50 Absolute Worst Things WWE Has Done In The 21st Century

Lord only knows what WWE chiefs were thinking when they systematically tried to turn wrecking ball monster Braun Strowman into a sympathetic, put-upon chap who had a heart of gold. Worst of all, they chose Shane McMahon as the ideal guy to bully Braun in 2021. This was a retread of Shane's prior work with Big Show in 2000 ("Which way did he go?", and all that).

McMahon decreed Strowman a dunce for missing out on Elimination Chamber, then lined up a steel cage match with him at WrestleMania 37 by roundly ripping it in every promo. Shane doctored graphics mocking Braun, then gunged him with silly green goo that looked like something from hit 90's UK children's series 'Get Your Own Back'.

Strowman did get his own back in the cage at 'Mania, but it played before a popcorn fart of a pop because people just didn't resonate with the story. Bullying is no joke, but it simply wasn't believable when Braun stood mid-ring and claimed that he'd been bullied throughout his entire life. Erm...you've just been flipping over trucks and destroying everyone in your path since 2016, mate.

This character tweak came out of the blue, and it wasn't a positive change.

It's cool that WWE wanted to rally against bullies and inspire those going through it, but they did so in typically ham-fisted fashion. This was one of the worst bits of casting in pro wrestling history. You'd genuinely struggle to find a worse bully than Shane and a worse victim than man mountain Braun bloody Strowman.