Broken Rings to Broken Men: Braun Strowman's Greatest WWE Moments in Epic 2017

Braun Strowman grew into WWE's most compelling character in 2017—one act of annihilation at a time.

He became the backbone of Raw by leaving a trail of devastation. He didn't follow the standard route to stardom, but instead he gave us moment after moment of him hurting men and destroying anything within reach.

Fans will look back at this year as Strowman's extended coming-out party.

By overturning an ambulance and laying waste to wrestling rings, The Monster Among Men became more than a wrestler. He was a larger-than-life figure, a mythological being, an overwhelming force one simply can't look away from.

Unique lasting images proved more important than wins. The aftermath turned out to be more moving than the action itself.

From one of his early collisions with Roman Reigns to an act of vengeance on an egotist, the following is a look at the moments that defined a career year for Strowman. 

Strowman Breaks the Ring with Reigns' Back (Feb. 27)

WWE's contract signings turning violent is as reliable an occurrence as the leaves turning brown in the fall. Ahead of Strowman's bout against Reigns at Fastlane in March, though, the trope took an unexpected turn.

The Monster of Men didn't just flatten his opponent, he wrecked the ring, too. Strowman hurled The Big Dog into the turnbuckle and it broke, sending the ring ropes snapping and flying into the air. 

As the Goliath towered over his enemy, he did so in an arena damaged by his own hands. 

Strowman not only looked like a monstrous force capable of downing a powerhouse such as Reigns, the ring's disrepair made sure this created a lasting image.

This would be one of many instances where the big man did things no one else did.

Strowman vs. an Ambulance (April 10)

Steve Austin will be forever associated with the night he drove a beer truck into Raw and sprayed his bosses with a hose. The same will be true for Strowman overturning an ambulance with a human being inside.

During his intense feud with Reigns, The Monster Among Men throttled his enemy and then told him he wasn't finished with him. The truth of that statement soon became clear. After officials loaded Reigns into an ambulance, Strowman pushed it over on its side.

A bit of movie magic helped the bruiser perform the feat, but it still required impressive strength. 

Strowman looked like an absolute beast here. He was a superhuman battling mere mortals. He was a monster terrorizing a city. 

The Monster Destroys the Ring (April 17)

In a callback to Big Show and Lesnar obliterating the ring underneath them in 2003, The World's Largest Athlete again caused the canvas to collapse. This time it was Strowman who played the colossus opposite him.

This proved to be a star-making night for The Monster Among Men. 

Strowman wiped out The Golden Truth and Kalisto backstage earlier in the night, and he then traded shots with Big Show until a superplex caused the ring to implode.

The referee tumbled out to the floor and the ring ropes fell limp around the beasts. The crowd roared.

Amid all the ruin, Strowman eventually stood with his arms raised in victory, a growl echoing from his maw.

This was no ordinary passing-of-the-torch moment—this was a monster claiming his throne. 

There's a Human Being in That Dumpster (April 24)

The underdog Kalisto got the win, but Strowman got the final word.

A slip-up caused The Monster Among Men to lose in a Dumpster match against his much smaller foe. His reaction will be remembered far more than the result itself, though.

Strowman walloped Kalisto and stuffed him into the dumpster sitting at ringside. He then closed the lid and shoved it off the stage.

The attack showcased the big man's mercilessness as well as his power. 

The unique moments were beginning to pile up for Strowman. Many a heel has thrown a tantrum following a defeat, but few have hurled a man off a ledge inside a garbage receptacle. 

Strowman Sends Reigns off in an Ambulance (June 26)

The ambulance's sirens served as a harbinger of doom. The emergency vehicle sat parked in the arena on Raw ahead of the Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view and Reigns approached it the way one does a dark basement in a horror movie. 

Strowman emerged and swallowed up The Big Dog.

In a scene that would help set up their Ambulance match at the July PPV, The Monster Among Men smashed Reigns. He flung the 265-pounder against the side of the ambulance with little effort. And in a preview of what he planned to do him during the bout, he stuffed him inside the vehicle.

