4 Ups And 4 Downs From WWE NXT DEADL1NE

3. Going For Epic

The higher-ups in NXT should really figure out what they’re doing with Bron Breakker. He’s immensely talented and capable of impressive raw power and athleticism.

But this desire to make every title defense some epic confrontation doesn’t work. While the Goldberg method isn’t necessarily a blueprint, there’s value in having some of his title defenses be shorter, more hard-hitting matches.

Apollo Crews was an interesting opponent, as he mirrors a lot of what Breakker offers in the ring: a mix of power and high-flying capability from a larger wrestler. But the build itself was so awkward that this was kind of lost here.

They probably would have been better off doing a Goldberg/Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania war where they threw bombs at each other for 5-10 minutes rather than going 15 minutes. Have both men counter each other’s moves, mirror several holds, and then have Bron slip out of a press slam and nail a lucky spear. Or have him overpower and dominate after some back-and-forth.

This was trying to be another “epic” title defense for Breakker, and it didn’t reach that level. Good match, but not what they clearly were aiming for.