12 WWE Monsters That Failed
The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
As the recipient of arguably one of WWE's most successful pushes in recent memory, Braun Strowman has carved a path of destruction on Monday Night Raw, gaining gradual steam through WWE's traditional 'monster' build.
First dismantling jobbers, Strowman has moved to the midcard, and even looks beyond it as he prepares to clash with Roman Reigns at the 'Fastlane' pay-per-view.
However, the course of dominance doesn't always run smoothly for the aspiring titans of WWE.
Strowman himself looks to have physical tools beyond the cliched one-punch-wonders of old, but must be careful not to get complacent in the aftermath of his high-end encounter with 'The Big Dog'
Because whilst there will always be a window of opportunity in Vince McMahon's land of the giants, the monsters are no more impervious to a booking team slaying should their physical limitations be too great, or Vince himself lose interest in the project.
Once powers that be determine a bigger star to have outlived their usefulness, it's a slippery slope to comedy, regular defeat or worst of all, termination.
Strowman may dodge these bullets of course, but bigger men have reached bigger matches, and still brutally fallen from grace at an alarming rate...
12. Brodus Clay
WWE seemed to have an ace up their sleeve when they relaunched Brodus Clay as a dancing 'Funkasaurus' following his initial run as Alberto Del Rio's bodyguard, but the company never truly committed to the act as much as the performer himself, leaving Clay on borrowed time on the main roster.
After the brief stint with Del Rio following his second place finish in the fourth season of NXT, Clay was a known force on the main roster but not so established that the radical persona shift wouldn't stand a chance of working out.
For his part, Clay was outstanding in the early days of the role, adding layers to the one dimensional gimmick with exclamations of 'My Bad!' and 'Should I Get Him?' which seemed to position him as a threatening throwback.
However, WWE's stop-start progression with the character completely destroyed his aura with the live crowds, and a pairing with with Tensai only ensured further indifference towards the character.
A final heel turn and run in the Full Sail-based NXT with Neville appeared more creatively satisfying, but Clay was released from his WWE contract just weeks later.