How WWE Can Maintain Monster Braun Strowman's Momentum with Elbow Injury

Even as Braun Strowman recovers from elbow surgery, the behemoth must remain in the WWE spotlight.

The Monster Among Men won't be able to flip over any ambulances or send men crashing off the entrance ramp in a dumpster for the time being. And Raw will reportedly be without its top star as Strowman is set to undergo a procedure on his elbow.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported: "Sources tell us Strowman will be gone four to eight weeks due to the undisclosed injury/surgery, causing creative to retool plans for Extreme Rules and Great Balls of Fire."

WWE previously reported Strowman suffered a torn rotator cuff, but that was assumed to be all part of the storyline. This, on the other hand, is real. This is an injury that has to lead to a problem for WWE Creative to solve and maintain the big man's momentum.

Roman Reigns attacked Strowman on Monday's Raw, repeatedly smashing with a steel chair to write him off TV.

Simply waiting until Strowman is healed and reinserting him into the lineup isn't the right next move. Instead, WWE has to work around the situation with the intention of stoking the flames around The Monster Among Men.

Showcasing Strowman via vignettes is a smart way to go.

WWE can splice together footage of his matches and backstage attacks. It can show us his recovery process. Or it can paint him as a fearsome beast by way of airing workout footage in the vein of his pre-WrestleMania video.

While Strowman can't compete on Raw, he should be a steady presence on the show through clips like this.

The audience can still be reminded how dangerous he is. His mythos can still grow.

Orchestrating a backstage attack is another way to work around the injury.

WWE can cut to a shot in the parking lot where Reigns is laid out on the concrete. The camera would pan up to see Strowman towering over him with a bloodthirsty sneer across his face. WWE could also show a dented car with the door ripped off and catch Strowman walking away with a crowbar in his hand.

With this kind of scene, Strowman can continue to antagonize Reigns and be a part of the red brand without performing a single move. 

And while there are few things in wrestling right now as fun as seeing Strowman wreak havoc, this forced downtime is a chance to do something different with him.

The New Face of Destruction can intimidate by stepping into what is supposed to be a civil environment. Strowman should sit across from Michael Cole for one of the announcer's trademark interviews.

But rather than give stock answers, the powerhouse could response to Cole's questions with growls, glares and palpable disdain. At one point, Strowman could stand over the announcer menacingly and force him to skitter out of the room.

That kind of segment would be simple to write and require zero physical exertion for Strowman, all while keeping his monstrous aura in Raw's foreground.

None of these ideas ask the WWE writing team to do anything difficult. Like Strowman, they're to the point and uncomplicated. The goal must be to continue to display his imposing nature, putting the animal's snarling face on TV until he's ready to strike again.

His absence will hurt, but the timing may result in a positive change. As Marc Normandin of Cageside Seats pointed out: "If we get Strowman vs. [Brock] Lesnar, it's probably going to be at SummerSlam instead of a mid-summer B-level pay-per-view."

Credit: WWE.com

A showdown at that marquee PPV would be far bigger than them meeting at Great Balls of Fire on July 9. There's more hype to be had with the allure of SummerSlam.

Done right, Strowman's downtime can actually lead to his mystique swelling. Anticipation for his return can balloon should WWE tease it well enough.

And by the time he's healthy, The Monster Among Men can stomp back into the Raw landscape with only a minimal loss of momentum.