WWE superstar Bronson Reed tapped directly into hip-hop history on December 22 with a social media post that instantly resonated across timelines.
The image showed the Australian powerhouse wearing a multi-colored sweater and dark sunglasses while counting spread-out $100 bills. The caption was spare but intentional: “They call me BIG.” For fans of rap culture, the reference was unmistakable.
Reed’s post recreated one of the most enduring images of The Notorious B.I.G., photographed by Dana Lixenberg in the mid-1990s. In the original photo, Biggie Smalls sits in a Coogi sweater and Versace sunglasses, calmly counting a stack of $50 bills behind the scenes of a shoot that later became intertwined with Vibe magazine’s landmark September 1996 cover, East vs. West — Biggie and Puffy Break Their Silence.
That moment captured Biggie at the height of his influence, projecting wealth, confidence, and dominance during the most volatile era of hip-hop’s coastal rivalry. The rivalry would result in the deaths of both Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur in 1996 and 1997.
By invoking that image, Reed aligned himself with more than a look. “They call me BIG” directly echoes Biggie’s iconic moniker while reinforcing Reed’s own WWE persona as a physically imposing force. In wrestling, size is storytelling, and Reed has long been framed as a destructive presence whose power speaks before he does. The caption reframes “BIG” as a state of mind, one defined by confidence and command rather than excess.
Bronson Reed Recreates Coogi Notorious B.I.G.
Fans immediately recognized the layers. Former WWE star AJ Francis pointed out the irony in the wardrobe choice, writing, “Bronson is the first Australian I’ve ever seen wearing a Coogi, which is hilarious because Coogi is literally made in Australia.”
The comment highlighted the cultural loop between a brand born in Australia and its lasting association with ’90s New York hip-hop.
Others focused on Reed’s growing charisma. “This guy has really grown on me. He’s funny as shit,” wrote @teddy2x_.
@Youngreg718 added, “He doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He plays his roll so well and then adds to it with random stuff like this. We see you Tribal Thief.”
The humor, fans suggested, strengthened Reed’s character rather than undermining it.
Biggie references flooded the replies. @UPTMike223 shared a GIF from the “Juicy” video with the caption, “If you don’t know, now you know,” while @Gr8_DiamondKing crowned Reed “The Notorious BRON.”
Reed’s post wasn’t about claiming Biggie’s legacy. It was about honoring it.
By respectfully recreating a sacred hip-hop image, Reed showed an understanding of how icons communicate power through presence, style, and confidence—qualities that made Biggie immortal and continue to define what it means to be “BIG.”
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