Adelaide’s Bronson Reed beats Johnny Gargano to become WWE NXT North American Champion
A life-changing performance this week from (literally) one of SA’s biggest sporting exports has bolstered Adelaide’s claim to be Australia’s pro wrestling capital.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Adelaide has added to its growing claim to be Australia’s professional wrestling capital after another local export captured a WWE championship this week.
Bronson Reed – better known to some locally as Jermaine Haley – won the WWE NXT North American title from Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match on Wednesday that scored major praise from fans across social media.
Coming 14 years to the day from his first professional wrestling match, the giant grappler told The Advertiser it was a moment he’d dreamt of since childhood.
“This is something that I’ve wanted my whole life,” he said.
“I’ve been a fan of wrestling my whole life. It’s been a long journey but I’m finally a champion in WWE – it’s overwhelming.
“I didn’t think in these sorts of moments that I’d cry, but I did.”
Reed said he would remember today’s victory fondly.
“I don’t particularly like him so much at the time but me and Johnny Gargano have those sort of matches that are just memorable and tonight definitely was one of them,” he said.
“I could feel it out there as the match was going and I’m like, this is something that people aren’t going to forget any time soon.”
Reed is now the second South Australian and third Australian currently holding a WWE champions.
It’s the first time in history Australians have held three WWE titles at the same time.
Fellow Adelaide export Rhea Rhipley became WWE Raw Women’s Champion at WWE’s WrestleMania extravaganza earlier this year while Melbourne’s Indi Hartwell holds a WWE NXT women’s tag team championship.
“Rhea Ripley, when I was an independent wrestler in Australia, she actually used to come to shows as a fan and watch me and then all these years later we both end up in WWE, she’s a champion (and) now I’m a champion.
“I’ve spent time with Indi too back home and now she’s a champion.
“It’s crazy to think there’s three of us from Australia.”
And there will be more following in their footsteps, Reed said.
“We have so much untapped potential and talent in Australia. We’re starting to put the world on notice that Australia is a big wrestling country.”
Reed said Australian determination and grit was behind the success of the local wrestlers who have pushed their way to the top stage.
Shoutout our man @bronsonreedwwe! One of the (literally) biggest True Believers going 💪#weareportadelaidehttps://t.co/DfceTrf5Uu
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) May 19, 2021
Port Adelaide Football Club was one of the first to congratulate their “True Believer”, taking to Twitter just minutes after the final bell rang at the WWE’s Performance Centre in Florida today.
Reed said he hoped to get home soon to visit his family and support local wrestlers.
And he said he hoped his family at Tailem Bend had watched today’s match together and been very proud of his performance.
Join the conversation
Three crashes, two fatalities in one day on SA roads
It’s been an awful day on SA roads as three crashes have resulted in two fatalities.
Read more
Revealed: Conlon’s plan to fix the opal city dying on its knees
A former state government minister has revealed his first focus to get a debt-laden Outback council back on track - and locals say change can’t come fast enough.
Read more