How Braun Strowman Went from 5-foot-9 to WWE’s Biggest Monster

Braun Strowman is in the middle of one of the most organic “pushes” in recent WWE memory. Since signing with the company in 2013, the Monster Among Men has had a steady, but natural rise up WWE’s card. This Sunday he’ll have his first WWE title opportunity at SummerSlam‘s main event.

However, unlike his gradual ascension in WWE, the literal growth of Adam Scherr (Stroman’s real name) was far more rapid. In an interview with ESPN, Strowman chronicled the story of his freakish growth:

“Literally, my freshman year, I was a 5-[foot]-8 or 5-9, 180-pound little butterball. When I graduated high school, I was 6-5 and 305. I think I swallowed a magic bean pill.”

Despite being on the high school football, track, and wrestling teams, none of those paths spoke to Strowman. Eventually, Braun would find his way into power lifting, citing Mark Henry as his inspiration:

“He’s been a man that I’ve looked up to for a long time. He’s the biggest reason I’m a WWE superstar today.”

Henry would actually see Strowman in a powerlifting competition, but it wasn’t his strength that caught Henry’s attention, it was his people skills:

“He took a liking to me and saw that not only did I enjoy going out there and lifting the weights, but I was a ham. I enjoyed getting the crowd involved, because the louder they screamed for me, I felt like the stronger I became. I fed off that energy.”

For Mark Henry, Strowman was a natural fit for WWE:

“I knew he wouldn’t crack in front of an audience.”

The World’s Strongest Man was right, too, as Strowman has become of WWE most compelling talents. In fact, Strowman is the most important addition to WWE’s roster that we’ve seen in years. More so than any NXT graduate, Shinsuke Nakamura or even AJ Styles, Braun Strowman is a living, breathing spectacle.

Before speaking or wrestling, WWE fans of any nature are going to be captivated by The Monster Among Men. To Vince McMahon, Braun’s only short coming is that he wasn’t around to be body slammed by Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III.

No one in WWE instantly gratifies like Strowman, that said, his act is one that doesn’t need a championship belt. Although the fans would totally support him as Universal Champion, it’s not quite time for Strowman to step into that role. Vegas seems to be well aware of his positioning in WWE and have made him the match’s biggest underdog at +650.

Strowman’s 2017 has already been magnificent. His feud with Roman Reigns is one that we’ve already taken for granted as Strowman has proven that he has main event chops. SummerSlam will be a great test to see if Storwman has staying power on WWE’s brightest stage. It’s a trial he’ll pass with high scores and will be a pivotal plot point in his rise to the top of WWE.