Oh That Pete Dunne...

These two are always at it, aren't they
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Back in 1998, wrestling was red hot, and strangely enough, MTV still played music videos. For a generation that grew up knowing MTV as the Real World/Road Rules channel, it might be strange realizing that the network did more than pay music lip service one day out of the year for the Video Music Awards. But then again, with the advent of YouTube and thus VEVO and record labels using it as the main outlet for videos instead of cable television, well, you get the point. Anyway, back in those days, MTV aired a show called Total Request Live, where it counted down the ten most popular videos of the day and featured a guest. One day in March, host Carson Daly and musical guest the Foo Fighters were joined by Diamond Dallas Page. The show ended abruptly as Raven burst out from the shadows, attacking Page as the program went off the air. The two were embroiled in a tumultuous battle over the World Championship Wrestling United States Championship at the time, so it was an event at the nexus of two pop culture behemoths.

Wrestling is an industry where innovation is rare, but where cleverly recycling the past is the order of the day. Much like Raven and DDP tussled on MTV to advance their feud, Pete Dunne took an opportunity at the Download Festival to remind everyone that he was Papa Trips' Good Little Boy and that he could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted because he was the WWE United Kingdom Champion. In this instance, he waylaid Mark Andrews while he was playing with his band Junior at the show. Yes, Mark Andrews is in a fucking band in addition to being the most exciting wrestler in this WWE UK gimmick, as if you puds had anymore guilt on your souls for not making him the most popular among the lads. Ingrates.

Anyway, Andrews didn't take the attack lying down. While the video didn't catch Dunne's initial sucker punch, it did catch Mandrews hitting a tope con hilo off the stage in retaliation. Sadly, Andrews did not capture the UK Championship at the NXT Download Festival show, and additionally, well he got hurt too. Apparently, he bruised his neck. The timetable for his absence and return isn't clear just yet, but man, the injury bug just bites all the coolest guys, doesn't it? Anyway, while the MTV thing nearly 20 years ago (NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO? FUCK I'M OLD) was cool for its time, nothing is cooler, at least in terms of intersecting wrestling and music, than shit going down at a live show. Granted, the corporatization of the festival scene takes some of the bloom off this rose. Hopefully, the next time live music and wrestling intersect will happen when, I don't know, Andrade "Cien" Almas blindsides Aleister Black at an Every Time I Die show in some dive bar in Kalamazoo or some shit. I don't know. But hey, I'll take what I can get.