From the suburbs of Adelaide to the bright lights of the desert paradise that is Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, WWE superstar Bronson Reed is proof hard work pays off.
Reed, real name Jermaine Haley, is one of many Australian pro wrestling’s success stories of the last decade in an era of the Australasian takeover with the likes of Rhea Ripley, Grayson Waller, Indi Hartwell, Jay White and Dakota Kai becoming global superstars.
35-year-old Reed started wrestling in his early teens and after more than a decade on the independent scene in Australia and Japan, he was signed to a development contract with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2019.
The South Australian native suffered a career setback in 2021 when WWE released him, but that proved to be the catalyst for his rapid rise in popularity which saw him wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling where he was involved in several matches that received critical acclaim.
That put Reed back on WWE’s radar and under the new management of Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, the 6ft, 150-kilogram beast was hired back in 2022.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the most dynamic and bruising big men in the world of pro wrestling and won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal during WrestleMania weekend this past April.
As much as I rarely ever see him getting credit on here, Bronson Reed is an insane athlete for his size, deserves all the credit #WWEKingAndQueen pic.twitter.com/Tyg9c5S7Ph
— 𝙎𝙖𝙢 (@RhodesKotaEra) May 25, 2024
Speaking to SENZ on the eve of his appearance at WWE’s King and Queen of the Ring event in Jeddah last month, Reed said he believes he is close to his peak as a character, a performer and the all-around package.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time worldwide,” Reed said.
“I’ve been in there with the very best in the business and held my own and I think I have a very unique style considering my size and I can offer something not many other guys can. I can give the fans the power moves they like to see, but I’m also not afraid to fly around the ring and In some cases over it.”
Reed came up short in his attempt to win the famed Intercontinental title in Saudi Arabia, losing a triple-threat match against former US Olympian Chad Gable and champion Sami Zayn who successfully retained his championship.
But the match arguably stole the show on the night with Reed proving his ability to hang with two of the best pure wrestlers in the company.
“Those two guys are as good as it gets from a wrestling and entertainment standpoint. They also make you believe in everything they’re doing both on the mic and in the ring,” added Reed.
“This is the opportunity for me to show the world I belong in there with them and the three of us will put on a show for fans all around the world.”
And while the best is yet to come for Reed in the world of sports entertainment, he is a great example of putting your mind to something, believing in yourself and anything is possible.
“I mean, look where I came from, right? South Australia, the bottom end of the world and now I'm here, wrestling in front of literally millions of people for one of the biggest sporting companies on the planet," Reed said.
“You just have to back yourself - that’s my advice to young wrestlers. Make sure you train with someone reputable and legit but also remember nothing is out of the question if you put in the hard work.
“It ain't easy but it can happen - just look at myself, Rhea (Ripley), Dakota (Kai) and all the others you mentioned. New Zealand and Australia are filled with so much talent and if you work hard enough and take any opportunities that are given to you with both hands, you could be here too.”
WWE’s next big event is Clash at the Castle at Scotland’s Hydro Arena on June 16 (NZ time).
Photo: WWE