Strowman's energy and power elevated this beatdown scene. And there was simply something haunting about him appearing out of the shadows as he did.

Strowman Walks Away from Ambulance Crash (Great Balls of Fire)

Credit: WWE.com

At Great Balls of Fire, Strowman cemented himself as an inhuman being that stalks a world not his own.

The Monster Among Men defeated Reigns in their Ambulance match. The Big Dog, though, continued the fight after defeat. He not only crammed Strowman into an ambulance but crashed it into a wall with the big man still inside.

This was not a means to write off Strowman or the first simulated murder on WWE TV. It was a reminder that he is truly unstoppable, car crash or not.

Minutes after the attack, a bloody, hobbled Strowman stepped out of the mangled vehicle. And in true badass fashion, he refused medical treatment as he stumbled through the parking lot.

The mythos of Strowman grew that night, the scene at Great Ball of Fire further painting him as something we've never seen before.

The Monster Lays out The Beast (SummerSlam)

Even during a stretch where WWE has protected, hyped and elevated Lesnar at an all-time level, Strowman outmuscled him in one of SummerSlam's biggest moments.

The Beast Incarnate defended the Universal Championship against three men that night—Samoa Joe, Reigns and Strowman.

During the bout, the two behemoths clashed at ringside. And Strowman lifted all 286 pounds of Lesnar onto his shoulder like a knapsack. A running powerslam then left the announce table flattened and a beast stunned.

Another soon followed, splintering a second announce table. To follow up, The Monster flipped a third announce table onto Lesnar's body. Officials soon carried the champ away on a stretcher.

The champ rarely shows signs of vulnerability. And seeing him get overpowered and dismantled as he did in this match is unheard of.

SummerSlam proved to be a star-making stage for Strowman who looked like the apex predator among all his fellow beasts.

Strowman Sends Big Show Through Steel (Sept. 4)

Big Show was set to undergo hip surgery and take a long hiatus from the ring, so WWE drew up a plan to send him off in style that involved a familiar foe.

Strowman outlasted Big Show in a steel cage match on Raw, with the two big men delivering another memorable clash between them.

In the aftermath, The Monster Among Men looked to go beyond defeating the giant—he sought to break him. Strowman sent Big Show crashing through the cage wall.

Once the beast had struck, Big Show lay helpless on a mess of steel, his condition being proof of how dangerous Strowman is.

Good Night, Curt Hawkins (Sept. 25)

Curt Hawkins wanted a chance to break his lengthy losing streak. The cocky Superstar called out the locker room, only to immediately regret it when Strowman stomped out.

Hawkins fled, but The Monster Among Men chased him down and grabbed hold of his head with his massive paws. It looked like something out of a nature documentary.

Strowman didn't just beat up the low-rung star, he crushed him. He flung Hawkins through a table and sent him crashing through the LED screens on the stage. 

This bit of destruction helped soften the blow of Strowman's loss to Lesnar at No Mercy. Rather than let fans focus on the behemoth's wins and losses, the company provided an image of him devouring his prey.

Strowman was back to being a monster and it was fantastic.

The Monster Devours The Miz (Oct. 30)

Strowman's teammates turned on him at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Kane, The Miz and The Bar all conspired to take down the big man, stuffing him into a garbage truck.

Weeks later, The Miz found himself haunted by signs that Strowman was back. 

His attempted escape from the arena went awry. The Monster Among Men emerged from a garbage truck and stared him down through the limo's windshield. Soon, the predator skittered atop the car and hunted down The Miz throughout the building.

WWE again borrowed a horror-movie trope here, having the monster appear after its presumed demise. This was all beautifully ridiculous and another unique image in the Strowman collection.

Some men only garner wins in the ring, but Strowman's victories come in every corner of the WWE world. And while others are merely gladiators in the arena, he has come off as the leviathan that swallows every living thing in the Coliseum. 

Here's to more savagery and ruin, to more compelling chaos by Strowman's hands.