Bron Breakker wins NXT Championship at New Year’s Evil

Fourteen matches into his WWE career, Bron Breakker is a champion for the first time.

Breakker defeated Tommaso Ciampa in the main event of New Year’s Evil on Tuesday night to win the NXT Championship. After kicking out of the Fairytale Ending, Breakker hit a diving bulldog off the second rope and used the Steiner Recliner to submit Ciampa.

There was a spot near the end of the match where Breakker gave Ciampa a press slam, but Ciampa was able to reach the ropes to break up the pin. Ciampa then used the ring ropes to give Breakker a low blow. Ciampa hit three knee strikes on Breakker and gave him the Fairytale Ending, but Breakker kicked out.

Ciampa gave Breakker a nod of approval after the match.

Breakker and Ciampa had both defeated each other once heading into tonight’s match. At Halloween Havoc last October, Ciampa defeated Breakker to retain the NXT Championship. But Breakker got some revenge by pinning Ciampa to win the men’s WarGames match for Team NXT 2.0 at December’s NXT WarGames event.

Breakker (real name Bronson Rechsteiner) debuted on the premiere episode of NXT 2.0 last September. He’s the son of Rick Steiner and the nephew of Scott Steiner.

Rick Steiner was in attendance at New Year’s Evil but didn’t appear on camera. He embraced his son in the ring after the show went off the air.

Breakker was part of the group of recruits that reported to the WWE Performance Center in February 2021. Before following in his family’s footsteps in pro wrestling, he played college football at Kennesaw State University. Breakker also spent time in training camp with the Baltimore Ravens after college.