Tyler Bate was crowned the first-ever WWE United Kingdom champion after he defeated Pete Dunne in the final fight of the 16-man tournament, which was held at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England on Sunday (15 January).

Bate, who was the youngest and least experienced of the wrestlers, achieved the feat despite suffering a shoulder injury after Dunne attacked him following his victory over Wolfgang in the semi-final.

Bate, who is just 19 years old, won the fight after he carried out the Tyler Driver on Dunne.

Triple H along with British wrestling legends William Regal, Fit Finlay and Finn Balor were in the ring to present Bate with the title.

After he was handed the title, Bate thanked his parents for their support. "Thank you for driving me up and down the country," he was quoted as saying by ESPN.

He also expressed his gratitude for the support he has received from fans. "The people who really deserve this are all of you people. All of you people who support British wrestling and made this possible tonight," he said, according to The Sun.

"Without you people here there would be no UK Championship," he added. While addressing the media backstage, Triple H said, "Nineteen years old, does anybody think this kid's not the future? It's a big responsibility. Congratulations. I look forward to working with you a lot," he added.

Bate also expressed his desire to defend the title in UK and Ireland. "It's ridiculous to think this time last year I was wrestling in sports halls, and now I'm a WWE champion," Bate said. "I feel like I'm ready for it."

The Dudley-born teenager has a wrestling experience of five years, which he amassed in wrestling promotions like Fight Club Pro, PROGRESS and Chikara.

Tyler Bate
First-ever WWE United Kingdom champion Tyler Bate wwe.com