IWC Scum — Why Wait Until Vegas? Crown Bron Breakker Now and Let the Chips Fall Where They May
Welcome back to the column that puts the incessant whining and complaining in IWC. I’m an acquired taste named SkitZ who’s ripe with food for thought after fully digesting the events of Monday night.
To answer Cody’s rhetorical shtick, I know exactly what you wanna talk about. When Seth’s injury at Crown Jewel prompted the company to turn Rollins’ own vision against him, it became abundantly clear by the end of said beatdown that WWE was speeding up Breakker’s ascension to the throne. A landmark title change that many of us thought could happen as soon as WrestleMania, but based on the nature of Bron’s post-Wargames promo, it suddenly feels like he’s about to turn CM Punk into a transitional champion. And honestly, what better way to kick off the New Year than by throwing a major wrench in the rumored plans for WM42?
People were practically begging for it following this week’s episode of RAW. Fans have been going nuts all over social media heaping praise upon Breakker for the savage promo he cut on Punk. I even saw some clown claim it was “better than the pipebomb”, which sounds more absurd than these theories behind the masked man’s identity. Bron’s tirade however could very well prove to be a major launching pad when we reflect back on his career years from now. His words generated a huge reaction from the crowd and sent shockwaves across the internet. It grabbed your attention as a viewer and made you believe in what the guy was selling. The intensity, the aura, and an insatiable appetite to thrive atop the food chain.
Punk will no doubt pick apart Bron on the microphone the next time they’re standing face-to-face, and I can’t help but wonder how his upcoming challenger will respond in real time when that confrontation ensues. Can Breakker hang on the stick when the Best in the World takes a verbal bite out of his ass? Based on recent evidence, I’m inclined to say yes. These last few years working behind the scenes with Paul Heyman have proved invaluable for The Big Dog. A nickname Bron grew organically; not one the machine thrusted upon a miscasted Samoan superhero. It’s refreshing when a wrestler makes such a splash that he has everyone drinking the Kool-Aid, as opposed to it being forced down our throats whether we like the product or not.
Breakker’s such a big hit across the board because he’s a nod to the future while also serving as a throwback to the glory days. The former football player possesses the reckless nature of a Bill Goldberg and the sheer athleticism of his father, along with the smack talking skills of his crazy uncle. No matter the magnitude of the moment, Bron has consistently delivered in every key match or segment thus far, whether it’s nearly committing vehicular manslaughter on Ricochet or attempting to cripple Seth for life. He’s also shown to have a neck made of steel because Breakker should’ve been wheelchair bound after that doomsday device he took on Saturday. If not steel, then whatever those Stretch Armstrong action figures were made of back in the day. Either way, you’ve gotta admit the dude is hella durable.
Whenever a generational stud like Bron comes along and gets the rocket strapped on, WWE tends to put the rising star over the first time they receive a shot at a World Championship. Not always, but fairly often. This could be a simple case of testing the waters on January 5th, but what if the new agenda calls for them diving headfirst into Breakker’s first reign as WHC? I could see Hunter scanning across the main event landscape, taking count of how crowded it is with good guys, and feeling the sudden urge to tweak the ratio with a touch of Steiner math. Heading into WrestleMania season with a pair of ace babyfaces as your World Champions doesn’t hit quite right, does it? Certainly not when one of those rumored matchups happens to be Cody/Roman III.
While I’m not thrilled about the growing probability of Rhodes versus Reigns becoming a Mania trilogy, Rollins getting hurt sure does leave a gaping hole on the card. An empty slot that’s prime for the picking if you’re LA Knight or Sami Zayn (Logan Paul can sit and spin). Each fan favorite presents a strong case for why they should finally win the big one in 2026, but with a month left to spare in ‘25, it appears Bron has beaten them both to the punch. Backstage politics be damned, The Megastar must be pissing off the big wigs left and right, because this man couldn’t land the starring role of the show if his name was Billy Bob Thornton, despite nailing every performance. Then there’s Sami, whose momentum has been so hot and cold over the past three years that I’m convinced WWE’s placed his crowning achievement on the backburner until SaudiMania gets here. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they changed their minds again before that day comes. Zayn’s World Title quest is starting to remind me an awful lot of Sheamus chasing the Intercontinental Championship, and you know how that ended… In an endless loop of losses.
Whereas Knight and Sami still seemingly have something to prove to Trips & Co., Breakker has that Orton-esque air about him where the guy simply feels undeniable, and not just because of his family lineage in the wrestling business. Upper management is so ridiculously high on Bron right now that, even if he doesn’t capture the World Heavyweight Championship on the New Year’s edition of RAW, I’d place all my bets on Breakker winning the 2026 Royal Rumble.
If it were me calling the shots though, he would dethrone CM Punk on January 5th. After the anticlimactic road to this year’s WrestleMania, WWE needs a major plot twist to kickstart their busy season. Well, technically they don’t need to do anything. The company’s raking in record profits thanks to the growing holes in our pockets, but why not draw in more casuals and disillusioned fans by putting the big gold belt around Bron’s waist and rolling the dice on the hot young commodity? He’s ready. It’s a right place, right time, right guy type of scenario. The fact that Elimination Chamber is being held in Chicago where the Second City Saint can earn his way back into the WrestleMania main event after dropping the belt the month prior makes it all the more plausible.
Or perhaps Punk veers off to face Rhodes at WM42 instead while Roman or LA Knight challenges Breakker? There’s a small chance too that Seth returns in time to exact revenge on his short-lived protege. That’s if Rollins isn’t slacking on the rehab while watching his Bears actually win for a change. Regardless, Bron entering Mania as Heavyweight Champion presents a bunch of intriguing matchups that deviate from the status quo every April.
As much as we loved watching CM Punk win another World Title in WWE and hold it for more than 5 minutes, the payoff took fucking forever due to his torn triceps and endless feud with Rollins. Wrestling fans cream themselves over longterm storytelling, but we’re also impatient adrenaline junkies who are always chasing that next high. With Cena leaving, Cody settling comfortably into another cookie cutter title reign, and Jey Uso perpetually ticking off the IWC with his preferential booking, there’s a craving amongst us for something different. Something new. Something strong enough to shake the foundation and breathe new life into it.
That perfect storm is Bron Breakker. He’s quickly turned the masses into believers over the course of his brief main roster run. Don’t let the green glow coming off this guy’s body at Survivor Series fool you; the next gen Steiner is prepared to carry a company. The insane amount of “put the title on this man already” posts and tweets I’ve seen in response to his promo on RAW speak for themselves. Punk came back to make money, have fun and help elevate the younger guys, and now he’s in the perfect position to make Breakker look like a million bucks. Seth leading The Vision never fully clicked, but Bron in the driver’s seat with that big gold belt slung over his shoulder? Take my money and sign me up. Just no more streaming apps, because ESPN Unlimited is already scamming the hell out of us.