'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Braun Strowman's reign as Universal Champion happened solely because Roman Reigns pulled out of WrestleMania 35 at the last minute. As a result, WWE quietly replaced him with Braun Strowman without any explanation and within minutes, The Monster Among Men destroyed Goldberg to win his first Universal Championship reign.
Braun Strowman's primary feud as the Universal Champion was against Bray Wyatt, but now that Roman Reigns is back and has turned heel, things are going to change for Braun Strowman again.
Tom Colohue was asked about what Braun Strowman's status is after Payback 2020 and he told Korey Gunz on the live edition of Dropkick DiSKussions that the next step for Braun Strowman is to slide down the card:
Next for Braun Strowman is down the card. He had a pretty good first title reign, it lasted four months. He only really feuded with Bray Wyatt. Yes, he had a match with The Miz and [John Morrison]. But he never really did much beyond that. For a first title reign, that's not bad. And there will be more in the future. He's shown that he can lead the company. Going forward, he will be in the upper midcard now, helping to put people over. We could see a feud with Big E coming in the near future.
Interestingly, he pointed out how Roman Reigns' absence benefited certain superstars. He also revealed that "Top 4" rankings of babyfaces on SmackDown and said that Big E has now overtaken Matt Riddle:
In Roman's absence, a lot of people were elevated. You see the rise of Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins in Roman's absence. You look at SmackDown now, Braun Strowman has taken that mantle but he's been kicked down the road. The Fiend, he's not going to be the face, but when it comes to the depth charts we heard about, the number one face of SmackDown is going to be The Fiend. And then in order - The Fiend, Jeff Hardy, and Big E has just overtaken Matt Riddle - who is now fourth.
Are we entering a new era of SmackDown with Braun Strowman sliding down the card?
It's hard to imagine that Braun Strowman will be forgotten about. Perhaps he won't be in as significant a role going forward, but WWE must utilize him after the character change he had in his feud against 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.
Braun Strowman is no longer a clear-cut babyface and WWE can utilize the character arc to go in a different direction with The Monster Among Men. It wouldn't be surprising to see him get drafted to RAW in the upcoming WWE Draft, presumably happening in October.
Is Braun Strowman due for a brand switch? Or should WWE stick to their guns and continue to push him on SmackDown?
