Bron Breakker on name change, working with Rick Steiner in NXT

By Ryan Satin 
FOX Sports WWE Analyst 

Bron Breakker might come from a famous wrestling family, but changing the name for WWE NXT star was apparently his own idea. 

Breakker first burst onto the scene in September of last year. 

Much to the surprise of fans, however, the 24-year-old son of WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner debuted on TV with a different last name.

On the latest “Out of Character with Ryan Satin,” the current NXT champion gave an unexpected answer when asked about using something other than Steiner.

Subscribe to “Out of Character with Ryan Satin” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for more candid conversations with your favorite Superstars, legends and on-air talent each week!

“That was my idea,” he explained. “I was just sitting around one day, and they said, ‘Hey, maybe start thinking about some sort of name. Just kind of start brainstorming and get this thought in your mind.'” 

“I was known in football for my blocking ability on offense,” said Breakker, whose real name is Bronson Rechteiner and who was briefly signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens. “I used to just try to bury people through the floor. I was just a mean, nasty player.

“When I was blocking in football, I used to try to break people in half. So, I was like, ‘Well, what about ‘The Breaker’ or something like that?’”

That eventually morphed into Bron Breakker and the rest became history, as he’s now a two-time NXT champ who still carries his family legacy. 

Whether it’s through the moves he employs in the ring, the singlets he wears in matches, or even recently having his father involved in a program with Joe Gacy that saw Rick get kidnapped on NXT TV, Breakker is keeping the family legacy alive.

“It has been really cool,” Breakker said of working with his dad.

“He gets to come down to the [WWE Performance Center] and the majority of coaches, if not all of them, have either worked with him, or worked against him at some point in time in their career. So, it’s cool to see him catch up with everybody and just be a part of what’s going on.”

Don’t get your hopes up for a Steiner family team-up, though, as Breakker says his dad is officially retired from in-ring competition.

“He’s not gonna do it,” Bron said with confidence. “He did 20 years for the business. He was at the top of the tag-team division, or singles division, during pretty much the entire time. I think he’s just at peace with his career and performing.” 

As for his uncle Scott, that’s a different story.

When asked about the potential for the other Steiner family dream team, Breakker simply gave the old wrestling adage of “never say never.”

For more with Bron Breakker, download the latest “Out of Character” on podcast platforms or watch the video below.

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Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1’s “WWE Backstage” and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.