Braun Strowman has become an important wrestler for WWE and its future. The hope is that Strowman is officially one of the talents that WWE can continue building around with the big changes. FOX has higher expectations for Smackdown on the primetime network where Strowman will now be a full-time member of. The career of Strowman is already seeing comparisons to the use of Big Show throughout his two-decade run in WWE.
We will look at some of the comparisons that may provide proof that Strowman is the new version of Big Show. WWE still has Big Show on the roster, but he is getting phased out with the selective part-time dates. A new project of Big Show starring in his own Netflix series may lead to even fewer returns. Find out if a replacement is already there as we break down ten reasons why Braun Strowman is the new Big Show.
10 Attraction Wrestler
The art of the attraction wrestler is hard to find and make a part of a promotion. Braun Strowman is already getting that spot much like Big Show used to have. The current feud of Strowman with boxer Tyson Fury shows how much WWE believes in him to have that appeal.
Big Show was selected for a similar spot back in 2008 when he faced off against undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather in 2008. WWE enjoys having larger wrestlers with personality like Strowman and Big Show getting the press coverage for opposing a non-wrestler.
9 Vince Loves Them Both
Vince McMahon is already a huge supporter of Braun Strowman and has been since day one. Strowman never wrestled in NXT due to McMahon already viewing him as a main roster worthy talent. The Performance Center stint taught Strowman the ins and outs before debuting on the main roster.
Big Show was always viewed as a Vince project as well. Fans will remember his WWE debut coming in the massive Steve Austin vs Mr. McMahon match. The status of a Vince project will have Braun likely always involved in some kind of storyline instead of worrying about losing television time.
8 Popular Wrestler for Stunts
WWE loves having segments with stunts for some of the bigger wrestlers. Big Show had a few runs like this tipping over cars and large vehicles to showcase his strength. Braun Strowman has replaced him as the wrestler most known for stunts.
Multiple cars have been flipped over by Strowman along with elaborate stunts of the stage falling apart. The YouTube views are always high for videos like this. WWE goes out of their way to have a moment like for Braun every few months after taking over for Big Show.
7 Signed With Huge Expectations
The reason that Braun Strowman skipped NXT was due to the expectations set from Vince McMahon. WWE wanted Strowman’s first appearance to be on the main roster so fans could be in shock of the new monster character in the company.
Strowman joined as part of the Wyatt Family and received a big singles push once the group ended. Big Show had the same pressure entering a storyline with McMahon, Austin, Mick Foley and The Rock. WWE will only put wrestlers in these situations if they expect them to become huge stars in the future.
6 Hit or Miss in the Ring
Braun Strowman has a lot of positives, but he is not the best all-around worker. WWE will likely never see Strowman have matches as compelling as Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles. Strowman is good enough to deliver strong performances with the rare great match against the right competitor.
Big Show had the same exact reputation during his career in WWE. The matches against weaker wrestlers like The Great Khali would be unwatchable. However, he stepped up against better talents when the time was right. Strowman has the same in-ring ceiling right now for WWE.
5 Not A Big Promo Person
Some wrestlers in WWE are better off saying fewer words. Braun Strowman is trusted enough to cut normal promos, but WWE picks and chooses how often they will let him talk. The charisma of Strowman is not as strong as most main eventers which means he can’t talk them into the building consistently.
WWE booked Big Show the same way with enough promos to sell his feud when necessary. However, you’d never get a 10-minute opening segment with Big Show in the ring alone. WWE knows they have to protect the weakness of Strowman like they did with Big Show.
4 Respected Among Peers
Braun Strowman had a polarizing reputation when starting on the main roster due to the lack of experience in NXT or other promotions. However, he earned the respect of his peers by improving and leaving it all in the ring. Roman Reigns has gone out of his way to praise Strowman's work.
The locker room had the same process for Big Show in the late 90s. There was heat on him to start his run due to his background coming over from WCW in the Monday Night Wars. Big Show won the respect of his peers by having feuds with all the top names from the late 90s to mid-2000s.
3 Inconsistent Character Booking
The booking of Braun Strowman’s characters is one of the negative reasons for comparisons to Big Show. WWE having Big Show turn back and forth between the face and heel roles to the point where it has reached comedic levels.
Strowman turned heel for a feud with Roman Reigns in 2018 and instantly went back to the face role a little over a month later. WWE often struggles to book their top monster character. Strowman is enduring the same struggles as Big Show as he’s yet to develop the depth most top stars have.
2 Heavily Protected (Even With Losing)
Braun Strowman is one of the more protected wrestlers on the roster today. WWE selects which wrestlers get to look strong against the big man. Even credible wrestlers like Kevin Owens and AJ Styles have been dealt with looking weak to boost up Strowman’s status.
The same thing happened to Big Show during his peak in WWE. Even though he lost quite a few matches, only certain wrestlers were booked to look strong against Big Show. It is a positive for Strowman that WWE cares about his wins and losses since most of the roster struggles with 50/50 booking.
1 Top Guy But Not The Guy
The worst thing for Braun Strowman regarding his comparisons to Big Show is that there is a ceiling on his star power. Big Show was always booked like a top guy and won multiple world titles, but he never had the chance to become “the guy” or the face of the company.
Wrestlers like The Rock, Steve Austin and John Cena always ranked above show. Even Edge, CM Punk and stars on the second level of main eventers were above him. Strowman is seeing the same story play out for him. Even with the strong booking, Braun is significantly below the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar. Don’t be surprised if he never gets to that level in his career.