WWE is set to hold its second NXT Breakout tournament beginning Tuesday, July 13. The first eight-man, single elimination tourney was held in 2019 after WWE loaded up on former independent wrestlers from all over the world with time spent in Impact, Ring of Honor, New Japan, NWA, AAA, Pro Wrestling NOAH, EVOLVE, and PROGRESS just to name a few.
Despite the recent string of releases, WWE has a number of superstars in the locker room waiting to breakout once again. While we wait for the next generation to make their mark, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what was accomplished (and what flopped) with the inaugural eight competitors.
Below are complete results for the 2019 NXT Breakout tournament, followed by a breakdown of what each competitor has done in the two years since.
Angel Garza def. Joaquin Wilde
Cameron Grimes def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Jordan Myles def. Boa
Bronson Reed def. Dexter Lumis
Jordan Myles def. Angel Garza
Cameron Grimes def. Bronson Reed
Finals: Jordan Myles def. Cameron Grimes
Jordan Myles
Accolades:
Won the 2019 NXT Breakout tournament
Challenged Adam Cole for the NXT Championship
The former ACH was seemingly primed for success as part of WWE’s black-and-gold brand in 2019. Jordan Myles was deemed the winner of WWE’s first-ever NXT Breakout tournament, and he certainly maximized his opportunity by challenging then-NXT Champion Adam Cole. Unfortunately, Myles would depart the company that same fall in light of controversy over a t-shirt design that resembled blackface.
Before his release, Myles worked a handful of live events as NXT was on the cusp of going live on the USA Network. It was at those house shows that he teamed with Kushida and Keith Lee—two pairings that could’ve translated to success on the weekly program.
ACH eventually returned to the indie scene for over a year, but recently announced his retirement in May.
Cameron Grimes
Accolades:
4 TakeOver matches (0-4)
Recently featured alongside Ted DiBiase
Has competed for the NXT North American and Million Dollar Championship
Despite being the runner-up of the Breakout tournament, Cameron Grimes has been a regular fixture of NXT for two years now. 2020 saw him challenge for the North American Championship twice, which included his NXT TakeOver debut in a thrilling ladder match. He then went on to have a few gimmick matches against Dexter Lumis to finish out the year. After a brief hiatus, Grimes returned from injury with a money-obsessed personality. He’s now in pursuit of the Million Dollar Championship, coming off of a TakeOver: In Your House loss to LA Knight.
Bronson Reed
Accolades:
Former NXT North American Champion (42 days)
4 TakeOver matches (2-2)
Bronson Reed made sporadic appearances on NXT for nearly a year before the summer of 2020 marked consistent appearances. He even competed in the North American title ladder match at TakeOver: XXX, which served as a breakout moment for him.
At TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, Reed won a six-man gauntlet to earn a North American title match the following night. Despite coming up short to Johnny Gargano at TakeOver, Reed was able to win the title in a Steel Cage match the following month. Reed and MSK put all of their titles on the line against Legado del Fantasma in NXT’s first six-man winner takes all match at TakeOver: In Your House.
At the end of June, Reed would lose the title to Isaiah Scott in an impromptu main event as the Thicc one is rumored for a move to the main roster this summer.
Angel Garza
Accolades:
Former NXT Cruiserweight Champion (45 days)
Competed at TakeOver: WarGames 2019 and Worlds Collide
Challenged for the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Clash of Champions 2020
Angel Garza once looked to be one of the better success stories coming out of the 2019 Breakout tournament. He quickly debuted on 205 Live and eventually became number one contender to the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Garza lost his first title match against Lio Rush, but was able to conquer the Man of the Hour one month later to win his first title in WWE, thus making him the first Breakout tournament participant to capture gold.
Garza dropped the title to Jordan Devlin in January, which allowed him to debut on Raw a couple weeks later. He briefly worked both NXT and Raw before making his WrestleMania debut in a Raw Tag Team Championship match against The Street Profits. Garza and Andrade competed in tag matches all summer until they split in October.
Garza has struggled to find success ever since, primarily competing on Main Event with the occasional Raw appearance sprinkled in.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Accolades:
Reigning NXT North American Champion
Challenged for NXT Cruiserweight Championship
3 TakeOver matches (0-3)
Despite losing a first-round match to Cameron Grimes, Swerve debuted on 205 Live in July 2019. He would continue to compete on both NXT and 205 for the next year. During that time, he faced Angel Garza on a TakeOver pre-show and challenged for the Cruiserweight title at events such as Worlds Collide and TakeOver 31.
After suffering several losses, Swerve turned heel before the new year and entered a feud with Leon Ruff, which was used to introduce his new faction called Hit Row. He kept his momentum rolling into the summer to defeat Bronson Reed to capture his first title in WWE: the NXT North American Championship.
Joaquin Wilde
Accolades:
3 TakeOver matches (0-3)
Challenged for the NXT Tag Team Championship
The former DJZ was regularly seen on NXT and 205 Live until he was abducted in April 2020. He reemerged in May as part of the Legado del Fantasma faction alongside Santos Escobar and Raul Mendoza. Wilde and Mendoza vied for tag gold on a number of occasions, but have yet to achieve their goal.
Other notable items: Made it to the semi-finals of the 2021 Dusty Classic, competed in a triple threat title match at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, and competed in the first-ever winner takes all six-man match at TakeOver: In Your House.
Dexter Lumis
Accolades:
2 TakeOver matches (1-1)
Challenged for the North American Championship
2-0 in Strap matches
After the tournament, Dexter Lumis didn’t appear on TV again until April 2020. However, he quickly entered a feud with Undisputed Era, which resulted in him beating Roderick Strong in a Strap match at the Great American Bash.
After unsuccessfully challenging Damian Priest for the North American title, Lumis feuded with Cameron Grimes for a couple months. Lumis beat Grimes on a number of occasions, which included a Strap match at TakeOver: WarGames.
Dexter has spent most of this year feuding with Johnny Gargano and The Way, which evolved into a pining for Indi Hartwell. Recently, he competed in a gauntlet contender’s match at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
Boa
Accolades:
2019 NXT Breakout tournament participant
5 televised matches so far
Boa made his official TV debut in 2019 after reporting to the Performance Center in 2017. After a few enhancement matches post-tournament, Boa spent time on the shelf due to a shoulder injury.
He reemerged at the end of 2020 to accompany Xia Li as part of Tian Sha. Boa and Xia recently won a mixed tag match against Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas, marking Boa’s first televised match in nearly two years.
In hindsight…
Out of the eight original competitors, three have gone on to win midcard championships, while seven have at least competed in title matches. Six of them have competed at a TakeOver event, but Garza is the only one so far to compete at WrestleMania.
None of them have yet to win a world title, but these breakout stars have plenty of time to become main-event players considering how these last two years have played out.
Two participants are confirmed for the 2021 tournament so far: Andre Chase and Joe Gacy. Should the full bracket be revealed before Tuesday, July 13, Meteora4 Media will provide a profile preview for each competitor.
In the meantime, check out Meteora4 Media’s Ring Post Journal #1: A 2020 Women’s Wrestling Year in Review, featuring a foreword by Thunder Rosa, available now on Amazon.