3 Reasons why AEW should sign Braun Strowman & 2 they shouldn't

Fans were surprised when Braun Strowman didn't show up at Impact Wrestling's marquee pay-per-view Bound For Glory this past weekend. He was fully expected to sign with the promotion and make his debut at the biggest show, but instead, there were two world title changes in minutes.

Josh Alexander defeated Christian Cage to become Impact World Champion, but Moose took the moment away from him by cashing in on his opportunity and winning the world title himself.

Braun Strowman to AEW is still a possibility, and he even spoke about it. Here is a devil's advocate piece looking at why AEW should and shouldn't sign Braun Strowman:

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#3. Should sign Braun Strowman: AEW could fulfill the potential that WWE never did

Some fans may not remember this, but Braun Strowman was arguably WWE's hottest star in 2017 and for a small part of 2018 as well. Once he set off on his singles run on RAW, it was a few months worth of squash matches that got him over with the crowd.

Despite Strowman being a monster heel, his bulldozing of smaller opponents every week was entertaining to watch and his popularity quickly rose.

Had WWE capitalized on how hot Braun Strowman had gotten in 2017, they likely would have had a top star in their hands, and he never would have been released in 2021.

Let's take the summer of 2017 for example. Braun Strowman found himself in the main event of SummerSlam, where he was a part of a Fatal-4-Way match for the Universal title -- also including Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and then-champion Brock Lesnar.

Braun Strowman stole the entire show with his performance. It was a breath of fresh air seeing Brock Lesnar manhandled the way he was, and the match was entirely built to set up Braun Strowman as the next Universal title contender post-SummerSlam.

It worked, and the build to the singles match between Strowman and Lesnar was fine as well. They even got a main event spot over John Cena vs Roman Reigns -- a decision that surprised fans.

Not only did the main event disappoint, but many felt it killed Braun Strowman's momentum when it was the perfect time for WWE to pull the trigger on him. He recovered in time for the build to WrestleMania 34, when he was once again in prime position to get the main event spot. He was sacrificed for Roman Reigns, and his momentum has never recovered since.

Ironically, he won the Universal title two years later in 2020, but that was solely due to Roman Reigns pulling out from his match against Goldberg. Not only that, but it felt like it was two years too late.

The point is that Braun Strowman proved to have massive star potential. If WWE couldn't capitalize on it, AEW certainly can.

#2. Shouldn't sign Braun Strowman: The roster is stacked as it is

Does AEW need Braun Strowman? The realistic answer is no. He won't be a solution to them catching up to WWE, although the potential for him to be a difference-maker could be up for debate.

Either way, AEW's roster is stacked right now, and many argue that it's on par with WWE's. Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Hangman Page, The Young Bucks, and Adam Cole make up a stacked top-level roster. This doesn't even include the future stars who could join that list, such as MJF, Darby Allin and Ricky Starks.

AEW has spent a lot of money on signing top talent in the last two years, and the relatively recent signings of CM Punk and Bryan Danielson wouldn't have been cheap. Tony Khan comes from an extremely wealthy family, but it doesn't make business sense to constantly splash on talent without a plan.

Braun Strowman was signed to a multi-million dollar contract in WWE, and it's hard to see him taking a pay cut. Strowman also told Sports Illustrated that he isn't sure about his availability to do a full-time wrestling schedule. This might pose some problems.

#2. Should sign Braun Strowman: He could prove to be a value for money signing for AEW

This is where planning and utilization for Braun Strowman in AEW will be key. Let's take a scenario where AEW gives him the multi-million dollar contract that he demands.

AEW is a business, and just like any other wrestling promotion, they look at wrestlers as assets to boost revenue in the long run. While not every superstar can make the difference that the likes of CM Punk and Bryan Danielson can, Strowman could be worth the price that he demands.

Ultimately, it depends on how AEW plans to utilize Braun Strowman. To get the maximum value out of him, the company needs to push him as a top-tier star - if not the central star of the company.

It's not hard to imagine Braun Strowman reaching top-tier status in AEW, even though he isn't the most proficient or technical wrestler. The good part about wrestling is that he doesn't need to be.

AEW could present Strowman as a larger-than-life character and make money through merchandise and various other revenue streams.

#1. Shouldn't sign Braun Strowman: Impact Wrestling is a better fit for him than AEW

While many fans might like the idea of Braun Strowman to AEW, it may not be as good as fans hope. If AEW fails to utilize Strowman, he'll be wasting more years of his prime.

In that sense, Impact Wrestling seems to be a more perfect fit for Braun Strowman. He is guaranteed to be a top star there, and he could be the focal point of the promotion.

Impact Wrestling may not be the #2 wrestling promotion in the world anymore, but they should rank first for resiliency. Not many promotions could survive the downs that they did, and they're now continuing to do better with a fresh, young crop of talent.

Two examples of superstars who had a resurgence in Impact Wrestling are Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. While the former was already making his name around the world, his Impact Wrestling run seems to be what caught WWE's attention.

Bobby Lashley also had an incredible run in Impact Wrestling. Both men went on to become World Champions in WWE in 2020 and 2021. Strowman could even appear on AEW shows if the "Forbidden Door" opens again.

#1. Should sign Braun Strowman: A unique look and the potential for a monster heel/babyface

One thing that Braun Strowman would bring to the AEW roster is a unique look. While Luchasaurus is also a "giant" in AEW, his star power doesn't match that of Strowman.

Braun Strowman brings a lot of uniqueness to the AEW roster and he will stand out - something that would benefit him. AEW doesn't have a monster heel like Strowman, and he could add a good dynamic to the roster.

There are several "smaller" men on the AEW roster, and Braun Strowman has proven to work well with them in the past. It's easy to imagine Strowman having far better matches in AEW compared to WWE -- perhaps even better than his series against Roman Reigns a few years ago.

Braun Strowman's unique look alone along with star power can prove to be a difference-maker. Not only this but he can be used on certain occasions to build big babyfaces.

AEW doesn't have a Superstar who can legitimately be as physically dominant in the ring like Braun Strowman. He brings a lot to the table.