Tyler Breeze is ready to EVOLVE.
Kyle O'Reilly was pulled from the EVOLVE lineups this weekend as he's currently dealing with a staph infection. In his place will be Tyler Breeze, an online favorite who has never stepped foot in an EVOLVE ring. Breeze recently returned to NXT after a lukewarm main roster run that saw him sit on the sidelines for the majority of his time. Though Breeze was unsuccessful in capturing the North American Title from Velveteen Dream at TakeOver: XXV, a return to NXT reignited a fire in Breeze and made people remember just how good he is.
Speaking to WWE.com, Breeze discussed his EVOLVE debut this weekend.
"It’s an interesting time right now, not just for sports-entertainment, but wrestling as well. When I was in NXT before, something like this wasn’t even possible. Now, we have these new opportunities. Something like EVOLVE is now an option. I can go and participate like I’m doing this weekend. They have their own roster of talented people, and now you’re getting two different matchups. Since we made the announcement, I’ve been hit up a lot on social media about AR Fox and Anthony Green, with people saying, 'This is going to be awesome!'" exclaimed Breeze. "Not only will fans get to see matches they may never see again, but also, they get meet-and-greets, which are few and far between. I’m doing meet-and-greets for both nights, so it’ll be really cool to meet a new fanbase, a new roster to wrestle, and just the fact that I can go into somewhere like EVOLVE and get my feet wet there. I wrestled for WWE, NXT and now I get to for EVOLVE. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, it’s going to be really fun."
Going back to NXT allowed Breeze to refocus in somewhat familiar territory. Breeze was part of the first NXT TakeOver event, and though many things have changed throughout 25 TakeOvers, Breeze has no problem being the OG of the brand.
"I love it and wear it as a badge of honor because there’s not a lot of people that can say that they’ve done what I’ve done. I came in around 2010, and NXT wasn’t even alive yet. So, I was in FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling). I was also part of when it turned to NXT. I was a part of the first tapings at Full Sail Live," recalled Breeze. "I was involved in the first four to five years that it was a thing, so there’s a core group of us that really are the OGs. We were the ones working every single show, either the Full Sail tapings or on WWE Network. It was the same core group of people every time. I do consider myself, and other people as well, as the original pillar for what NXT is today and why that standard is there. The chants from the NXT Universe is one of those genuine things from a group of people who are just saying, “Hey, we appreciate everything you’ve done and look forward to everything you do.” That makes me motivated to work harder."
Prince Pretty is scheduled to face AR Fox at EVOLVE 129 and Anthony Greene at EVOLVE 130. Fightful will have full results from both shows following their conclusions.
