10 WWE Stars We Expected To Be World Champion By Now

1. Braun Strowman

Stone Cold Steve Austin Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE

What is it about 'The Monster Among Men' that gets Vince McMahon so gun-shy?

In 2016, Braun Strowman rose so quickly through the Monday Night Raw ranks that he was lining up a Universal Title match against then-champion Kevin Owens only to be reduced to a bodyguard role when the 'Prizefighter' readied himself for Roman Reigns. In 2017, he was comprehensively victorious in a feud with 'The Big Dog' but emphatically humbled by Brock Lesnar in a one-sided No Mercy title clash. 2018's Money in the Bank victory has been scaled back substantially by two failed cash-in attempts.

Strowman is surely a realised dream McMahon never thought possible in the workrate-heavy modern age. A more-than serviceable giant that has galvanised his audience's support should be the safest bet to lift the company's top title, but he's stepped back from actually awarding him his first title win for nearly two years now.

Hope springs that he's saving WrestleManias for Braun's big moment, but the company will have to find more creative ways to fill his time beyond laying down for The Shield and tipping over toilets if they want him to make it to the 'Show Of Shows' in the superstar fettle he's (just about) still in.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett