When WWE fired Braun Strowman in 2021, fans were shocked. He was the prototypical Vince McMahon-style wrestler. Nearly 7 foot tall and over 300 pounds, the larger-than-life Monster Among Men impressed fans with his incredible feats of strength and entertaining personality.
Strowman became a world champion in WWE, defeating Goldberg at Wrestlemania 36 to win his first and only singles title in WWE. He also had memorable matches with the likes of Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn, as well as a huge crossover match against world champion boxer Tyson Fury.
With all these accolades and achievements, it’s a great wonder as to why did WWE release Braun Strowman – keep reading to found out the real reason WWE released The Monster Among Men.
Why did WWE release Braun Strowman?
WWE released Braun Strowman on June 2, 2021 with the reason given being “budget cuts”. Whilst Braun Strowman himself has not spoken out about the reason for his firing, other stars who were released at the same time have spoken out about the reasons.
On his Twitch stream, AEW star Malakai Black spoke out about why he was released by WWE. The former NXT Champion claimed he was told that “budget cuts” were the reason for his departure.
As Braun Stroman, Malakai Black and many other stars were released at very similar times by WWE, it is safe to theorise that they were all released due to the same reason.
However, while it is the excuse WWE gave for firing Braun Strowman, it does not add up to their recent successes.
WWE announced in their earning report for their business for 2021 that they achieved revenue of over $1 billion for the first time in the companies history. This is the most money a wrestling company in the history of the world has ever made and mixed with their record profits showed that WWE had no need to cut all the talent they did.
Braun Strowman may not have commented on why he was released by WWE, but he has displayed his displeasure about having his contract cut by Vince McMahon.
During a Twitter Q&A, he was asked “Were you upset when WWE released you?” to which Strowman (under his real name Adam Scheer) replied simply with “Wasn’t happy but that’s business.”
The claim of “that’s business” implies it was a business decision and not a personal slight on Strowman, who was a world champion in WWE just years before and defeating top WWE stars like Goldberg.
His WWE release has seemed to cause a change of heart in the Monster Among Men. The former Universal Champion since his release has joined forces with EC3 to form their own promotion, “Control Your Narrative” or “CYN”.
However, prior to starting CYN, Strowman once spoke out about what he would do if he left WWE.
In an interview on Lillian Garcia’s show Chasing Glory on the WWE Network, Strowman spoke about how would never want to wrestle outside the WWE and that he would retire if he could not wrestle for Vince McMahon anymore
“I’ve said it time and time again: the day I take my wrestling boots off for WWE is the day I stop wrestling. I will not wrestle for anyone else. I’ve been given an opportunity from Vince McMahon and from WWE at life that I would have never gotten [anywhere else].
While his mind has changed since his release, he is now wrestling only for himself and not in AEW, ROH, Impact or NJPW. Time will tell if he will sign for those companies in the future or carry on trying to build up CYN as a legitimate promotion in the eyes of the fans.
Braun Strowman WWE return
While he was unceremoniously released by WWE in 2021, a return to the company could be on the cards for the monster among men. With the likes of Omos and Commander Azeez failing to replace the Braun Strowman since his departure, WWE could be looking for the giant to return and reclaim his throne as the best big man in the WWE.
Braun Strowman was hugely over in WWE, partly thanks to his battles with Roman Reigns over the years. When Roman Reigns was at his peak of hatred from the fans despite being a face, Strowman was chosen as the man to face him and take him to places he never had before.
The duo had instant chemistry. Every match they had against one another was a car crash in the best way possible. Their matches felt like Attitude Era main events and could have been Stone Cold vs Big Show in a previous life.
The most famous of their bouts was the Ambulance match at the surprisingly good Great Balls of Fire pay per view in 2017. It was the first and only iteration of the event and was a bit of a joke to the fans due to the ridiculous name and poor build. However, by the end of the night fans went away entertained as a whole and Braun Strowman was a star.
Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns tore each other apart. It was a brutal match feature weapons, huge spots and ambulance based attacks not seen in WWE for nigh-on twenty years. The winner of the match was the man who loaded his opponent onto the stretcher and locks him in the ambulance, as the stipulation’s name would suggest.
The match was lost by Roman Reigns after he was beaten to a pulp and locked inside the ambulance. It was the biggest win of Strowman’s career and his best match son far and even had the most memorable ending.
After the match, Roman escaped from the ambulance and locked his opponent inside. He proceeded to reverse the ambulance into a trick, committing attempted murder in the process and making the giant monster among men one of the most endearing babyfaces in the world.
Despite the magic the pair made over the years, Braun Strowman was released by WWE in 2021 and currently has no date for his return to the company due to his work with Control Your Narrative. However, his battles with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns will live long in the memory and fans would love to see him return to reclaim the Universal Championship once again in WWE.
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