Braun Strowman has reflected on the hostility he faced from the locker room after skipping NXT to join the main roster. The “Monster of All Monsters” made his WWE debut in August 2015 as the newest member of The Wyatt Family, bypassing the traditional developmental system that most stars go through.
Speaking to Bert Kreischer, Strowman revealed that he only wrestled a handful of times before appearing on Raw. He compared his path to that of The O.C. (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson), noting that they were the only ones who bypassed the black-and-gold brand during that era.
“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.”
Strowman admitted that his rapid ascent caused friction backstage. Because he did not come from the independent scene or a wrestling family, he was viewed as an “outsider” who had not earned his spot.
“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.”
The former Universal Champion addressed the criticism that he “didn’t pay his dues.” He explained that while his path was different, he still struggled before making it to WWE, citing his time as a strongman competitor.
“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].”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Bertcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.Â
