Source: The Xavierite
Though it’s easy to get caught up with the ongoing Cody Rhodes vs. The Bloodline saga as we head to ‘WrestleMania,’ a development that has fallen under the radar is the promotion of two of the World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) hottest prospects. This week we take a look at two recently signed additions to the ‘SmackDown’ roster, Tiffany Stratton and Bron Breakker.
The two superstars made an appearance in this year’s men and women’s ‘Royal Rumble’ matches to represent the ‘NXT’ roster.
Since 2013, ‘NXT’ has been the WWE’s developmental show where most of the company’s newest signees go to prepare to be the next stars of the WWE. Whether it’s talent who have made a name for themselves throughout the independent wrestling scene or former athletes who are ready for their next challenge, ‘NXT’ is the first step in becoming a star.
For most NXT wrestlers, the annual ‘Royal Rumble’ event is the perfect opportunity to make their first appearance under the bright lights of the main roster. Not only does it offer them a chance to showcase their talent in front of a worldwide audience, but it often precedes the talent being promoted to ‘RAW’ or ‘SmackDown.’
Stratton entered the 30-participant women’s ‘Rumble match’ at number 29. Though she only lasted in the match for about seven minutes, she had an impressive showing. She was one of the final six women standing in a star-studded ring that included Naomi, Liv Morgan, Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, and the winner, Bayley.
Breakker on the other hand entered at number 20 in the men’s ‘Rumble’ and lasted about five minutes. Despite the short amount of time he was involved in the match, his presence was felt as he collected five eliminations before being thrown out of the ring by Dominik Mysterio.
The biggest story behind Breakker’s appearance was the fact that he was a last minute replacement for one of the biggest faces of the company, Brock Lesnar. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, when news came out about his alleged involvement in the Vince McMahon sexual harassment case, Lesnar’s planned appearance in the match was pulled.
Meltzer stated, “Bron Breakker essentially fulfilled the Brock Lesnar role – He came in when Brock Lesnar was going to come in, he threw out the guys Brock Lesnar was going to throw out, he got thrown out exactly how Brock Lesnar was going to get thrown out.”
Rather than rewriting their plans, the WWE instead looked at the former NXT champion, Breakker, to fulfill the role of Lesnar. This is a huge endorsement for Breakker as it indicates how much faith the company must have in him to entrust him with the role of one of their biggest stars.
Though neither of the NXT stars were able to walk out of Tropicana Field with the victory, their performances were enough to pique the interest of higher ups who decided to speed up their promotion.
Stratton made her main roster debut on the Feb. 2 episode of ‘SmackDown.’ She first appeared in a backstage segment where she exchanged words with Belair, Shotzi, and Mia Yim after signing a contract to make her ‘SmackDown’s’ newest signee. After slapping Yim in the face, her first match was quickly made by General Manager (GM) Nick Aldis, in which she defeated Yim later that night.
Since then, Stratton has quickly adapted to the new scenery. This past Friday, Stratton defeated Zelina Vega to qualify for a spot in the Feb. 24, women’s ‘Elimination Chamber match.’
Along with Naomi, Belair, Morgan, Becky Lynch, and a competitor yet to be determined, Stratton now has another chance to secure a spot in the ‘Mania’ card by winning the ‘Chamber match’ for the opportunity to challenge the Women’s World Heavyweight Champion, Rhea Ripley.
Not only was this a big night for Stratton, but after weeks of meetings with ‘RAW’ and ‘SmackDown’ GM’s Adam Pearce and Aldis, Breakker finally decided to make the blue brand his new home.
Aldis introduced Breakker to the stage, saying, “I have been negotiating with multiple free-agents for ‘SmackDown’ – and I’m pleased to announce that one of those individuals is no longer a free-agent. Please welcome the newest member of the ‘SmackDown’ roster, Bron Breakker!”
With these two recent signings, ‘SmackDown’ now becomes the home for two young prospects with tremendous potential. Despite the fact that they made their professional wrestling debuts in late 2021, both Stratton and Breakker have had a meteoric rise in the WWE.
In a little bit over two years, Stratton has held the NXT Women’s Championship once, while Breakker is a former two-time NXT Champion, and one-time NXT UK Champion. Teaming with Baron Corbin, he recently won the ‘NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic’ Tournament at the Feb. 4, ‘NXT Vengeance Day’ event, and the Tag-Team Championship last Tuesday.
For now it seems that until ‘the Wolf Dogs’ lose the Tag-Team Championship belts, Breakker will be pulling double-duty. Not only will he continue his dominance in ‘NXT,’ but he’ll also begin his new hunt on ‘SmackDown’ this Friday night as he’s set to make his in-ring debut.
What’s certain is that we can expect their list of accolades to expand over the next decade. Breakker and Stratton are both still in their mid-20s, which means this is just the beginning of their careers.
Only time will tell what plans the WWE has for these two prospects as we head into ‘WrestleMania 40,’ though with the momentum they’ve got going at the moment, it’s safe to say that they’ll be involved in some capacity.
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