WWE Superstar Butch, fka as Pete Dunne in NXT, joined Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast today.
Butch is currently in the Brawling Brutes faction and they have entered into a feud with The Bloodline. The Brawling Brutes are scheduled to battle The Usos this Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships.
Pete Dunne had an impressive NXT career and is a former NXT UK Champion. He was called up the main roster this year and given the name “Butch”. Satin asked Pete about getting called and The Bruiserweight revealed that he wasn’t in a hurry to get to the main roster.
I knew that I was bound to be called up in the coming months, years, whatever it was going to be. Before that, I was all about NXT. I loved NXT with what we were doing in the UK and over here, I was in no rush to get up to the main roster.
Dunne added that WWE started bringing him up for matches on main event and dark to prepare him for the main roster. He said he was given the new name “Butch” and spent an entire flight trying to figure out how he was going to make it work.
I was just about to board the plane and I got a call saying the new name and a basic rundown of the vision. Yeah, then I spent the whole flight thinking to myself ‘how is this going to be received?’, knowing how it was going to be received for the most part.
Pete added that he talked to legends of the business such as William Regal and Shawn Michaels to get their take on it. He concluded that people didn’t connect with Pete Dunne because of the name, they connected with him for what he does in the ring.
The 28-year-old discussed children liking the Butch character and noted that he’s been told by parents that they he is their kids favorite wrestler.
What I will say about it, especially about the earlier Butch stuff, it is the first time in my career when I meet people in the street they say ‘you are my kids’ favorite wrestler’.
Before it has always been ‘you are my favorite wrestler’. It is always people around a similar age to me. Now it is a lot more like ‘my kid loves you’ and that was nice to see.
Okay, now I’m connecting with a completely different portion of the audience. And trust me when I’m in the ring it is going to come back again, I’m the same guy and going to put on the same show.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Out of Character podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
