Back in June of 2019, NXT would announce a tournament featuring eight men who were signed, but hadn’t gotten a chance to make it to TV yet. The winner of the tournament would go on to get a championship match of their choosing. At the time, we never could have guessed how good this tournament would have been for the future of NXT. It was called the NXT Breakout Tournament, and here’s where the 8 men have ended up.
Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes & Swerve Are All Future Champions In NXT
Starting on the left side, we start with a batch of current stars in NXT that made their debut here. Dexter Lumis needs no introduction, with his cold steely eyes and high pain tolerance having won over fans in recent months. His gimmick is distinct as they come, and his in ring ability has been consistently at a high level.
The first name that stands out now is Bronson Reed, who has recently taken the role once held by Keith Lee, as the upper-midcarder powerhouse. At NXT Takeover 30 he was fingertips away from the NXT North American Championship, a belt that seems to be close in his future. Reed has become one of NXT’s best talents, and is sure to win gold. His best match in the past year is his triple threat with Johnny Gargano & Roderick Strong, one of NXT’s best matches this year.
Also in this tournament was Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott, who alongside Santos Escobar nearly stole the show at NXT Takeover 31 in their incredible match over the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Swerve has become one of the top cruiserweights in WWE, but could easily side step into challenging for the NXT Championship in due time, he’s just that damn good.
Cameron Grimes, who made it all the way to the finals. His insane promos and drive to pick fights with everyone who moves backstage has made him an absolute joy, and a previous win over current NXT Champion Finn Balor could very well lead to a future Takeover main event. He’s taken Keith Lee, Damien Priest, Johnny Gargano and more to their limits, and everyone who knew him previously as Trevor Lee could have seen all this coming. The skies the limit for Grimes these days, who wants to go TO THE MOON!
Angel Garza Has Already Left NXT, Set For Main Roster Glory
It’s crazy to think that before this tournament, Angel Garza hadn’t made his TV debut yet. His impeccable in-ring ability and insane charisma quickly brought him success following a second round loss in the tournament, winning the NXT Cruiserweight Championship from Lio Rush, and then quickly moving to Monday Night RAW.
He’s already made his Wrestlemania debut in a match for the RAW Tag Team Championships, and is set for either a solid tag team run or intense feud with Andrade. People have named Garza as the next Eddie Guerrero, and while those are big shoes to fill, it’s not hard to see him charm his way to a WWE Championship.
Boa, Dexter Lumis & Joaquin Wilde Are Finding Their Places In NXT
There hasn’t been much out of Boa, but on the last episode of NXT he would seem to start something with Xia Li, meaning they have finally found an angle to showcase him further. This puts him alongside Dexter Lumis & Joaquin Wilde as men who are still finding their place in the company. Lumis is well on his way, with his unique gimmick helping to push him along, and his in-ring skills are as solid as they come. For a while it seemed like he would get an NXT Championship match with Adam Cole, and was an absolute monster, but has become easier to beat down over time.
Meanwhile, Joaquin Wilde has a steady role in a tag team with Raul Mendoza of Cruiserweight Classic fame, both under current NXT Cruiserweight Champion, Santos Escobar. All together, Legado Del Fantasma is a rising faction, and with Wilde & Mendoza some of the only contenders for the NXT Tag Team Champions, they might be draped in gold soon. The former DJ Z might not find singles success in WWE, but tag team success can be just as good.
Jordan Myles Was The Winner, And The Only One No Longer In WWE
Finally we get to the winner of this tournament, Jordan Myles, now back to being ACH. He was perhaps the best known name going into this tournament, and he beat Cameron Grimes in the finals, and went on to unsuccessfully challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship. Things looked good up to this point, but then he’d get a T-Shirt design based on the ‘Smiles for Myles’ catchphrase WWE was pushing for him. He approved it for a grey design, it ended up on a black shirt, and looked like blackface.
This would spiral quickly, ACH quit WWE and retired briefly from professional wrestling. He’s since made his return, and recently wrestled for Game Changer Wrestling, appearing at For The Culture against Lee Moriarty & Joey Janela’s Spring Break 4 against Lio Rush. ACH has popped up in NJPW for NJPW Strong, and has all around gotten his career back on track.
Should WWE do another Breakout Tournament in NXT? Who would be in it? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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