WWE NXT Clash with Jushin Thunder Liger and the Unexpected Twists

In 2015, the renowned Japanese wrestling sensation, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, stepped into the WWE spotlight with his debut, clinching victory against Tyler Breeze at “WWE NXT” TakeOver: Brooklyn amidst the cheers of over 15,000 fans at the Barclays Center. Breeze recently shared his experience of discovering that he would be locking horns with his WWE Hall of Fame opponent, who, at the time, was plying his trade with NJPW and simultaneously participating in the “Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling.”

“I thought it was a joke at first because nobody would really tell me,” revealed Breeze. “By that point, I’d wrestled basically everybody. I’d been on almost every TakeOver, grappling with a diverse set of opponents. So, surveying the landscape, I thought, ‘Alright, well, this guy’s with this guy, this guy’s doing that, this guy’s doing this, so there’s nobody really around, so I’m probably not gonna be on TakeOver, I guess.’ I remember Hunter even said, ‘Hey, we’re working on something for you. You’ll be on it; just don’t worry.'”

Breeze, a frequent assistant coach at the WWE Performance Center, disclosed that Finn Balor played the messenger, breaking the news of his impending match against Liger at TakeOver: Brooklyn. Initially puzzled, Breeze sought clarity from Balor, who, having trained with Liger, reached out to the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion to confirm the possibility of a TakeOver showdown. Breeze affirmed that it was indeed the legendary Liger himself. Management formally conveyed the plans for Breeze’s bout against Liger just a few weeks later, intensifying the anticipation surrounding this unique clash.