Braun Strowman Emerging as WWE's Top Monster as Big Show's Final Days Approach

Professional wrestling has always been built upon the incredulous showdowns of larger-than-life athletes, and no match has better showcased that in the past few months than the clash of giants on WWE Raw when Braun Strowman fought Big Show in the main event.

Two giants who average 6'10" and about 390 pounds clashed in a war of pure power, and they each showed off a surprisingly wide move set from the beginning. While it would have been easy to expect the match to be a slow plodding showcase, it was a true explosion of offense between the past and future giants of WWE.

The Raw main event served many purposes, but it was its hidden purpose that truly stood out the most. This match served as a passing of the torch, as Big Show helped showcase the wrestler who has emerged as his true successor on the roster as he reaches the twilight of his career.

While Big Show has been less than clear about his retirement plans, he already is more of an ambassador than a performer. It has been obvious for a while that WWE was moving away from using Big Show on the roster in an active role.

Despite being in the best shape of his career, Big Show has only wrestled in three matches since being highly drafted to Raw over frequently used talent, including Cesaro and Sheamus. At 45 years old, he is one of the oldest active performers on the roster, making it difficult for him to do much of what he was once capable of in the ring.

Moreover, WWE has done a great job of developing new giants on both Raw and SmackDown whose size can almost compare to Big Show. Baron Corbin has taken on a main event role over on SmackDown, and Strowman has become a star quickly for Raw. Together, the 6'8" behemoths represent the future of giants in the business.

Strowman has been a unique case, as it has taken him less than four years of training in WWE to become a premier athlete. When he first debuted in August 2015 as a member of The Wyatt Family, he was a green rookie whose size had allowed him to slip onto the main roster too early.

However, unlike other giants in recent years who have failed to develop, including The Great Khali and Mason Ryan, Strowman has stepped up in a big way over a short period of time, with his recent match against Big Show a showcase of all he can do.

The Match

From the start, the fans knew that this match could be something special with an early "This is awesome!" chant; however, no one knew they would be seeing a kip-up from Strowman while he was stuck in a wristlock. Strowman also showed off his freakish speed with his frequent body avalanches in the corner and clotheslines that leveled Big Show.

Throughout the match, it was clear that Strowman was faster and stronger than his veteran opponent, with his offense taking Big Show off his game. While The World's Largest Athlete was bumping for Strowman more than he has bumped for almost anyone in WWE, he also showcased why he has been such a powerful presence in WWE over the years.

Big Show's furious comebacks and two finishers on Strowman both served to make the match suspenseful and prove he was a worthy adversary to Strowman. When Strowman lost his cool and pulled down his straps after Big Show kicked out of the running powerslam, it was the perfect moment for Big Show to finally pass the torch to Strowman.

It was a picture-perfect moment as Big Show desperately locked his hand on Strowman in an attempt to chokeslam him, only for the big man to pull him off with ease. Even while Big Show pushed Strowman, he simply looked like a man who was one step too slow. In that final moment, Strowman dominantly added an exclamation mark to his claim as WWE's new top monster with another powerslam.

Even soon-to-be-inducted WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle had to speak up about the impressive work of both men in the main event:

This match had its sloppy moments, but it served its purpose of highlighting Strowman's lethal power. Big Show put on one of the best performances of his career, and Strowman matched him with shocking speed and athleticism.

The Fallout

If we are truly closing in on the end of Big Show's career, this could be one match that stands out in the big man's legacy. Big Show allowed Strowman to cement himself as the new lethal and unstoppable monster in WWE just before WrestleMania season.

In fact, it would have made for an excellent retirement match, and when Big Show does choose to call it quits in WWE, hopefully he can have just as great a match to close his career and help highlight another top rising talent.

As the next giant of WWE, following in the footsteps of both Big Show and Andre the Giant, Strowman needs to begin earning major victories to increase his standing. It would be appropriate to begin Strowman's rise with a dominant victory in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania.

However, a victory in that Battle Royal has not often promised success, so the true showcase will be when WWE decides to crown Strowman as a champion. If he continues to improve as he has already, he could be a dominant champion throughout the summer, playing the impossible obstacle for many underdog babyface challengers.

Even as the speed of matches has increased over the years and athletes have decreased in size and stature, there is still a need for true giants in WWE, and Strowman could be the dominant giant of a new generation, with the the last great giant passing the torch.