WWE Buy Or Sell: Should Braun Have Been In The Universal Title Match?
By Josh Raibick
After this past week on WWE Raw, it appears that Braun Strowman’s path to WWE WrestleMania 34 will go through the Raw Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro. Still with Strowman’s popularity, would he have been better suited in the Universal Championship match with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns?
The question of whether WWE would call an audible for their Universal Championship plans was questioned entering the WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 pay-per-view. Then following Elimination Chamber and Strowman’s impressive effort that came up just short despite five eliminations, the question became should Strowman be added to the Universal Championship match to make it a triple threat at WrestleMania?
For weeks Strowman floated with no direction on Raw, it was not clear if he was been saved as a contingency plan or if creative was actually stumped. Then this past Monday night everything became much more clear as Strowman became the number one contender for the Raw Tag Team Championships.
This is a big deal that WWE believes Strowman is credible enough that he can challenge two established singles stars to a handicap match, and not be considered the underdog. But if Strowman is that dominant, why isn’t he battling for the top prize on Raw?
There are few superstars who have made a meteoric rise in WWE like Strowman in the past couple of years. Strowman seems to cause havoc every Monday night, and is usually a lock for most entertaining segment on Raw.
The following that Strowman has built with the WWE Universe resembles that of the hero that fans would get behind in a big match at WrestleMania. The reason for that is his character stays consistent with his look.
Strowman looks like the strongest superstar on the show who can destroy anyone that he wants, so what does he do? Strowman destroys whatever and whomever gets in his way.
The WWE Universe would not get behind Strowman if his character had the storyline similar to a smaller superstar because it is difficult to make a 6’8 370-380 pound man look like an underdog. So why not take advantage of Strowman’s obvious tools and make him a human wrecking ball?
In the process Strowman became must see TV on the road to WrestleMania. The issue was that Reigns vs. Lesnar had already been set for nearly a year.
The concern with Strowman not getting his opportunity at this year’s WrestleMania is the chance that his act will grow stale by the time The Monster Among Men is due for his big payoff. How much more can Strowman do each week to push the envelope?
This is where the accountability falls strictly on the creative team to keep Strowman’s character looking more destructive than the week prior. WWE Creative has proven over the past year that they are up to the task with Strowman, so why doubt them now?
Strowman might not be in a marquee match, but his placement in a potential handicap match versus Sheamus and Cesaro shows what a marquee talent Strowman really is. My belief in WWE keeping Strowman relevant after WrestleMania is why I am SELLING the notion that he should have been placed in the Universal Championship match for WrestleMania 34.
Another major factor in this scenario is Lesnar. What if the rumors are true? What if Lesnar does not want to do anything that could risk him getting injured before a potential UFC return?
In that case you need a superstar that is capable of selling moves for most of the match. Reigns is better equipped to be on the receiving end of Lesnar’s offense for most a match than Strowman.
Also don’t look now, but Reigns is building traction with the WWE Universe due to the Lesnar no-show storyline. No matter how much fans have dragged their feet, it is still WWE’s top priority to make Reigns the most cheered babyface on the roster.
Adding Strowman to the Universal Championship match would make it that much more difficult to get Reigns over, and WWE knows that. Strowman will be more than fine at WrestleMania.
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Strowman will be feuding with two superstars, just not the two that fans were hoping for a few weeks ago. Yet, that opinion might change when Cesaro and Sheamus find out that Braun Strowman doesn’t set the bar, he breaks The Bar!