Pete Dunne called up to Smackdown with a new name
Former WWE NXT Superstar Pete Dunne is now known as “Butch” on the main roster.
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX saw Sheamus and Ridge Holland introduce Butch during a backstage segment to hype their match against Kofi Kingston and Big E. Michael Cole referred to Butch as another one of Sheamus’ protégés, and noted that they are all longtime friends.
Butch then accompanied Holland and Sheamus to the ring for their match against Big E and Kingston. While Sheamus and Holland controlled most of the match, Kingston mounted some offense later on but Butch distracted him from the apron, which allowed Sheamus to finish him off for the pin to win.
After the match, Butch attacked Kingston while medics tended to Big E at ringside. Butch, Sheamus and Holland posed together in the middle of the ring, then Butch attacked Kingston again. The segment ended with the new stable posing together again.
Butch worked SmackDown dark matches on January 7 and February 4, losing to Tommaso Ciampa in both. He also picked up wins on WWE Main Event in January, defeating T-BAR and Akira Tozawa. Butch has not wrestled on NXT 2.0 since coming up short against NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes on March 1, which came two weeks after his Weaponized Steel Cage match win over Tony D’Angelo at Vengeance Day.
Stay tuned for more on Butch’s call-up. Below are a few related shots from tonight’s SmackDown at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL:
👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀#SmackDown #Butch @WWESheamus @RidgeWWE pic.twitter.com/ok3AHpeBYf
— WWE (@WWE) March 12, 2022
Even I didn’t see Pete Dunne being called friggin BUTCH pic.twitter.com/QFRI36PelF
— A Kenny For Your Thoughts (@_kennythoughts) March 12, 2022
FIGHT NIGHT#SmackDown @WWESheamus pic.twitter.com/G9iFun8fGm
— WWE (@WWE) March 12, 2022
Nobody home for @WWEBigE! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/CTj9gamBt1
— WWE (@WWE) March 12, 2022
They call him 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇-#SmackDown#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/87Dv2Ab7ob
— WWE on TNT Sports (@wweontnt) March 12, 2022
Well that just wasn’t nice… @TrueKofi @WWEBigE #SmackDown @WWESheamus @RidgeWWE pic.twitter.com/LoZ9fgfb7a
— WWE (@WWE) March 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/Fiend4FolIows/status/1502453159943417856
Do they think people who watch Smackdown don’t also watch NXT, do they think there aren’t enough who watch both so it won’t make a difference, or do they just not care? At this point I don’t know whether to be insulted or roll my eyes and laugh because there they go again.
If the recent NXT call ups are any indication, there aren’t. Casuals don’t care about NXT. It’s just sad to see for Pete. He was so great in NXT UK. Glad I quit watching all this a couple of years ago