5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (August 24)

3. Braun's Strowman Argument

Daniel Bryan Beyond Belief
WWE.com
"Unlike those other cowards, who watch and wait to cash in presumably at awkward angles in front of monitors backstage, I'm gonna cash in on a weakened opponent after watching the match live alongside my friends, the WWE Universe!"

That is essentially what Braun Strowman said at SummerSlam. Baffling. Was it a babyface move? Wasn't this still a cowardly thing to do or, at the very least, unsportsmanlike? What separates Strowman's tactics from that of every other chickensh*t? Wasn't the implication of an imminent Triple Threat match a strange tease? Does Vince McMahon f*cking like Roman Reigns or not?

Braun didn't cash in, anyway. The guy who shrugs off entire arsenals was taken out by one finisher and a weapon shot...which Roman Reigns, our hero, took advantage of in a total heel move. RAW's two top babyfaces were opportunists on Sunday, while Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin were squashed like bugs. SummerSlam was a very good show, but is the curve for narrative logic that low?

What's more insane is that the crowd reacted to all this as if it wasn't really, really f*cked. What basically happened here is that, by fading to black mere seconds after the bell rang, WWE prodded you on the shoulder, said "Look over there!" and ran away.

And it bloody worked!

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!