On-air confrontation with Brock Lesnar was "beginning of the end" for released WWE star, says 21-time champion
Brock Lesnar has had some confrontations on WWE television that seemed real for fans watching in the crowd and at home. A former WWE star believes that an on-air incident with The Beast Incarnate was the "beginning of the end" for a recently released talent.
Quite possibly the biggest name released on May 2 was Braun Strowman, who is a one-time Universal Champion, one-time Intercontinental Champion and two-time RAW Tag Team Champion. It's also the second time that WWE has released Strowman in his career.
On a recent episode of The Stevie Richards Show, the 21-time Hardcore Champion highlighted Strowman's incident with Brock Lesnar in 2018. Richards thought that the Monster Among Men's character was never the same after it happened.
"I think the beginning of the end of Braun Strowman's run as a guy that was pushed was that Brock Lesnar thing. The exchange where Brock checked him. … I think after that, he kind of got watered down a little bit," Richards said. [11:42 - 12:00]
Stevie Richards was alluding to the Triple Threat match for the Universal Championship at the 2018 Royal Rumble. Lesnar defended his title against Braun Strowman and Kane.
At one point in the match, Strowman hit Lesnar with a very stiff knee, with The Beast Incarnate quickly giving back the receipt with a legitimate punch to the body and head of the Monster Among Men.
What happened to Braun Strowman after the incident with Brock Lesnar?
After failing to win the Universal Championship in 2017, Braun Strowman would get in various feuds with stars such as Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Strowman seemingly became a more vulnerable character, but he was also given a decent push.
Strowman won the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, while also becoming Mr. Money in the Bank in 2018. However, he had a failed cash-in, resulting in him not winning a world title. He would eventually beat Goldberg at WrestleMania 36 to become the Universal Champion.
The Monster Among Men was released in June 2021 before getting re-signed in September 2022. In his last two feuds before his release, Strowman put over Bronson Reed and Jacob Fatu, making them look like legitimate championship threats.
