Released WWE Star Returns For First Time In 2 Years
Ex-WWE man gets back in the ring for first time since 2021 release.
Tyler Breeze has returned to a professional wrestling ring for the first time since his WWE release, capturing gold in the process.
The former Breezango man was on the marquee for Tennessee-based Next Generation Wrestling's Wrestle Wars event on Saturday, 8 July. There, the 35-year-old defeated independent wrestling veteran Matt Cross, becoming NGW: Tennessee Champion in the process.
Tyler, who competed as Mike Dalton prior to signing with WWE, competed simply as "Breeze." His former WWE cohort Xavier Woods was seemingly backstage at the NGW event, having snapped a photograph with Breeze after the victory:-
He’s back! @MmmGorgeous https://t.co/jY4DevCU07 pic.twitter.com/9tXYEw2SPD
Advertisement— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) July 9, 2023
This was Breeze's first wrestling match of any variety since the 15 June 2021 episode of WWE NXT, on which he and long-time partner Fandango defeated Imperium's Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.
Fightful Select recently reported that despite being cut by WWE two years ago, Breeze is still technically contracted to the promotion in a deal allowing him to appear on Woods' UpUpDownDown gaming show. The agreement is understood to forbid Breeze from appearing on AEW programming.
Currently, Woods is being advertised for a Prestige Wrestling show on 1 September, continuing his in-ring comeback.