Braun Strowman Confirms Injury That Caused WWE to Write Him Off TV Last Year

Braun Strowman is finally back in a WWE world championship picture after a rocky final few months of 2020. The former WWE Universal Champion was bizarrely written off television a storyline suspension the night after Survivor Series, and explain in an interview with Sports Illustrated this week that he tore his meniscus while taking part in the 10-man elimination tag match. He explained, “I’m finally listening to my body,” Strowman said. “I used to be so worried about just getting big. I was on path to do a bodybuilding show until I tore my meniscus back at Survivor Series last year, and that put a damper on my cardio. A lot of this is mental, and I’m working to give people the absolute best I can.”

But Strowman wasn’t out of the woods yet. He returned in January on the final episode of SmackDown before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, then entered the match at No. 30. But suddenly he was back off TV again, this time due to an infection reaching his bloodstream.

“Yo so a little update, I’ve been off-air for a bit,” he said in an Instagram message in mid-February. “I got really sick over the weekend and got an infection that got into my blood system and had to be put on antibiotics for that. It was awful, I’ve dropped like 15 pounds in five days. Couldn’t eat. It looks like 50 pounds of water weight, all my joints are swollen and inflamed. Buthe antibiotics are working and I’m feeling better. We’re gonna nip this thing in the bud, get back to training, get that mask back on and I’ll see you guys very soon.”

Once he returned, Strowman started up a program with Shane McMahon that led to a Steel Cage Match at WrestleMania 37. Strowman, who turned back into somewhat of a babyface during the feud, won by tossing McMahon off the roof of the steel structure.

Last week’s Raw saw “The Monster” Among Men beat Drew McIntyre, inserting himself into the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. Bobby Lashley will face either Strowman or McIntyre on this week’s Raw.