Former NXT Star Returns On WWE Raw To Align With The Miz

Former "WWE NXT" North American Champion Bronson Reed returned to the promotion on the 12/19 "WWE Raw" in Des Moines, Iowa.

Towards the closing stages of The Miz vs. Dexter Lumis ladder match, Lumis had all but secured victory upon climbing the ladder until Reed grabbed for his leg and pulled him down to the mat. Reed would follow it up with thunderous Avalanche and Tsunami top rope splash, before setting up the ladder in the middle of the ring for The Miz, who did the honors and reclaimed his "money" to win the match. After the bout, The Miz and Reed posed together, seemingly confirming their new on-screen alliance. 

BRONSON REED IS BACK!!!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/UmcOYDAzkI

— WWE (@WWE) December 20, 2022

The news of Reed's WWE comeback shouldn't come as a surprise. Last month, Dave Meltzer reported WWE had offered Reed a contract to return to the promotion, following which several other outlets noted that the Triple H-led regime had significant interest in signing the 300-pounder.

Furthermore, on Monday, Fightful Select reported rumblings within the WWE locker room of Reed's imminent return. Barely hours later, the Aussie showed up on the live telecast of "Raw" in Des Moines.

Soon after his WWE release in August 2021, Reed – going by the moniker of JONAH – made a name for himself in promotions such as NJPW, PROGRESS and IMPACT Wrestling, especially with noteworthy matches against the likes of Kazuchika Okada and Jeff Cobb at the G1 Climax earlier this year. In fact, Reed's last match was also against Okada at the "NJPW Declaration of Power" event on October 10. 

During his previous WWE stint, Reed was pushed as one of the top stars on the "NXT" brand and was seemingly primed for a main roster call-up after he wrestled dark matches on "WWE SmackDown" in June 2021. However, he would be abruptly released a few months later, at a time when WWE's developmental show was preparing to be revamped as "NXT 2.0."