Bron Breakker looks like pro wrestling’s next big thing — but if he doesn’t ease off the throttle, the next-gen Steiner might crash before he even takes off.
This week on Raw, Breakker faced Jey Uso in an Extreme Rules match. In what appeared to be a tribute to ECW in its old Philadelphia stomping grounds, the no-rules setup mostly served as a license for endless interference and a not-so-surprising appearance by Roman Reigns, which handed Uso the win.
Beyond advancing a storyline for the upcoming
Clash in Paris, the match carried no real stakes — which made what happened during the no-holds-barred brawl all the more concerning.
In the opening moments, Breakker was knocked over the top rope. He landed knees-first on a shopping cart full of weapons at ringside. Immediately, he clutched his leg.
Uso hovered over him, appearing to advance his attack. However, his hesitation was actually a check on Breakker’s condition. He then stalled, roaming around ringside looking for weapons while Breakker gathered himself.
Breakker recovered, and the match resumed. But later, he made a questionable decision. He executed his signature clothesline from the apron — this time with a trash can in hand to amplify the impact. Once again, his lower body absorbed the brunt of the landing, crashing into both the trash can and the announcer’s table.
And yes, Uso, too.
Breakker’s brutal night comes just two weeks after SummerSlam, where he appeared to tweak his knee. After teaming with Bronson Reed against Reigns and Uso, reports indicated he was helped backstage while noticeably limping. On Night 2 of SummerSlam, he wore a bandage on his right knee.
Like Rick and Scott Steiner — his father and uncle, respectively — Breakker is a once-in-a-generation athlete. He draws heavily from their physical style and is not afraid to showcase his athleticism. But like his predecessors, that physical style might catch up to him.
Although the Steiners dominated the ’90s tag scene, their momentum was repeatedly derailed by injuries. In 1991, Scott tore his biceps, forcing them to vacate the WCW tag titles. A year later, Rick suffered a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him for several months. During Scott’s WWE comeback in 2002–2003, he struggled with drop foot, a condition that makes it tough to lift the front of the foot, causing it to drag.
“I look back at my WWE career, and I can’t watch it,” said Scott earlier this year on Busted Open. “I went up there with a drop foot, you know? I mean, I didn’t even walk to the ring the same.”
At 27, Breakker could realistically have 15 years or more ahead of him — provided he stays healthy. Toning down his style would help, especially by eliminating or limiting his apron-to-announcer’s table clothesline. That’s not an unreasonable expectation, especially as other top-tier WWE stars have done the same.
At SummerSlam, Roman Reigns executed his famous Superman dive over the top rope. It was the first time he had used the move in nearly four years. Although it almost went wrong, the moment served as a reminder: Reigns put that move on the shelf for a reason, choosing to save it for rare, meaningful occasions.
In this case, he used it against Reed and Breakker — a subtle indicator that both men are viewed as potential top-tier players.
By following Reigns’ example and reserving his most dangerous moves for the right moments, Breakker can extend his career — and ensure he lives up to the hype as a future WrestleMania headliner.
