Today, the concept of having larger-than-life monsters in the ring isn’t as popular as in old-school wrestling. However, there are still some giants left in professional wrestling, who showcase tremendous strength and inconceivable power to make fans believe in their characters. One such present-day giant is none other than the ‘Monster Among Men’, Braun Strowman.
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The Monster Of All Monsters can be quite a polarizing figure in the sport with some fans loving him, while others have the opposite feeling.
Strowman is known for his big and muscular physique. Standing at six feet and eight inches, he is the second-tallest man on the WWE roster today. But the physique of the former Universal Champion hasn’t always been shredded. He has gone through a big transformation over the years.
UPDATE: 2024/04/18 11:30 EST BY BENJAMIN VIEIRA
Braun Strowman has been out with an injury for months. Despite this, “The Monster Among Men” will always be regarded as one of WWE’s best big men. It’s been a long journey for him to WWE, from his humble beginnings as a Strongman to becoming Universal Champion. He has had quite the career so far and there is certainly more for him to do once he returns to WWE. There will definitely be more added to this list once he does more and is healed, but for now, let’s take a look at Strowman’s transformation over the years.
Strowman Began His Strongman Career In His Early 20s
He Did Not Have His Signature Beard Yet
- Strowman began his Strongman career in the late 2000s.
- This photo is from his early 20s.
- He didn’t look as defined in this picture.
Before deciding to annihilate other men in the squared circle as a professional wrestler, Braun Strowman competed in a Strongman competition, where he was quite successful. He embarked on his career as a strong man in the late 2000s.
By the time he was around 20, he was already big and strong, which was the reason he opted to be a strongman. Here is a Braun Strowman photo from his early 20s when he just began his career as a Strongman. In this outdoor photo, he is looking huge, but hasn’t quite developed his definition yet. The most notable difference is he doesn’t have his signature beard here.
Strowman Becomes A Strongman Champion
He Won Numerous Titles
- Strowman won the NAS Amateur National Championships.
- He won the Arnold Amateur Strongman Championships.
- He was able to deadlift 925lbs.
As was mentioned before, Braun Strowman started contending in his Strongman competitions in the late 2000s, and he was a successful individual in that sport. Strowman did well in various Strongman competitions.
He won shows like NAS Amateur National Championships and Arnold Amateur Strongman Championships. He was also first placed in Europe Battle of Champions and Central GA Strongest Man. As a strong man, he was built like one with long hair, a beard, and a bulky physique. In this photo from his strongman days, he is deadlifting an astounding 420 kgs or 925 pounds.
He Was A Rosebud In His NXT Days
He Was Briefly In Developmental
- Strowman can be seen here as a Rosebud.
- He was part of Adam Rose’s Exotic Express.
- Becky Lynch was also a Rosebud.
Following his success in the strongman career, Braun Strowman was spotted by WWE, and he signed a contract with the company in early 2013, making him a homegrown talent. Believe it or not, his notable appearance on WWE TV was as Adam Rose’s ‘Rosebud’. But he debuted on NXT in 2014 and had a short career on the developmental brand.
He Became The “Black Sheep” Of The Wyatt Family
He Debuted On RAW In 2015
- Strowman attacked Dean Ambrose on his debut.
- He was in the Wyatt Family for one year.
- He was billed at 400lbs during this time.
Joining The Wyatt Family, Braun Strowman made an impressive debut as the black sheep of the stable on the main roster. His debut happened when he assaulted Dean Ambrose aka Jon Moxley on an episode of RAW. His association with The Wyatt Family helped him grow as a performer, and it lasted nearly one year.
Above, is a Braun Strowman picture with The Wyatt Family. Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, and Like Harper are also included in the picture. He was billed around 400 pounds at time. Strowman looked huge with other giants of the stable while carrying the strongman-type physique.
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He Won His First Title At WrestleMania 34
- Strowman became much leaner during this time.
- He won the RAW Tag Team Titles from The Bar.
- He also became an Intercontinental Champion.
Braun Strowman was already two years into his singles career at WrestleMania 34, following his split from The Wyatt Family. He won his maiden title at WrestleMania 34 after tag teaming with Nicholas. The unlikely duo won the RAW Tag Team Team Championship.
In 2018, Strowman’s physique changed drastically from his time in the Wyatt Family. While his hairstyle changed, he certainly reduced his body fat percentage, as he looked more muscular and leaner.
The Monster Among Men Becomes Universal Champion
He Defeated Goldberg To Win The Title
- Strowman won the Universal Title at WrestleMania 36.
- He held the title for 141 days.
- He lost the title to Bray Wyatt.
Braun Strowman’s major achievement in WWE was when he captured the Universal Championship, making it his first and only world title thus far. He enjoyed an incredible run of 141 days and helped WWE to operate in the pandemic era. As the champion, the “Monster Among Men” got into phenomenal shape.
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He cut down more, looking leaner than he looked two years earlier. His upper body carried significant muscle mass. Despite being called 385 pounds by WWE, he was probably under 350 pounds around this time.
Strowman Spent Time Away From WWE
He Was Released In 2021
- Strowman made appearances in ROH.
- Strowman got a lot leaner during this time.
- He was aligned with EC3.
Even though Braun Strowman was one of the top guys of the present era, he was released by WWE in 2021. During this phase, he wrestled in indies ROH, and started his own promotion called Control Your Narrative.
He, however, didn’t lose the physical progress he had made in WWE. Strowman continued to get leaner, looking more athletic than ever. Around this time, he got in such great shape that his six-pack abs were visible. Here is a snap of his aesthetic physique when he showed up in ROH.
His Most Recent Run Saw Him Team With Ricochet
Strowman Returned To WWE In 2022
- Strowman began to gain momentum in the tag team division.
- He feuded with Ricochet before teaming with him.
- He aligned with Ricochet in 2022.
Braun Strowman returned to WWE in 2022. He has had some decent feuds, and he recently teamed up with Ricochet to compete more in the tag team division.
When it comes to his physique, it hasn’t changed much for the 39-year-old Superstar. While he sports a bald look nowadays, he still carries a huge muscle mass with low body fat. While he hasn’t quite become the household name WWE may have been hoping for, he has still carved out a pretty good career for himself and seems to still have many good years ahead of him. Only time will tell what else he can accomplish in wrestling before hanging up his boots.
