2 reasons why Braun Strowman lost his Universal title shot on Raw

Today on Raw, Braun Strowman was stripped off his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble after damaging Mr McMahon's limousine. This is a big change, with the chairman of WWE booking a Fatal-4-Way for the main event of the show to determine Strowman's replacement at the Rumble.

Finn Balor defeated John Cena, Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre to set up a mouthwatering confrontation with Lesnar, one that is a year in the making. But what does this mean for the Monster Among Men?

Strowman has not enjoyed the best of times in recent memory. After winning the Raw tag titles with a 10-year-old child, he won the Greatest Royal Rumble. However, he was languishing at long last after that.

He won the Money in the Bank briefcase but wasted it on a Hell in a Cell Match against Roman Reigns which ended in a no contest. He then lost the match for the vacant Universal title against Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel, shortly before having to undergo elbow surgery. Strowman is now back on WWE programming and was scheduled to face the Beast at Royal Rumble, but that match has since been called off.

Here are two possible reasons why Braun Strowman lost his Universal title opportunity on Raw.

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#2 He will not be cleared by Royal Rumble

Strowman might not be ready by the Rumble.

Braun Strowman might be back, but he hasn't been cleared yet. It was said that he would not be cleared until Royal Rumble, meaning there could not be any physical interactions between him and Lesnar in the buildup.

Maybe he might not actually be cleared for the Rumble after all. The match against Baron Corbin at TLC worked because it was all the work from other babyfaces from Raw. However, Strowman vs Lesnar would entice a physical fight, no matter how frustrating it gets.

WWE may have removed Strowman from the Royal Rumble title match because his status for the show may be more up in the air than initially thought. In that case, a suspension along with the fine and stripping from Mr McMahon would have done nicely.

Either way, hopefully, Strowman returns to full fitness soon and continues to wreak havoc here on Raw. He has an unmatched presence about him that instantly makes him a real star. Not being cleared to face Lesnar for the third time might turn out to be a blessing in disguise, if it indeed is true.

#1 Another defeat to Lesnar would ruin his main event credibility

Strowman has been badly mishandled recently.

When Braun Strowman was scheduled to challenge Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble, the match seemed uninspiring and boring. We have already seen it a couple of times and it has disappointed on both those occasions.

However, the match was an intriguing one. We did not know if Strowman would win or lose. He probably wouldn't have won, but it is realistic to believe that he could topple the Beast. It turns out that he was likely going to lose, with Finn Balor now getting the match with Lesnar. The Monster dodged a possible bullet here.

Another defeat to Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship would have ended Strowman's credibility as a main eventer in WWE. He has been mistreated pretty badly. The only title he has won was for a one-night joke, as he and Nicholas vacated the titles on the Raw after WrestleMania.

Strowman was Mr Money in the Bank but would fail his cash-in. He wins a lot, but loses when it matters. Another loss in a big match would have damaged him to no ends. If Strowman is cleared, possibly a run in the Royal Rumble match would benefit him more, after the rough treatment he has had to endure in the second half of 2018 and carrying into the new year.