Bron Breakker Distances Himself From Rick Steiner's Transphobic Gisele Shaw Comments

Being a second-generation wrestler has its advantages, but it can also be a tough situation to be irrevocably linked with someone else's actions. Such is the case of former WWE "NXT" Champion Bron Breakker and his father, WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner. Steiner recently was the subject of controversy for shouting transphobic comments at Impact Wrestling's Gisele Shaw at a convention during WWE WrestleMania 39 Weekend. Breakker was asked about the incident in a recent interview on the "Under The Ring" podcast.

"I appreciate the question," Breakker began. "I can't speak for my father but that's not a reflection of me or who I am or what I'm about."

The incident took place at this year's WrestleCon convention, where both Shaw and Steiner were in attendance. Steiner hurled the inappropriate comments at Shaw in a crowded room full of witnesses, but it didn't come out until Shaw herself called out Steiner for his behavior. Following the incident, WrestleCon apologized for Steiner's behavior in a statement in support of Shaw, saying the situation had been addressed, though without specifying how. 

Impact Wrestling also issued a statement in support of Shaw following the incident, noting that WrestleCon staff and Shaw's Impact Wrestling comrades "handled an ugly situation with the utmost professionalism."

Breakker is set to challenge WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins on this week's edition of "WWE NXT." The match will be Breakker's first title match since NXT Battleground, where Breakker unsuccessfully attempted to win back the WWE NXT Championship from Carmelo Hayes.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Under the Ring" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.