Since making his full debut on the main roster back in April, Bron Breakker has been tearing up the wrestling world week after week. In just three years since joining the company, his rise has been meteoric.
Breakker has wrestling in his blood. As the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner, Breakker’s lineage set high expectations. He debuted in WWE on the September 14, 2021, episode of NXT, defeating LA Knight and immediately establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with.
His early career was marked by a quick rise through the ranks, culminating in his first NXT Championship win at New Year’s Evil in January 2022, where he defeated NXT legend Tommaso Ciampa.
Breakker’s time in NXT was nothing short of dominant. In under three years, he became a two-time NXT Champion, with notable victories over top-tier talent like Santos Escobar, Dolph Ziggler, and Gunther.
His second reign as NXT Champion lasted an impressive 362 days, solidifying his status as one of the brand’s most formidable champions. In addition to his singles success, Breakker formed an unlikely team with Baron Corbin this year to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and the NXT Tag Team Championship in early 2024.
Momentum Stalled: The Loss to Sami Zayn
And with Breakker finally making the transition to WWE’s main roster in April, there was lots of intrigue surrounding his role and presentation. There was lots of hope from fans and that faith was rewarded with his introduction and transfer to Raw being received extremely well. He has been presented as a monster but with the versatile movement and in-ring skills of a young Rey Mysterio.
His domination has given us a variety of squash matches and bangers against the likes of Sheamus and Ilja Dragunov. This push has built and built to no doubt his biggest opportunity yet, a shot at the Intercontinental Championship against Sami Zayn live on PLE in front of Zayn’s hometown crowd.
Many expected this to be the perfect time to elevate the 26-year-old Breakker to the next level but to much surprise, Breaker would lose completely clean in just over 13 minutes.
As expected, this immediately raised concerns about WWE’s handling of his character and it’s hard to disagree with this criticism. This defeat has not only halted his momentum but also potentially undermined the aura of invincibility and unmatched speed and power that had been carefully built during his NXT tenure and early main roster run.
Breakker’s powerhouse style and intense persona have always been his trademarks. Losing to Zayn, a highly skilled but differently styled wrestler, may have been intended to showcase Zayn’s abilities but has only ended up diminishing Breakker’s previously unstoppable image.
The least WWE could have done here would be to protect him in defeat but even at this hurdle they failed. Perhaps there was a valid argument that it was too early to pull the trigger but there is no bigger opportunity for someone to step up and show their worth than to put a title on them.
This also leaves Sami Zayn slightly directionless with Chad Gable moving on and Breakker likely to need some redemption to restore faith in fans that he is this unbeatable wrestler and a future WWE World Heavyweight Title contender.
Zayn, in my eyes, could also do with the promotion to the World Title scene and with Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins and CM Punk all set to be occupied by each other, it seemed the perfect time for Zayn to step aside for Breakker and rebuild to be the next challenger to the World Heavyweight Title whether it be Gunther or Damian Priest holding it after SummerSlam.
But let’s turn back to looking at how WWE could go about redeeming Breakker…
The Path to Redemption
Despite his setback at Money in the Bank, Breakker’s potential remains undeniable, and this run is far from irredeemable. To regain his credibility, Bron Breakker should be pitted against established stars in more hard-hitting, competitive matches than we’ve seen, and compete at a high level in them.
Wins against the likes of Bronson Reed, even Gunther, or rematches with Sami Zayn, Sheamus and Ilja Dragunov could all restore his stature.
Exploring deeper aspects of Breakker’s character could also add new dimensions to his persona. This could involve delving into his Steiner lineage, showcasing his training regimen, or highlighting his resilience and desire to prove himself on the main roster.
Some have even suggested they go as far as bringing in his father Rick Steiner or Uncle, Scott Steiner to act as a manager while some have pushed for Paul Heyman to eventually takeover as his manager after his business with The Bloodline eventually concludes, especially since they have made appearances together before.
Positioning Bron Breakker in the hunt for a major title again as soon as possible will also be beneficial. It will no doubt signal his importance to the audience and moving him away from titles for too long will likely relegate him in the eyes of the audience.
A storyline that sees him overcoming obstacles to earn a title shot could generate significant intrigue and elevate his standing, a build like this to a rematch with Zayn at SummerSlam could work to do this.
Overall it is clear Bron Breakker has the tools to be a major player in WWE. With the right booking and character development, he can bounce back from this recent loss and solidify his place as a future World Heavyweight Champion. WWE must now recognize his potential and invest in rebuilding his momentum, ensuring that his journey to the top remains both captivating and credible.
