WWE: What Made Big Show vs. Braun Strowman a Great Big Man Match?
By Dj Beal
Big Show and Braun Strowman’s battle has Match of the Year potential in WWE.
Braun Strowman faced Big Show this week on WWE Raw in one of the relatively overlooked matches of the week. This match could’ve been a match of the year candidate if it involved two of indy darlings with the same booking. The power wrestlers rarely ever get any credit in today’s wrestling world and are often frowned upon even in the independent scene but why could this be one of the greatest power matches we’ve seen in quite some time?
We must give credit to the transformations (not like Aron Rex) that both Strowman and Big Show have made in a year. Both have trimmed down substantially and Strowman himself has shown in ring improvement. It also had a story involved which most of the matches involving superstars of this stature lack. This match would have been booked as ten tons of humanity for the first time ever on Monday Night Raw but this one felt different. The match had the same marketing scheme but had some initially build. Big Show returned to Raw to have a face off with Strowman before the Royal Rumble and this lead to their first physical encounter in the match. Show would eventually eliminate Strowman and it’s only fitting that he would want his revenge.
Now to the tale of the tape where it could go either way but most would’ve leaned Strowman’s way. Strowman came in destroying everyone in his path and solidifying himself as a legitimate heel by putting Zayn out of commission. He practically destroyed the fighting spirit out of him causing Raw General Manager Mick Foley to literally try to throw in the towel. I have always argued that if you beat up the biggest face, you become the biggest heel. We’ll ignore his run in with Roman Reigns to limit any further confusion. Strowman came into this match as one of the top heels in the company behind Kevin Owens of course.
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Big Show’s transformation alone made him a face for how hard he worked to get into better shape. Let’s not look back on whatever he was when he left because your guess is as good as mine. He had the momentum from taking Strowman out of the Royal Rumble that he had a good chance of winning. That was one of the first times that anyone had gotten one over on the Monster among Men.
This match included everything that a match of the year candidate should. There was a build up, false finishes, and a meaningful conclusion. It’s likely a one and done as Strowman prepares for Roman Reigns but it was truly a fun match to watch. It also shows that the power guys can still do well in the wrestling business and we shouldn’t just give up on them. The build up was enough to make this match mean something and it was properly booked inside the ring. It was gradual and both men kicked out of the largest feats of strength. There was even technical wrestling within; this hasn’t been seen in a match with two bigger guys since Ryback feuded with Big Show.
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Lastly, it was logical that Braun Strowman would win even in a power struggle. He has run through everyone and one must factor in the ring rust that Show has accumulated. This gives both men enough momentum to overcome their WrestleMania obstacles without making either look week. Was Strowman vs Big Show really that good or was it overrated?