Top 5 best WALTER matches in NXT

#3 WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Championship (NXT UK October 29th, 2020)

Bruised, bloodied, beaten BRAWLERS. Where does this rank in the best @NXTUK matches of all time? pic.twitter.com/oqoamMqo2D

— WWE UK (@WWEUK) October 30, 2020

WALTER held the gold throughout the global pandemic with just a brief stint on the North American side of the black and gold brand. His first challenger following more than a year off was Ilja Dragunov.

The 27-year-old Russian defeated 19 other men in a battle royal to earn the opportunity and was seen by many to be the most likely successor to the dominant reign of WALTER. Due to the pandemic, he had to wait for six long months for his chance at the gold. That built a great deal of hype and expectation for what the two men would finally deliver in their encounter.

Redefined violence.A battle that will be remembered.#UNBESIEGBAR pic.twitter.com/I1ONM4UzLr

— 𝙄𝙡𝙟𝙖 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙣𝙤𝙫 (@UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR) October 30, 2020

WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov was beautifully violent in every way possible. The NXT UK Champion brutalized Dragunov with wince-inducing strikes and lethal chops. The empty arena aesthetic added gravitas to the action and made every chop that much cringe-worthy. WALTER bloodied Dragunov, but Ilja kept fighting and wouldn't relent from his quest to pyre away the title.

WALTER hit his massive top rope splash, but Dragunov kicked out. He then followed up with ground and pound, trying to beat the fight out of Ilja. WALTER then locked in a rear-naked choke, and the referee stopped the match after Dragunov was unresponsive.

Fans, wrestlers, and critics describe their encounter as the most physical matchup in WWE history. The level of violence was unreal and truly set a new standard for the entire NXT UK brand. It was WWE's Match of the Year for 2020 and helped elevate the title reign of WALTER while putting Dragunov's name on the map.