WALTER and Ilja Dragunov have shared a long history in the wrestling business outside of WWE, and it ignited once the pair joined the NXT UK brand. They have had brutal contests with one another in what may rank amongst the best series of matches in a long time, and their rivalry could be considered one of the best in-ring feuds in recent memory.

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WALTER Is the Focal Point of NXT UK, Despite Its Lack of Exposure

The NXT UK brand has suffered from its inception from a lack of exposure, care, and advertisement by WWE. Therefore, a lot of the talented individuals on the roster often go under the radar and unnoticed, despite being signed to the company. WALTER is a man who has managed to break out from NXT UK obscurity, partly helped by his strong reputation outside of WWE but also due to his consistently strong performances at Takeover events, which usually have more viewers than the week-to-week programming. He has dominated NXT UK since his debut, along with his group, Imperium.

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In 2019, WALTER defeated the NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne, who was the face of that brand, on a US Takeover, which was a good platform to bring eyes towards the UK side of the brand. WALTER impressed and ended a lengthy reign for Dunne which was a huge rub for the Ring General. Since then, WALTER has taken the helm and led the UK division. Despite his popularity, NXT UK still struggles tremendously at making many headlines, but when he and Ilja Dragunov had a match on October 29th, 2020, people had no choice but to look in their direction.

The First Match Brought the Wrestling World to Its Feet

Their first match had the wrestling world buzzing for an array of reasons. The brutal and physical and nature of their showdown was a huge talking point as both men allowed their bodies to undergo a significant amount of punishment, and they garnered a lot of respect for that. The special thing about this match was that it was in front of zero people. There were no Thunderdome screens or piped-in noise, and there were no Performance Center recruits clapping at ringside; it was just two men and a referee. The difficulty to pull off any match under these circumstances is large enough, but to create a five-star affair is downright incredible.

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Every chop, slap, and slam was heard, echoing through the BT Sport Studios, making it feel more authentic. It came across like a true battle and despite being on a brand that gets little notice, the likes of Shawn Michaels, William Regal, and Drew McIntyre among others were talking about this match. It put Dragunov on the map, and once again showcased WALTER’s dominance as champion.

The Rematch Was Long-Awaited and Full of Story

It would be nearly a year before the two faced off again, and it benefitted massively from the wait. The initial match was all about respect inside the ring and who the better man was. And when feuds and rivalries are peeled down to something as simple as championships and winning, it’s often at its best. This time around though, Ilja had changed. He was unhinged, haunted by losing, and went on a rampage until he eventually earned a rematch.

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The second match was just as acclaimed as the first, this time on the elevated platform of a US Takeover event. It stood out as the match of the night in another phenomenal, hard-hitting clash that was rich with story, and it made Dragunov look like a brave and courageous badass, as he toppled WALTER after a record-breaking 870-day reign. From an in-ring standpoint, both matches were perfect.

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It Isn’t The Only Contender For Being The Best

In recent years, there are other contenders when it comes to having the best in-ring rivalry, with Johnny Gargano’s feuds with Adam Cole and Tommaso Ciampa being strong alternatives. And looking to the main roster, AJ Styles and John Cena had a great trilogy of matches. One problem WWE has, though, is over-doing stories and having rematches too often. What made WALTER and Ilja’s rivalry feel more special is that the story was stretched for over a year, with only two matches in that span. Less is certainly more in this scenario to make their matches feel more significant, so it’s hard for most rivalries in WWE from an in-ring perspective to even come close to what the two European stars accomplished.

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Gargano vs Ciampa, Cena vs AJ, WALTER vs Dragunov

Whether or not NXT UK carries on far into the future, with the future of NXT as a whole being uncertain to this point, WALTER and Dragunov undoubtedly brought some eyes to the talent of NXT UK and acted as a great representation of the physicality of European-style wrestling. Doing what they did under the circumstances of a brand with little momentum and empty arenas could very well be WWE’s best in-ring rivalry over the past few years.