Braun Strowman: Attraction Status vs. Money in the Bank Win

Braun Strowman spent his time on the May 28 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw doing what he does best: smashing other Superstars. He began the night proclaiming that he will be the next Mister Money in the Bank but then he was interrupted by Finn Balor, who he tossed around like a child.

Fans popped for Braun, as they usually do. The crowd loves The Monster Among Men and why shouldn’t they? He’s everything a WWE Superstar should be. More importantly, he’s everything a WWE main event Superstar should be. But will he indeed be the man to pull down the briefcase at Money in the Bank on June 17?

It seems like a move that should happen. Strowman has been close to Raw’s top championship before but he’s always come up short. He is the perfect opponent for Brock Lesnar, which means he should be the man to eventually dethrone the champ. But why hasn’t that happened yet?

There is no easy answer to that question. Once Braun exploded in WWE, it was inevitable that he take on another super-heavyweight. He proved himself in the ring and on the mic. He was over. Why not book him against another top star? Many believed that star would be The Undertaker.

But that match never materialized. Strowman kept punishing guys and his star kept growing. Soon he turned babyface and it was definitely the right move for him. The fans wanted to see their newfound favorite destroying heels for a change and they got what they wanted. So when the time was right, Strowman found his super-heavyweight in Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar’s days as The Beast Incarnate are winding down. He is still in tremendous physical shape and he still looks good in the ring. But eventually WWE will reach a point in which the time comes to move on. When that happens, Lesnar likely will do a job and he will do it for a guy that the company deems worthy.

That worthy opponent was believed to be Roman Reigns. However Reigns just cannot beat Lesnar and no one knows why. Isn’t he the top guy in WWE? Doesn’t WWE have unmatched faith in The Big Dog to take down Lesnar and move forward as the standard bearer in the company? If not, then who fills that spot?

Braun Strowman may not replace Reigns as the top guy but he is the best match for Brock Lesnar and the fans know it. Of course Lesnar is still the Universal champion and a new run with Strowman may or may not end with the title changing hands. Strowman looks ready. Many fans are ready to see him win it all. So if Braun does assume the role of Mister Money in the Bank, he could believably defeat Lesnar to become the man on Monday nights.

But if Braun Strowman wins on June 17, does that mean a successful cash-in on Brock is a guarantee? Why is Strowman ready now but he wasn’t ready in 2017? Is it possible that WWE has something else in the works behind the scenes? It could very well be that Strowman is not the man to put down The Beast Incarnate.

There are two ways to book a behemoth like Braun Strowman. He either wins the title and rules over the company or he becomes an attraction. Some would say that Lesnar’s booking is a combination of the two and they may be right. But Brock is not around full-time anymore and he probably never will be. It’s easy to book him because he shows up for quick shots and then disappears again.

But Strowman is a different kind of monster. His legacy is still developing and his story is still unfolding. He is still growing and he does have a lot to learn. He’s come an extraordinarily long way in a short amount of time but he’s still not the world championship star that WWE wants. If he was, then it’s safe to assume that he would have defeated Lesnar by now.

So instead of featuring Strowman as the top titleholder, WWE instead uses him as an attraction. His feats of strength backstage and his displays of power in the ring are his drawing points. Like Andre the Giant before him, Strowman is the colossus of the company and all eyes are on him when he’s in the ring. Braun may or may not become the legend that Andre is but he is in a similar spot.

If Strowman does win at Money in the Bank and eventually beats Brock Lesnar, who steps up to face him? The Undertaker? Bobby Lashley? Or does WWE go smaller and book Braun against Seth Rollins or Finn Balor? Is a Braun Strowman championship run already in trouble because WWE just doesn’t have viable challengers for him to defend against?

The fact is that Braun Strowman is one of WWE’s most popular Superstars. He has his entire career ahead of him, which means he has plenty of time to realize his main event potential. Strowman knows who he is and knows what he can do. He’s an attraction and he could remain that way for the next 10 years but he will become a world champion along the way.

Money in the Bank can be a dose of adrenaline for any WWE Superstar on the rise. It worked for guys like Edge, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. Each man had the ability to move up and make an impact; the briefcase opened doors for that to happen.

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Braun Strowman’s upside is indeed tremendous. He has everything it takes to be Universal champion and could become the most dominant champion in WWE. But until the time is right, there’s no need to rush the process. He is The Monster Among Men and right now he’s doing just fine.