5 reasons replacing Braun Strowman in the MITB match was the right move

Tonight's Raw tapings from London, England ended with a major change being made to the Men's Money In The Bank Ladder match line-up.

The angle saw Shane McMahon informing Braun Strowman that he would be facing off against Sami Zayn in the main event of the red show, in a Falls Count Anywhere match. A loss would result in Strowman getting replaced with Zayn in the upcoming 8-man ladder match.

Surprisingly, Zayn somehow managed to defeat The Monster Among Men, after getting aid from Strowman's old rivals, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin. The night didn't end well for Zayn though, as an irate Strowman put him through a table to end the show.

The WWE Universe was left stunned with the last-minute change to the line-up of the match, and fans began speculating on why the company resorted to this, mere days from the PPV. Let's take a look at 5 reasons why replacing Braun Strowman with Sami Zayn in the Money In The Bank Ladder match was the right move.

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#5 Why waste the spot?

Braun Strowman is recently in hot water with WWE for a botch he made at WrestleMania 35. The WWE Universe was expecting The Monster Among Men to finally receive the push he deserved, and his win in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal match raised hopes even more.

The botch made it clear that the push wasn't going to continue further. He is apparently being punished for it, so why waste a spot in the big match when you don't have an intention to push him ahead?

Instead, there's Zayn, who seems to be getting ample TV time on a weekly basis and could be set for a push. What better way for him to make an impact than by competing in one of the most exciting matches of the year, and possibly stealing the show. Or, even though the chances are extremely low, steal a win?

#4 More heel heat for Shane McMahon

The match that ended Strowman's dreams of becoming a two-time Money In The Bank match winner, was booked by none other than one of the biggest heels on the WWE roster at the moment, Shane McMahon. McMahon turned heel on The Miz and stole a win at WrestleMania 35 against The A-lister.

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Ever since, Shane has set his sights on The Big Dog, Roman Reigns, and is set to meet The Miz again inside a steel cage. He has been getting genuine heel heat on a weekly basis on both brands. His sneaky move on this week's Raw will do nothing but garner even more heat for his character of a dastardly heel. We have seen enough of babyface Shane ever since he came back three years ago. Letting him explore new horizons is a good move, and tonight's antics will only make the fans hate him more.

#3 A character change in the works?

When Braun Strowman came on to the main roster, he was a part of The Wyatt Family and was a legit scary behemoth. Now though, he is a crowd-favorite babyface who although still causes destruction, but it just doesn't click. The WWE Universe is tired of seeing him topple vehicles and beat celebrities.

Also read: 6 greatest babyface turns of the 21st century

This loss could very well be the beginning of a character change for Strowman. The angle could see him suffer a bunch of losses due to interference, finally snapping the monster inside him. It's no secret that the babyface version of Strowman isn't working one bit, and a heel turn could do wonders for his waning career. Consider this scenario: a snapped Braun runs roughshod over the Raw roster, taking down heels at first, but later setting his sights on crowd-favorite babyfaces. Tonight's loss has left fans scratching their heads. But if this angle is handled in a correct manner, the same fans would look back at this moment months later, and praise the company for kicking off an incredibly executed heel turn.

#2 Sami Zayn needs the limelight

Ever since he came back to WWE on the Raw after WrestleMania 35, Sami Zayn has been berating the WWE Universe with his scathing promos every single week. His promos saw him belittling and making fun of the fans, and it was clear as day that Zayn was being set up for a push in the near future. There had to be a payoff to these promos though, as there was no point in letting him run his mouth every single week and not back up his words.

Also read: 10 greatest heel turns of the 21st century

Zayn's character of a fan-hating heel could gain more from the Money In The Bank spot than Strowman, who has already won the match once in the past. The best way to make those promos mean something was to give him a slot in the match and let him do his thing in the free-for-all, which is exactly what's happening.

#1 An unfinished rivalry might get closure

Remember when Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley attacked and took down Braun Strowman? This didn't happen just on one occasion though, as the rivalry kept going on for months on end, with the villains ganging up on the monster with no payoff in sight.

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Eventually, Strowman didn't get his revenge, as The Shield reunited on the road to WrestleMania and set their sights on the villainous trio. Tonight, McIntyre and Corbin attacked The Monster Among Men again, costing him a spot in the Money In The Bank Ladder match. Perhaps, we'll finally get closure to the storyline that WWE spent months on, without giving the fans any kind of payoff.

Perhaps, Strowman will finally end the rivalry for good this time, by destroying the villains by interfering in the MITB match, and then taking them down again at a future PPV.