Bronson Reed came back to WWE 45 pounds lighter, and apparently some fans think that means there’s a little less monster coming off the top rope. Reed has heard all of it, from questions about the Tsunami losing its impact to claims that his new physique could hurt his “aura,” and he has a pretty simple message for those people.
While speaking on WWE RAW Recap, Reed was asked whether losing that much weight ever crossed his mind when he went up for his first Tsunami after returning. After all, there’s now 45 fewer pounds crashing down from the top rope. Reed understands why someone might think that matters. He just thinks they’re completely wrong.
“Yeah, I think, and you know, I see this a lot online as well. People saying it’s not gonna be as impactful, but they’re completely wrong.”
There was obviously more mass behind the old version of the Tsunami, and Reed isn’t denying that. The difference is that he believes being lighter allows him to do things physically that he couldn’t do before.
“I understand that. Like the mass of what I was landing on someone from 10 feet in the air, of course that’s gonna hurt anyone. Of course it’s gonna keep him down. But now I can accelerate it even more because I am lighter. I can jump higher, I can jump further, and I come down with even more force because I can pretty much propel myself better.”
Reed also doesn’t plan on letting the Tsunami lose the reputation it built before his injury. He claims nobody has kicked out of the move since he started using it in NXT in 2019, and he intends to keep it that way.
“So the Tsunami actually is maybe the only finisher right now I know in WWE that has never been kicked out of since its inception in 2019 in NXT. No man has kicked out of the Tsunami. And I plan on keeping it that way.”
The weight loss itself has also created another conversation online. Some fans wondered whether dropping 45 pounds would take away some of the size and presence that made Reed stand out in the first place. There’s one problem with that argument. Reed says he may have lost 45 pounds overall, but his arms actually got bigger.
“Here’s the thing, here’s the thing. I lost 45 pounds, but I actually gained an inch in either arm. So I’m 20-inch…”
That’s when Reed really went after the people criticizing his transformation. He says this wasn’t a case of simply dropping weight while sitting around during his injury. Reed was lifting six times a week, doing cardio and putting serious work into changing his body. If those comments keep coming, Reed doesn’t sound particularly bothered. In fact, he’d prefer they keep going.
“Like, it’s not as, like, this is the harsh reality of what I did, is I didn’t just lose weight and become skinny fat like a lot of the neckbeards online that are talking about me. That’s right. I actually put in hard work and I was lifting six times a week. I’m doing my cardio. I’m doing everything I can to be the best version of myself. And you know what, I think it’s very true. If you want to be successful, you’re gonna have haters. And I’m gonna be very successful. So please keep hating me.”
Reed has already had a chance to show off that new version of himself since returning from his biceps injury. He came back at Sunday Night’s Main Event and attacked Oba Femi during his match against Bron Breakker, immediately throwing himself into the middle of The Vision’s problems with Oba.
One night later on the September 7 episode of RAW, Femi tried to fight The Vision after the group attacked Otis. He handled himself pretty well until the numbers finally became too much, with Breakker drilling him with Spears before Reed went upstairs.
That’s where any concern about the Tsunami losing its bite got an early test. Reed came crashing down on Femi before climbing right back up and doing it several more times, leaving Oba flattened in the middle of the ring.
Reed may have 45 fewer pounds to throw around, but he clearly doesn’t think that makes the Tsunami 45 pounds less dangerous. If anything, he believes the guy coming off the ropes now can get higher, move faster and hit harder than the one WWE fans saw before his injury.
Do you think Bronson Reed looks more dangerous after his 45-pound transformation, or did you prefer him at his previous size? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
