Does Braun Strowman Need a Money in the Bank Win to Secure the Universal Title?

When will WWE do the right thing and make Braun Strowman the Universal Heavyweight Champion? When will the Roman Reigns era come to an end? When will the company take a chance and put its eggs in Finn Balor’s basket? And would the creative team take a chance on Seth Rollins and Reigns once again in a feud that forced the “Big Dog” to the dark side?

It appears Strowman may finally get his chance to earn his first championship should he win the Money in the Bank ladder match. While the fans may favor a push by Finn Balor, another one of those wrestlers stuck in wrestling purgatory, Strowman’s march toward WWE supremacy is still on the rise. Why he hasn’t leapfrogged Reigns as “The Guy” on the red brand remains a mystery.

My friend Mike Kaye, a fellow sportswriter, told me how WWE is slow playing Braun Strowman’s rise is a brilliant move. The former Wyatt Family member is larger than life in more ways than once and is so over with WWE’s fan base, it’s only a matter of time before he grabs the Universal Title. But why wouldn’t the company book him to beat Reigns and Brock Lesnar on his way toward running through his competition?

Could we see this for real for real?

It’s a question that actually bothers me.

Braun Strowman meets all the requirements of a Vince McMahon champion. He is big in size. He is over as a fan favorite. He is personable and plays the role of both babyface and heel with ease. Most of all, Strowman will draw money at the gate. WWE has tried with the likes of Dolph Ziggler and failed.

So again, when will Strowman get his chance? As one wrestling columnist wrote, this title run should have already been a foregone conclusion.

“Truth be told, Strowman should have been the one to dethrone Lesnar as Universal champion back at August’s SummerSlam pay-per-view, considering the hot streak he was on even at that point,” writes Graham Matthews of Bleacher Report. “Not only did he come up short that night, he also lost to Lesnar in decisive fashion at the next month’s No Mercy pay-per-view.

“A third loss to Lesnar at the Royal Rumble wasn’t enough to kill his momentum, however, as he remains one of Raw’s most beloved babyfaces all these months later.”

Take Reigns out of the equation and Strowman would have already won a world title, or two or three.

“From winning the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 34 to reigning supreme in the 50-man Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia, Strowman’s recent roll is a sign officials are still hopeful he can be a top star for them for a while to come,” Matthews added.

I suspect Strowman will win the Money in the Bank ladder match, provided he can climb the ladder and rise among the other six superstars. If he doesn’t win the match, it might be a while before fans see him with singles gold around his waist.

It’s a wait that has taken too long.