Braun Strowman’s Speed is Scary for WWE’s Roster
By Sean Neumann
Braun Strowman showed a hint of speed in his first match of the New Era – sign of good things to come for him, post-Wyatt Family.
Braun Strowman’s split from The Wyatt Family during last week’s WWE Draft was easily near the top of the list when it came to concerning character development in the near future.
The 6-foot-8, near-400 pounder has a menacing figure, but his character and backstory have barely unfolded on WWE television, while the development of his in-ring move set has done little to outshine his lack of personality depth. So when his leader in Bray Wyatt and brother in Erick Rowan were selected for Smackdown Live and he was left on Monday Night RAW, there was a lot to be worried about with where he would go next.
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But Monday Night RAW looked to bode good things for Strowman’s all-around future. Not only did he come out to new music – albeit the comically Sasquatch-like bellow removes you from the kayfabe tunnel vision you should be locked into when his theme hits – but Strowman also came out with a slightly revamped look. I mean, a new hairstyle can do a lot for a man.
The brightest signal of hope for Strowman, though, came mid-match – a squash with no-name “local athlete” James Ellsworth. The big man was tossing around Ellsworth like a ragdoll, as every viewer had expected, and then tossed him into the corner in preparation for a splash. Then, out of nowhere, Strowman’s speed hit another level we’ve never seen before. Flying across the ring from corner to corner, the Wyatt Family’s giant crashed into Ellsworth with a force not just catastrophic because of the size of the man doing the crashing, but mostly the incredible speed he used to slingshot his body into the tiny man in the corner.
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If Strowman’s new move set starts to include fast-paced movements, there’s going to be a new beast striking fear into the rest of the roster on Monday Night RAW – maybe one that doesn’t need “enhancements.” The athletic ability Strowman showed off in his quick match gave us a glimpse into the type of destruction he could be capable of. And now without being locked into the role of being The Wyatt Family’s dominator, Strowman may be able to expand his in-ring action beyond slamming guys into the mat and crushing their skulls with his giant arms and hands.
Once again, the New Era of the WWE is giving its roster new opportunities. With a little bit of character development and a continued show of athletic in-ring ability, Strowman’s dominance can quickly snowball him into a huge force in the WWE. It’s extremely doubtful the big man will ever reach the likes of a mainstay main event spot, but it’s not out of the question for him to start fitting into a truly impactful role on the Monday Night RAW roster as new doors are opened for the superstars in the WWE post-draft. Hopefully, this trend continues throughout the rest of the roster and hopefully Braun Strowman continues to show us something new.
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What did you think of the first Monday Night RAW of the New Era? Who did you think stood out the most to you? Let us know in the comments below.