Braun Strowman: A Motorcyle and Leather Jacket Away From Being Fonzie

Braun Strowman is one of the most popular superstars on Raw — and in all of WWE. But was that the plan? Or did he take the Fonzie route to star of the show?

Once upon a time, there was a television show called Happy Days. It was kind of like That 70’s Show, but for the 1950s: it glorified a bygone era with colorful characters. In early seasons, there was a rough-and-tumble biker named Arthur Fonzarelli, better known as Fonzie, who was a very minor character. But by the time the show went off the air, Fonzie was the main character. And now, his rise to the the top is being mimicked by Braun Strowman on WWE Raw.

I guess this has somehow become my gimmick — taking current WWE superstars and finding parallels to old TV characters. First was Shane McMahon as Ross from Friends. Then came Roman Reigns as Poochie the Dog from The Simpsons. Tune in next week when I figure out how Natalya is Ethel from I Love Lucy, probably.

But let’s stay on task here: Braun Strowman as Fonzie? But he doesn’t wear a leather jacket! Yeah, yeah, I know. However, there are a lot more similarities between Strowman and the Fonz than you would first think. First and foremost is their original role. The Fonz was maybe in one scene an episode during the first season. He was nowhere near a major player. Heck, he didn’t even have his leather jacket yet due to network censors. As time went on, it became apparent that Fonzie was the most popular character in the cast. Thus, the show basically became “Fonzie and Friends.”

What does this have to do with Braun Strowman? Well, when Braun debuted he was the newest member of the Wyatt Family. And let’s be real, by that point, no one really took the Wyatt Family very seriously anymore.

But say we want to ignore Wyatt-era Strowman. Fine — when he re-debuted after the draft in the summer of 2016, he was nothing more than a sideshow. His matches against James Ellsworth and other, less important “local competitors” were brief, and if I had to guess they weren’t intended to go anywhere. But the spectacle that is a Braun Strowman match was undeniable, and over time, the fans wanted more.

It took a while, but by mid-2017, Strowman was in the hunt for the Universal Championship. Not bad for a squash match veteran. Though he is still yet to win the championship, Strowman has proved to the WWE Universe that he is definitely someone to pay attention to — and his spot on the card of late signifies those in charge feel the same way.

But just one example does not a comparison make. So here’s another: Fonzie underwent a major character transformation during the 11 seasons of Happy Days. When the show began, he was a high school dropout with an aura of toughness around him. No one messed with Fonzie, lest he run you over with his motorcycle or something. As the show went on, the Fonz became a big old softy, and even adopted a kid by the time the show ended. And his employment status changed, too — after he completed his schooling, he dropped just being a mechanic and became a teacher.

More from Daily DDT

We can all agree that Braun Strowman has changed so far, right? Huge, terrifying, monster heel at first; huge, terrifying, monster babyface now. Okay, fine, I’ll elaborate — Braun is more than just a super strong maniac. He’s shown that he cares for certain people, mainly Nicholas, Alexa Bliss, and Finn Balor. He won’t hesitate to knock you into next week, but he’s come a long way from flipping ambulances and throwing dumpsters off the stage. (Now he just wallops an opponent with musical instruments!)

How about catchphrases? “Aayyyy!” is one of the most recognizable signature phrases of all time. But Fonzie also gifted us with “Sit on it,” which even though it’s not really hip to say anymore, it was pretty big 40 years ago. And Braun has no problem telling an opponent they’re going to “GET THESE HANDS,” and Roman Reigns was told on more than one occasion, “I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!”

Finally, there’s the absurd. Fonzie is the entire reason the phrase “jump the shark” is a thing. Everyone knows the scene — the entire cast is on vacation in Hollywood, and Fonzie needs to show everyone how brave he is, so he puts on his swimsuit (but keeps his leather jacket on) and water skis until he jumps over a shark. It’s still one of the most head-scratching moments in television.

But Braun Strowman isn’t absurd, you say? Ho ho HO, is he absurd! Just this week he crushed an apple with his bare hand for reasons. But I’ll go back further: how about choosing a ten-year-old as his tag team partner at WrestleMania? How about surviving getting crushed inside a garbage truck, a la Shredder from the first Ninja Turtles movie? On more than one occasion he’s risen from the ashes not like a phoenix, but like a monster movie villain.

And then there’s my personal favorite Braun Strowman moment:

The defense rests.

Next: WWE Raw Power Rankings May 21, 2018

What do you think about Braun Strowman being WWE’s Fonzie? And who do you want me to compare next, since this is my life now?

Home/Raw