Losses are not always a demotion in professional wrestling. Sometimes they allow talent to advance. Take Bron Breakker as an example. The second-generation superstar lost his intercontinental championship at WrestleMania 41, but the following night defeated two of WWE’s all-time greats.
Breakker teamed up with Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman on Monday Night Raw, defeating former WWE champions Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Breakker quickly rose to prominence following Raw’s dramatic conclusion.
Furthermore, it is a televised portrayal of a real-life relationship that has developed behind the scenes. Heyman, a WWE Hall of Famer, has been carefully mentoring Breakker behind the scenes at the request of WWE executives.
“Paul’s relationship with my family dates back generations,” Brekker told CBS Sports. “Paul previously worked with my father and uncle. They formed great friendships on the road. As soon as I was called up and brought into the business at that level, Paul recognized something in me. We started to develop a friendship and rapport. I enjoy working with him. He is amazing. He is also the greatest of all time.
“Being able to work with him is a blessing. He possesses an unparalleled wealth of knowledge. He teaches me insane amounts of information on a weekly basis.
How to approach my craft, how to carry myself, the direction we’re going, and how my character should be. He’s the best. It’s incredible how much he knows at the highest levels. I couldn’t be luckier to be a part of anything Paul does.”
The execution of Heyman and Breakker’s on-screen union was shocking, but also predictable. Heyman has repeatedly praised Breakker, the son of professional wrestler Rick Steiner and the nephew of former WCW world heavyweight champion Scott Steiner. Breakker had a good chance of becoming the next “Paul Heyman guy.”
“Bron Breakker’s weekly growth is absolutely mind-blowing and inspiring,” Heyman previously told CBS Sports.
“Anyone around him is inspired to up their game because he’s so driven and ambitious.”
WWE’s creative direction suggests that Breakker will team up with Reigns and Punk in the coming months. It’s a key test following a successful run with one of the company’s midcard titles.
Breakker has envisioned this moment since he was a teenager. Before now, Breakker’s only encounter with Reigns was a memorable brief encounter at the Royal Rumble. Breakker speared Reigns in that match, eliciting loud crowd reactions, before Reigns eliminated him.
“To be in there with him in any capacity is insane to me. I was extremely excited. “I was blown away,” Breakker said. “He is the greatest there is.
I believe he is the greatest of all time. To be in that position, there must be some level of respect, or he recognizes something in me. To have that rapport, for him to think that of me, is insane because I grew up watching him in high school.
“To learn from him in any capacity would be monumental to my progress as a superstar.”
