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Not long ago, he was tearing it up with Bobby Lashley at Extreme Rules. It did seem like Braun Strowman's stock was on the rise, at that point.
But now, all of a sudden, he does not have a place in the SummerSlam 2019 card. This is a very baffling turn of events because Superstars like Braun Strowman come along once in a generation.
Strowman would not just have survived by thrived even in the era of giants, back in the 80s. When someone has all of the physical tools needed to become a top star, how does Vince McMahon not have him be a part of SummerSlam 2019?
I can think of five reasons why this may be the case, potentially.
#5 The injury to Bobby Lashley
Even though Bobby Lashley lobbies on a regular basis (Lobby Lashley?) for a match against Brock Lesnar on social media, he is in WWE's inactive list, as I type this. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com reported the following news:
"While we don't specifically know the injury in question, WWE internally has him listed as being out well into the fall. On a recent list that Fightful Select was able to see, they have Bobby Lashley with a November 2 return date."
Now, Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley were having quite a battle of the bulls until this injury to Lashley happened, meaning that the feud came to a screeching halt at once. This is highly unfortunate because it could have launched both men to the stratosphere and beyond, with Paul Heyman's guiding force.
Suddenly, with SummerSlam on the horizon, Braun Strowman finds himself without a dance partner. And this is the predominant reason why he is probably not on the SummerSlam card this year.
#4 Far too crowded a card
There are far too many matches in the SummerSlam card already. Sometimes, it becomes a chore to sit through a show that is far too long, which is why I'm glad that not everyone is in the card. Not only are the titles being defended, Trish Status and Goldberg are also coming back for showcase matches.
In fact, the cards are so stacked that the rumor is that there won't be a spot for either Tag Team Championship or the Intercontinental Championship at all. Personally, I'd want to see short and quick events, much like an NXT TakeOver is. Anything that drags on for too long loses you down the line.
There was just no spot for Braun Strowman in this card, I do suppose. Maybe he returns with a vengeance on the RAW after SummerSlam to bring chaos and dismay to whoever is the Universal Champion.
#3 Lack of believable opponents for Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman is an anomaly in the current roster in the sense that there are few people across the board that size up to him, to any degree whatsoever. As a current babyface or good guy, he'll want the heel to be a formidable opponent for the audience to be on his side.
This is why you really can't have him take on the likes of Andrade or even Nakamura, but there's a chance that the audience will begin cheering for the underdog. Samoa Joe would have been a great opponent for him, but he's currently in a feud with Roman Reigns.
Lesnar and Reigns are two other men who could face Strowman believably but they're both otherwise engaged at the moment. Force-fitting him into the card would have been odd.
This is probably why he was left off SummerSlam by Vince McMahon.
#2 Still healing up from impending injuries
There is a saying that the usual dictionary definition of an injury does not apply to sports entertainers. By that definition, they are always nursing an injury of some kind. It is only when they cannot get up and compete from the said injury, that they deem themselves 'injured'.
Braun Strowman has had his fair share of bumps and scrapes along the way and not long ago, it was reported that he was working through some injuries. By not having him in the card, WWE may be affording him a certain amount of time before he heals up to 100%.
Personally, I think that if this is indeed the case, it is a very wise decision because, at the end of the day, Braun Strowman's health and well-being are absolutely paramount. He could come back once again, geared up to cause carnage...
#1 Rebuilding him as a monster again
This is a rumor that was first reported by Tom Colohue of Sportskeeda. His sources revealed that Braun Strowman was due for a monster push:
“The idea is to get Strowman back to his roots as a monster, just destroying everything in his path. He hasn’t been used as effectively as he could be.”
This is certainly a welcome change of pace for the Monster Among Men. Someone who should be at the top of the mountain as a destructive machine has been teaming up with kids and battling SNL hosts at WrestleMania recently.
Strowman should become a monster much like Vader was in WCW or more recently, like Brock Lesnar is in the roster. While some of his comedy stuff is entertaining, one can't help but wonder if that's the right spot for the big man.
Maybe WWE will relaunch him as a destructive monster shortly after SummerSlam.
