A recently-returned WWE Superstar had an emotional reaction following their shocking appearance on Monday Night Raw.
Braun Strowman was released shortly after competing in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania Backlash last year. Once Vince McMahon retired from WWE and Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque assumed creative control, however, fans speculated whether Strowman could return to the company.
On 1 September, it was reported that Braun Strowman had indeed resigned after a long absence. A few days later on Monday Night Raw, Strowman finally returned and laid waste to the tag team division. While fans were thrilled to see him back, the moment was particularly special for the former Universal Champion.
During his appearance on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast, Braun Strowman spoke about how he felt once he came back through the curtain on the night of his return:
“You know honestly, as much as I don’t want to admit it, because I’m supposed to be this big giant tough monster, I had to swallow back the emotions. It was really really hard to stay in character. I heard that roar, I heard the place come unglued, and look I’m just giving myself goosebumps thinking about it. I’m home, a year and a half away from the business watching my friends go out to entertain.
We came back through the pandemic of being able to be in front of the WWE Universe and I wasn’t able to be a part of that made me kind of jealous. But you know that same feeling walking out there Kansas City Monday night after a year and a half of the WWE Universe not seeing the Monster Among Men, Oh my God, the pop, that’s what we all work for that’s what everybody does this for.
I mean, there’s no feeling that can mimic that energy. That excitement when you walk out in the entire building loses their mind because you’re there and you can see in my entrance when I was walking, walking out like it was everything I could do to keep that emotion inside of me of just like yeah, like I cried when I came back through the curtain. And once I got away from everybody, I finally was able to absorb it and let it in because I love this and I miss it. I’m home. It’s good to be back.”
Days after returning on Raw, Braun Strowman travelled to SmackDown and destroyed Alpha Academy. Reports suggest ‘The Monster Among Men’ is being positioned as one of the top babyfaces on the blue brand.
If you use any quotes from this transcription, please credit After the Bell and link back to this article with a H/T to Inside the Ropes.