Best Booking Options for Braun Strowman at WWE Fastlane 2016, WrestleMania 32

Braun Strowman went from zero to 60 in just a matter of days. The Wyatt Family's monster was nothing more than just another big man in WWE, just another unpolished guy throwing power moves against smaller opponents.

But then websites such as Wrestling Inc reported Strowman could be the one to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 on April 3. For many fans this is not exactly great news, but the truth is WWE has historically always been the land of giants, and Strowman definitely fits that description.

With that being the case, it's only logical the company would eventually want to work with Strowman and build his character.

Of course, the path to The Deadman may be a bit quick, but at this point, does WWE have any choice?

The injured list has become the stuff of legend for fans. Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Sting and Cesaro are all still on the shelf. Who's left to face The Undertaker? Other top stars such as Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose will all likely be busy with their own storylines.

Why not elevate another young talent to fill the void?

Strowman has his own issues, however, as many fans are aware of his deficiencies in the ring and on the mic. He's been carried thus far by Bray Wyatt, as well as Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, but if he faces Taker, then he will have to stand on his own.

So if he's to be elevated, then it must be done the right way—even if it has to be done quickly.

Fastlane

credit: wwe.com

Fastlane is up first, and as of now, Strowman has not yet been booked. Assuming he does land on the card on Feb. 21, WWE has a couple of different ways to go that would showcase his strength and give him the chance to begin a lead-in to Mania.

The most obvious match would be a six-man tag, involving Bray's family against a trio such as Kane, Big Show and perhaps Ryback. All three men have had heat with the Wyatts over the past several months, and it would only be logical to see a showdown between both sides.

This could be good for Braun, mostly because working in this environment would give him the chance to look good and also not have the primary spotlight.

He could work along with Rowan and Harper, using their presence to his advantage. Then during key spots in the match, he could get his moves in and ultimately get the pin to secure the win for his team. However, that does not necessarily help him in terms of setting up a WrestleMania match with The Phenom.

Working The Phenom's brother, however, does.

Kane is still a good hand in the ring; he's still effective and could be an asset to Braun's development as a main event threat. The Big Red Machine could be used to get Braun over at Fastlane, and if The Wyatt Family were to leave Kane for dead after the match, that would surely bring about Taker's return.

If that return were to be reserved for another date, then Kane's feud with Strowman could really kick into high gear after Fastlane. Kane would likely not get a fair match thanks to the Wyatt Family, and that trend could continue throughout their rivalry. Eventually, The Big Red Machine would be overwhelmed, which would lead to help in the form of his brother.

Kane would really be the best choice for Strowman if the big man were to work a singles match at Fastlane. A matchup between him and either Ryback or Big Show may not get over the way it would with Kane, and neither man would help Strowman get to The Undertaker.

Taker would be in his usual supernatural form when he comes back, playing mind games with The Wyatt Family and attempting to throw Strowman off his stride. Despite the theatrics of his character, Taker is still the aging veteran and would need to take every opportunity he had to get the best of his younger would-be opponent.

As with Superstars booked against Taker in the past, Strowman would need to not only look good but look impressive heading into Mania. The match could be built by Bray on the mic, presented as his disciple's mission to get revenge on The Deadman and finally lay his legend to rest.

WrestleMania 32

credit: wwe.com

WrestleMania is quite a bit tougher to nail than Fastlane.

There can be no room for error on the grandest stage of them all. Either Strowman can handle the pressure or he can't, and that is a call that needs to be made by The Undertaker himself. The Deadman would surely need to sign off on this match taking place because he's the one who would carry the bout from start to finish.

Strowman is not a veteran like CM Punk or Brock Lesnar. Nor is he considered a future main event Superstar like Bray. That means he's not on the same level as Undertaker, so he would need more work to look good.

That's where Undertaker's professionalism comes in.

If this is indeed an instance of WWE backing Strowman as a new hot property, then Taker would surely want to be part of the process—but only if he were on board with the company's point of view.

So if the match is a singles contest, it's safe to assume it would be on Taker's terms, which means the pace would have to be his. Strowman is not the kind of worker who needs to speed up and is better served taking his time.

He needs to listen and follow Undertaker's direction in the ring, allowing the veteran every opportunity to feel out the crowd and use the energy coming from them to get the match over. With Undertaker calling the shots and Strowman doing his part, this could actually be an entertaining match.

But that's assuming it will happen.

The only other way to go for Strowman if he is to work Taker involves the six-man tag. This would need to be a match similar to the one that could happen at Fastlane and would once again pit The Wyatt Family against Undertaker and two partners.

The biggest problem with this, of course, is fans would not get Undertaker on his own.

WrestleMania is Taker's domain, the night he continues to defend his legend—even though his celebrated streak is over. This is something he does alone, with no help and no cooperation from his brother or anyone else. How would the Dallas crowd react to seeing Undertaker in a team environment, and would that be enough for them?

For that matter, how would that same crowd feel about Taker losing to Strowman?

This is an outcome that is incomprehensible to many fans. After all, Undertaker is not Chris Jericho; Taker's losses do not come that often, and each one means something every time. But if WWE is intent on bringing Strowman up, then the only way to do that is get him quality wins against quality opponents.

Would simply working with Taker at Mania be enough for Strowman, or would he in fact need to get the win?

For better or worse, Strowman is the kind of big man WWE has historically always loved, and if he is meant to be taken to the next level, then that is exactly what will happen. Undertaker is one of the men who can make it possible, and if he agrees, he could do more for Strowman in one night than the monster has done in his entire WWE career thus far.

Tom Clark can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.