Bronson Reed On Bringing His Wife Into the Ring After Title Win, Not Winning Title at NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver

Bronson Reed captures the NXT North American Championship on last week’s NXT, and he talked about the moment and bringing his wife into the ring after during a new interview. Reed spoke with Sports Illustrated about the match, not winning the title at NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On the finishing sequence: “I wanted to become the North American champion emphatically. I didn’t need to escape the cage. That’s not what Bronson Reed does. Bronson Reed gets to the top and hits that Tsunami.”

On if he’s watched the match: “I have been able to watch it back on Peacock, and there’s a reason I thanked the broadcasters [after the match]. They’re very much our unsung heroes for what we do. They’re the ones that are able to paint the picture for the ones at home, and it adds so much to the match to have people who are great at what they do calling it.”

On winning the title on NXT instead of at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver: “Going into Stand & Deliver, I wanted to become North American champion. But things happen for a reason, and there are some things you can’t script. Last Tuesday marked the 14-year anniversary of the first time I stepped into the ring for my debut match. My wife was actually the one to remind me, so it was written in the stars that that’s the night I became North American champion.”

On bringing his wife into the ring after the match: “This is as much her journey as it is mine. I’ve been with my wife since I was a teenager. She’s actually seen me since before I was a wrestler, when I was this huge wrestling fan and dreamed of one day getting to WWE. That seems like a big dream, especially when you’re from a really small town in Australia. She supported me the whole way, and it meant a lot to have her there … I made sure she was there to watch. It meant a lot to have her there, and it’s the first time in over a year she’s come to a live event. Right before the show was about to begin, I said to Triple H, “Hey, my wife’s going to be here.” I thought we could embrace outside the ring after the match. Triple H said to bring her into the ring, and I was very grateful for that. It was very real. We didn’t script it, and I didn’t script breaking down in the ring. My wife had actually asked me if I’d break down in the ring and cry, and I said, “No way! I’ll be holding the title up and it will look really cool.” And then I cried. So there are some things you can’t plan.”

On what’s next for him as champion: “I am such a different performer, so I hope I bring something to the championship that others haven’t. Also, earlier we mentioned the Rob Van Dam run with the ECW [World] Television title—that’s what I am looking to accomplish. Not so much the lengthiness of his run, though that would be incredible, but he elevated that championship to be almost the main title. That’s how I want people to see the North American championship. If this title is being defended on the same night as the NXT title, I hope people want to see this title defended more. That’s what I want to do for this belt.”