One of the most beloved superstars in WWE, Tyler Breeze has found it difficult to get some momentum going on a loaded roster, so here are three reasons why he should get an opportunity at The Velveteen Dream’s North American Championship.
The word “underrated” gets thrown around a lot in professional wrestling, specifically in WWE, where there are so many wrestlers who can’t be given a spotlight by virtue of the sheer amount of talent on the main roster. Tyler Breeze has to be on the shortlist of underrated wrestlers, especially since several stars, such as Bayley, have praised him for his help.
Over the past few months, Breeze, who is without tag team partner Fandango due to a long-term injury, has been tweeting about his situation. He also made a tweet last week about wanting an opportunity at The Velveteen Dream’s North American Championship, which prompted this hilarious response from Big E.
After retaining NXT’s mid-card championship at TakeOver: New York against the rapidly-rising Matt Riddle, The Dream is need of some more challengers. On the upcoming episode of NXT TV, Dream will tear down the roof against former Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy, but why stop there when it comes to surprise opponents from outside the confines of NXT?
Breeze has made appearances in NXT since leaving the brand after being one of its stars, so here are three reasons why WWE should give him a chance to shine against The Dream, just as he did against Ricochet in a North American Title match in December.
Just imagine the character work and psychology
There might not be a more engaging character in WWE than The Velveteen Dream, whose breath-taking entrances, including his Statue of Liberty entrance at NXT TakeOver: New York, are just a small part of the equation. The Dream’s mindgames can mess with just about anyone, but Tyler Breeze would be the man most-equipped to handle the psychological battle with him.
It was Breeze who had the original, me-first, over-the-top character who embraced his handsomeness and wielded it as a weapon over his bewildered opponents. Though Breeze has become more of a comedy character and less sinister on the main roster, there is no doubt that he could turn the gorgeousness up to “11” when needed.
A North American Championship match is certainly high-stakes, especially given the men who have competed for this title. Ricochet, Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Pete Dunne, Riddle, and The Dream are among those who have either competed for or held this championship. Breeze has faced Ricochet before, so he knows the step-up in competition that is needed.
The taunts, the entrances, and the in-ring character work could lead to an awesome story that reminds WWE fans just how good Breeze is – and reenforces the idea that The Dream is one of the best in the business.
We need more NXT ‘returns’
From Sasha Banks and Bayley to Finn Balor to Asuka to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, so many stars on the main roster came through the NXT ranks and made a difference. When WWE fans heard about Banks and Bayley saving the Sky Pirates, a woman’s tag team comprised of Kairi Sane and Io Shirai, at an NXT Live Event, there was plenty of excitement in the air. And fans loved seeing Breeze face Ricochet for the North American Championship back in December.
Breeze played a huge role in NXT’s success, partaking in an insane Fatal Four-Way match for the NXT Championship at the fittingly-named “NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way”. He shined brightly alongside Sami Zayn, Tyson Kidd, and then-champion Neville, showing WWE fans that he could be a star on the main roster.
Though that rise to stardom hasn’t happened at all for Breeze, he’s showed well in singles competition when allowed. Breeze is an excellent seller and a master of in-ring psychology, and his work with Fandango as “The Fashion Police” speaks for itself.
The NXT Universe holds Breeze in high esteem, and seeing him back for another North American Championship match would be amazing, especially if it’s built up beforehand as something more than just an open challenge. All the vignettes, promos, and social media back-and-forths would go a long way in selling this match as a big deal.
Tyler Breeze has too much talent not to use
It’s baffling that WWE doesn’t give Tyler Breeze more to work with, because it’s one thing to have him rarely win on the main roster; it’s another thing entirely to not even bother using him in any capacity with three full hours of Raw available.
Breeze and Fandango’s weekly “Fashion Files” segments were a huge highlight for wrestling fans and are some of the best comedy skits done in wrestling in recent memory. Fandango trying on lead paint? Their “Good Cop, Bad Cop” routine? Handing Shane McMahon toy guns? Genius. Absolute genius.
But Breeze isn’t just hilarious outside the ring and incredibly supportive of his colleagues, he’s also quite good inside of it. Breeze can wrestle any style due to his technical proficiency, athleticism, and ability to get the crowd fully invested in his character work.
The same can be said for The Velveteen Dream’s athleticism and knowledge of the crowd, so this match would pit two highly gifted wrestlers against each other for an increasingly prestigious title. Velveteen can look like a huge star in defenses against the likes of Murphy and Breeze, and the WWE Universe should be all for it. Dream is WWE’s next big star, just ask John Cena, and he and Breeze can help make each other look awesome in a title match.