Braun Strowman Continues to Earn Main Event Push on WWE Raw

As Braun Strowman continues to grow into his skin as WWE Raw's resident monster, it's increasingly clear that he needs to do his mauling on center stage.

The beastly giant has flourished in his rivalry with Sami Zayn, has vastly improved since the brand split and has mastered his role as insatiable predator. The New Era may be ruled by smaller, sleeker dynamos, but Strowman has loudly made his case for WWE to spotlight a colossus among them.

We are getting closer and closer to the time where Strowman should move from the midcard to the marquee.

Strowman began as a brooding beast in the background, an enforcer for The Wyatt Family. He did little more than growl and look menacing in the ring as others' offense bounced off him.

When there were whispers of an Undertaker-Strowman showdown at WrestleMania, one could almost hear the collective groan from WWE fans. 

The juggernaut had yet to show us how explosive an athlete he was. He hadn't displayed much other than his size. It was easy to lump him into the same category as middling big men like The Great Khali and Snitsky. 

But July's brand split changed everything.

Raw drafted him away from The Wyatt Family, and Strowman soon shined as a solo act. In the midst of devouring jobber after jobber, he developed into a compelling force. His threats became more convincing; his in-ring assaults became more exciting.

Wrestling Inc noted when Strowman took on Curtis Axel on Dec. 12 that the big man appeared to be winning over the crowd:

Against Zayn, Strowman has been the ideal fearsome creature. Allowed to do more than stomp all over enhancement talent, the beast has shown a wider range of skills. He's developed into a more dependable talker, for one.

And at Sunday's Roadblock: End of the Line pay-per-view, Strowman tortured Zayn and delighted in his dark handiwork. It was the heel's best in-ring work to date.

The 10-minute bout ended up featuring one of the best stories told that night.

On Monday's Raw, WWE chose to showcase Strowman even more. Angered by Zayn lasting the time limit with him at Roadblock, he rampaged backstage, tearing up everything in sight. 

When Raw general manager Mick Foley informed him that Zayn was not in the building, Strowman's rage overflowed. The behemoth stormed into a match between Sin Cara and Titus O'Neil and flung both men around.

Strowman lawn-darting Sin Cara into a Christmas tree was the kind of odd and unforgettable moment that wrestling thrives on. 

More of these are possible should WWE move Strowman up the ladder. His immensity makes it easy for the company to tell tales of dominance and destruction with him at the center. His growing comfort with his monster-heel role should leave officials more confident that he can hang with WWE's top talents.

And it's clear that WWE is at least toying with the idea of Strowman charging into the main event picture.

At the close of Monday's Raw, Strowman forced his way into a tag team match pitting Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. He laid out Reigns, chased off Jeri-KO and left Rollins face-down on the mat.

Electricity surged through the arena during that attack.

Strowman looked like he belonged among those bigger names. The idea of him facing Reigns or Rollins or perhaps being Owens' pawn and hired muscle is mighty intriguing. 

Kyle Fowle of the AV Club wrote that Strowman "single-handedly brings some life to the stale main event scene."

That's a place Strowman looks ready to ascend to before long. His rivalry with Zayn will help prep him for that move. The former NXT champ is a master storyteller and is bound to draw out the best in the big man.

More chances to leave ruin in his wake and more shots to show off his presence will make it clear that Strowman needs to follow in the footsteps of Yokozuna, Vader and the like. Headlining heroes need to collide with monstrosities. The squared circle will always need massive men. 

Strowman has spent the year proving that WWE needs to find space for him on its top rungs.