WWE Rumors: Braun Strowman to Return Before SummerSlam?
Braun Strowman made the wrestling headlines again this week.
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has announced that Strowman is expected to be sidelined for up to six months after undergoing surgery to repair his injured elbow last week. He took part in an injury angle with Roman Reigns in last week's episode of "Raw" as he took multiple chair shots to the arm.
This means he's going to miss "Great Balls of Fire" in July, "SummerSlam" in August, and "Survivor Series" in November.
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It was rumored that Strowman was going to face WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at "Great Balls of Fire," but observers said Seth Rollins or Finn Balor would probably take his place now that he's no longer available.
Rollins and Balor will take part in a Fatal 5-Way match with Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt at "Extreme Rules" next month and the winner will become the number one contender for Lesnar's WWE Universal title.
The six-month recovery time for the injury caught the pro wrestling world by surprise because previous reports say he was only going to miss four to eight weeks of action. However, Dave Meltzer appeared on "Wrestling Observer Radio" recently and he noted that this was likely a work and Strowman would return in a couple of months to face Lesnar at "SummerSlam."
Cageside Seats' Randall Ortman also said multiple sources indicated that it was a work. Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston has even suggested that they were doing this to build up Strowman's reputation as "The Monster Among Men."
That makes a lot of sense and it's actually a smart move by the WWE. Strowman already appears to be the organization's next big star, but his reputation will continue to grow if he returns sooner than expected after the surgery and does so without losing a beat.
