Bron Breakker is one of WWE’s breakout stars of 2024. (Credit: WWE/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesBron Breakker stole the show at WWE Survivor Series 2024—and walked out of Vancouver still the Intercontinental Champion, too.
In a fantastic triple threat match between Breakker, Ludwig Kaiser and Sheamus, Breakker broke fans’ hearts when he retained his championship by pinning Sheamus, preventing “The Celtic Warrior” from winning the lone title that has eluded him for his entire career. For Sheamus, it was yet another failed attempt to win the coveted Intercontinental strap.
For Breakker, it was another win in what promises to be a long list of major victories when it’s all said and done.
WWE is, after all, moving full steam ahead with a massive push for Breakker, the two-time Intercontinental Champion and one of the best young prospects in all of pro wrestling. ESPN recently ranked Breakker as the No. 11 overall wrestler under the age of 30—a ranking many considered too low for the second-generation star—but it’s clear that WWE views him as a future No. 1.
Earlier this year, Breakker—just months after being called up from NXT to the main roster—was reportedly such a hit on the main roster that WWE adjusted its plan for the former NXT Champion. WWE is accelerating his push and planning on making him a focal point of Raw upon the red brand’s upcoming move to Netflix.
Indeed, Breakker has all the tools to become the face of WWE’s flagship show, and much like it did for Gunther, an extended Intercontinental Championship reign could be the vehicle that gets him there. Breakker’s successful title defense at Survivor Series WarGames—a stark contrast from LA Knight’s shocking loss—is one of the first steps WWE is taking in an effort to wipe away some of the stench from his surprising Intercontinental title loss to Jey Uso earlier this year.
That appeared to be just a brief hiccup for Breakker, however, and once again, WWE is moving ahead with major plans for the marquee star.
WWE has reportedly decided to push Breakker not just as a a prototypical monster heel or beloved babyface but rather as a “tweener,” which is essentially WWE’s way of using the multi-dimensional star however the company sees fit at the time. That role can be difficult to play if it’s the wrong star playing it, but Breakker is the perfect candidate to take that spot. That was quite obvious at Survivor Series, where Breakker’s fans were barking loudly and reacting well to his match, which helped save Survivor Series after the first two matches deflated the crowd.
Given his intensity and focus, Breakker comes across more as a heel, but his crowd chants, incredible athleticism and impressive resume of matches in his brief career have turned him into a pseudo fan favorite already. While WWE could have rushed Breakker’s push and catapulted right to the top of the card, that isn’t necessary right now.
WWE’s roster is absolutely loaded, so there’s no need to elevate him too quickly on a Raw show that also features the likes of CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Gunther and Drew McIntyre. The best strategy with Breakker is to continue to book him strongly and thrust him into bigger rivalries only when he’s ready—and only when the crowd is calling for it.
Based upon how the fans treated him at WWE Survivor Series, maybe that will be sooner than expected, and Breakker could go toe-to-toe with stars like Punk or Gunther in the months ahead. More likely, however, Breakker will be a strongly booked Intercontinental Champion who carries that prestigious title the same way that Gunther did.
That’s a good role for him right now—and until the time comes for him to swim in the deep end.