10 BOLD Predictions For WWE In 2019

2. WWE Will Ruin Braun Strowman Forevermore

Braun Strowman Angry
WWE.com

A performer of Braun Strowman’s ilk comes equipped with a certain expiration date.

The Monster doesn’t fare well for long on an episodic television show acted out by a static, recurring cast. The Monster used to travel from one territory to the next in order to protect their singular aura. A powerful but limited performer had to be booked sparingly, else the extraordinary became ordinary. This is true, too, of Strowman’s body: a man of that size cannot wrestle at his speed without turning his knees into dust, and per recent reports, this is precisely what is happening.

Already, Strowman, booked recklessly to perform in comedy segments, and having eaten defeats to Brock Lesnar (one deeply underwhelming, the other a weird squash designed to compensate for the Beast’s lack of enthusiasm) has diminished in popularity from a 2017 peak, in which his brand of backstage stunts and blockbuster sports entertainment spectacles reduced grown men to wide-eyed children.

WWE missed the opportunity to effectively promote this genuinely special act, and WWE being WWE, they’ll work themselves into pinning the blame on the performer, and not the booking.

This may even come to fruition as early as January: if he loses to Lesnar for the third time, bullsh*t finish or no, that will stigmatise the Monster not as a mere man, but as a Loser.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!