Former WWE star Braun Strowman has spoken out about how some in the company were not his biggest fans, going as far to say that he was “hated” by some.
Unlike other aspiring pro wrestlers at that time, Strowman’s background was not in the squared circle. Instead, the former Universal Champion had a background in bodybuilding before signing with WWE.
With Strowman standing at 6 foot 8 and weighing more than 300 pounds, the Monster among Men certainly passed the “airport test”, meaning that he would catch people’s attention if he were in a public place. As such, many figured that he would be a favourite of then head of creative Vince McMahon, who had a history of giving big opportunities to big athletes.
Unlike others who have started out in WWE, Strowman bypassed the developmental system NXT and went straight to the main roster. Debuting as a member of The Wyatt Family, Strowman went on to have a successful career as a solo act. Feuding with the likes of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, The Monster was placed in one of the top spots just a couple of years after his debut. Unsurprisingly, not everyone was a fan of this.
Braun Strowman Believes Bypassing NXT Made Him “Hated” By Some
Speaking with Bert Krischer on Something’s Burning alongside comedian Brad Williams, Strowman spoke about his time in WWE, noting that he, The Good Brothers and AJ Styles were the ones who bypassed developmental after signing with the company:
“I did one dark match in NXT, and then I did three house shows with NXT,” Strowman said. “I like to joke around—we always said, because it was the Bullet Club, but also The Club—Gallows, Anderson, and AJ Styles—when they came in, we were the only four that skipped NXT.”
Noting that he was very much an outsider with no experience in wrestling, Strowman said that he was hated for getting a push for being a big guy, even though he paid his dues in other competitive fields:
“So we skipped NXT and kind of went straight to the main roster, which is really wild for me because, like I said, coming in, not born into the business and I didn’t come through the indies,” Strowman said. “So I was an outsider. I was hated. Everyone was like, ‘F**k this big guy,’ and all this sh*t.”
“There’s always that ‘he didn’t pay his dues’ thing,” Strowman said. “But what people didn’t realize was that I was sleeping in my car. I was traveling around the world. I was North America’s Strongest Man in 2011. I wore the Arnold [Amateur].”
Strowman was released from WWE a second time in May 2025 after making his return to the company back in 2022. Strowman was released the first time in 2021 as part of the pandemic “budget cuts releases.”
H/t to Wrestling News.co for the use of transcription.
Featured image: WWE
