Bron Breakker Finally Has the Rival WWE Fans Have Been Waiting For

In pro wrestling, sometimes all it takes is a staredown. 

That's what WWE just gave fans on a post-SummerSlam Raw when Bron Breakker brushed shoulders with Oba Femi. 

It wasn't just a brush, though. There was layered storytelling built within the moments as they had a staredown. Viral footage then showed Breakker continuing that staredown and appearing to contemplate things from the ring while Austin Theory tried to yap in his ear: 

Talk about conveying a line-blurring, must-see story and layers of emotion into a matter of seconds. 

It was Breakker, after all, who was supposed to be the next big thing. That flopped for a few reasons and Oba Femi rocketed past him. Femi is the guy who has now defeated and retired (twice) Brock Lesnar. He's the guy getting shoutouts from Roman Reigns at post-WrestleMania press conferences. He's now the next big thing. 

And Breakker? Before and after a horrifically timed injury, he's stuck in a do-nothing stable with Theory that didn't seem to have all that much steam even before injury woes for Seth Rollins. He lost in a steel cage to Rollins anyway at Night of Champions for some reason, then won tag titles with Theory…again, for some reason. 

One would think that Breakker going right into a feud with Femi could be a disaster. 

One would be wrong. 

If these little things of storytelling are a sign of things to come, the feud could be exactly what Breakker needs, even in a loss. 

Because right now? It's almost worth wondering if a Steiner-like repackaging is the only other thing that can help Breakker. Right now, even casual fans understand that while he's a physical threat, he's been stuck in tag purgatory and clearly demoted from his prior top billings, like that time he had a title match with CM Punk. 

Breaker getting in the ring and looking like a threat against Femi would mean being on the same almost power level as both him and Lesnar. It would be a reminder of what he's capable of, if needed for some, and create good matches. And it would help take Breakker from a sort of community project as everyone seems to track his improvement on the mic and catapult him into the deep end of the main-event scene as a heavyweight. 

This would be a boon for Femi too, make no mistake. There has been some question as to what Femi actually does in the months leading up to next year's WrestleMania, considering they can't do the Roman Reigns match before then.

How does one keep Femi interesting and challenged by other Superstars after kicking out of a Tombstone Piledriver onto an exposed ring in Lesnar's retirement match? Throwing him in a heavyweight slugfest with Breakker would certainly fit the bill. The fact the outcome is actually a little bit unpredictable certainly helps, too. 

And hey, maybe this is the unexpected launching pad for what is a career-long rivalry for both men. Maybe fans had it in their heads that they would meet at the very top and kick that thing off. But one riding high while the other seeks revenge and to steal his spot back makes for pretty great pro-wrestling feud stuff, too. 

Keep in mind, too, that Breakker already has a bit of underdog going for him. Triple H's now-infamous quotes on WWE Unreal about not shoving him down the throats of fans suddenly has him not as a chosen one with some nepotism behind him, but a guy rallying against authority holding him back. 

It's interesting that WWE initially gave Breakker a legend like Rollins as a way to help him out, then added a GOAT contender with Paul Heyman to the mix too. Yet it's a good-old fashioned grudge match with another fast-riser like Femi that could really do it for him. 

So, on paper, Breakker getting irritated with his station, spearing the life out of an Austin Theory and gunning after Femi is an easy blueprint to help him get back on track…and on top. Fans would be eating good every step of the way, too. 

And that's pro wrestling in a nutshell: Backs-against-the-wall stuff that comes together organically tends to do the best. One simple staredown could lead to a career moment for Breakker now, so buckle up.