Dear WWE: Don't Job Out Braun Strowman to Roman Reigns
When fans realized that Braun Strowman was being pushed to the moon by Vince McMahon, many assumed that he would follow the fate of many other big men in his spot: he would beat up a bunch of people for a year, and then job to the top babyface at WrestleMania.
WWE has followed this exact formula several times over recent years. Bray Wyatt and Rusev were built up as undefeated monsters for a year, only to job to John Cena at the grandest stage of them all.
After losing to Cena at WrestleMania, Wyatt would only recover after years of staggering in the mid-card. Rusev, not as lucky, has been a glorified comedy act ever since.
Now, WWE has made a larger-than-life out of Braun Strowman, a man who stood toe to toe with Brock Lesnar and Goldberg and looked like he belonged. But he is currently in the position to lose to Vince McMahon's goldenboy, Roman Reigns.
And the worst part is, WWE isn't even waiting until WrestleMania—they’re doing it at WWE Fastlane as a setup match for Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania.
For the first time in years, WWE has established a true larger than life heel, yet he’s the setup guy for the 51-year-old Undertaker, who looks to be in the worst shape of his career.
In a perfect world, Strowman vs. Reigns ends with a screwy finish that protects both men, but where does that leave Strowman for WrestleMania? As part of the pre-show Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal? If he can dominate the match and win like a true boss, that may be an effective spot for him, but if he loses to Reigns, it won't mean a thing.
Strowman arguably has the most potential of any homegrown star WWE has produced since John Cena, and he deserves to be more than the transition guy for Roman Reigns. Hopefully, WWE sees Strowman’s star power and protects him more than they have with giants of the past.
