Braun Strowman has reflected on the backlash he faced backstage after bypassing NXT and debuting directly on WWE’s main roster.
“The Monster of All Monsters” made his WWE debut in August 2015 as a member of The Wyatt Family, a move that immediately set him apart from most incoming talent who traditionally passed through WWE’s developmental system. Speaking with Bert Kreischer, Strowman revealed just how little in-ring experience he had before appearing on Raw.
“I did one dark match in NXT, and then I did three house shows with NXT,” Strowman said. “I like to joke around—we always said, because it was the Bullet Club, but also The Club—Gallows, Anderson, and AJ Styles—when they came in, we were the only four that skipped NXT.”
Strowman admitted that skipping the black-and-gold brand created significant resentment behind the scenes. Without an independent wrestling background or a famous family name, he was viewed by many as an outsider who hadn’t earned his place.
“So we skipped NXT and kind of went straight to the main roster, which is really wild for me because, like I said, coming in, not born into the business and I didn’t come through the indies,” Strowman explained. “So I was an outsider. I was hated. Everyone was like, ‘F**k this big guy,’ and all this sh*t.”
The former Universal Champion also addressed long-standing criticism that he hadn’t “paid his dues.” While acknowledging his path was unconventional, Strowman pushed back against the idea that he hadn’t struggled to reach WWE.
“There’s always that ‘he didn’t pay his dues’ thing,” Strowman said. “But what people didn’t realize was that I was sleeping in my car. I was traveling around the world. I was North America’s Strongest Man in 2011. I wore the Arnold [Amateur].”
Strowman’s comments highlight the cultural divide that once existed between developmental prospects and non-traditional recruits during that era of WWE. Despite the early hostility, he went on to become one of the company’s most dominant figures, capturing the Universal Championship and headlining major events.
