us to do, to build those houses and build those smaller companies. Hopefully that goes the whole way through. Hopefully the U.K. brand that we’re launching is the guinea pig that works and it carries on for the rest of the way globally.”