Braun Strowman has been reduced to a caricature of himself in recent times. We take a look at why this could and what could be done to fix this.
Braun Strowman has been feuding with Kevin Owens for quite a while now. The feud began to develop during the build towards the Money In The Bank PPV and has now extended all the way to a match at SummerSlam. If Owens wins by way of any means, including a disqualification or a count out, he will then also win the Money in the Bank contract.
The idea of someone losing the contract isn’t common in the WWE. The only person to lose ownership of their contract (not a failed cash-in) is Mr. Kennedy, who lost it to Edge, who in turn went on to win it all. Strowman might soon find himself in that list if he is not careful. But judging by how things have been going for him, it will simply be good if he does exactly that.
The concept of the briefcase is designed either for a noble babyface like John Cena; who proclaimed a time and place for his (failed) cash-in or a slithering, opportunistic heel like Edge or Randy Orton. Braun Strowman is neither of these characters. The crowd loves to cheer him. But that does not make him a babyface. The fans were cheering Strowman on even when he was throwing superstars like Sin Cara around the ring.
The Monster Among Men is in a grey area between a heel and a face. Or at least, that is ideally where he should be. His character has been diluted and watered down a lot in recent times. The Strowman we see now a days isn’t the same monster who buried Brock Lesnar under a pile of tables. Nor is he the scary monster who pulled down the entire production set on to a vulnerable Brock Lesnar.
The Monster you see these days is closer to a Strongman at a Carnival, flipping cars and stages for entertaining the crowd. This week, when he began to flip the stage, all I could think about was ‘Was he under there the whole time?’. I couldn’t shake it off. Past attacks and displays of insane Strength by Strowman had logic and a certain level of authenticity too. When he attacked Roman Reigns in the back and continued it to a prone Reigns in a Stretcher, you kind of believed it.
But when Strowman was out there tackling a portable toilet, it was a huge step down. This is why Strowman needs to lose the briefcase come August 19th. The whole concept is designed for someone like Owens and that’s why I expect him to be on of the stars to watch out for come SummerSlam.
Creative can play up an angle where Strowman loses his contract. It can send him into a monstrous frenzy once more and he can stop pandering to the crowd so often. It just doesn’t suit his character every time. Braun can the go on to wreak havoc across the locker room, picking on heels and faces alike. Until the time is right to place the Universal title on him that is. Winning the title by way of the contract will not do him any good in the long run.