The WWE is on the path from one WrestleMania to the next, and one superstar on RAW has been getting a huge push from the company.
Plotting their direction post-WrestleMania allows the WWE to take their talent in new directions while building up the top contenders over the next year. RAW didn't get the shakeup expected by landing Bray Wyatt, but the red brand has been putting on quality shows regardless.
Jim Ross has kept a close eye on where the show is heading and seems to like the direction the WWE has set it in. The way they've been handling the rise of one particular superstar has Good Ol' JR's stamp of approval, and rightfully so.
Braun Strowman's steady rise pre-WrestleMania has gone into overdrive on RAW, with the Monster Among Men imposing his massive will on the entire roster. Every week Strowman raises the bar, culminating with a superplex on The Big Show that caused the ring to collapse this week.
The WWE has done a phenomenal job of building up Braun as a menacing, punishing figure on RAW. His status as a top heel is unquestionable, and the more unstoppable he seems, the bigger his matches will become. Ross thinks everything is headed in the right direction for Braun.
"It was a stellar night for the on going talent development of Braun Strowman and his show ending presentation with The Big Show was memorable. I was impressed by how hard the two, super heavyweights worked and the live audience seemed to enjoy the imploding, ring stunt," Ross wrote on his personal blog.
"Strowman is being positioned so strongly that it could be challenging for some defiant, younger males to get behind Strowman as a villain. What's not to like about a big, bad man who kicks everyone's ass and who has showed little if any 'fear'," Ross went on.
These are the ingredients of a proper heel buildup that should help anchor the top of RAW's cards for the next several months. Strowman's been in position for this massive push for some time, but the WWE has done a great job of making it feel properly paced.
Ross seems to have full faith that Strowman can be that kind of performer for RAW, which is a huge endorsement from someone who knows a thing or two about sports entertainment.
"I think WWE is on the trail of building a significant star with their positioning of Strowman," JR said in his closing thoughts on Braun.
We'll all just have to wait until next Monday to see what comes next in Braun's path of chaos.
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