Braun Strowman's WrestleMania Plans Suggest SmackDown Trade to Fulfil Potential

Braun Strowman has torn through the competition since breaking away from The Wyatt Family in 2016 and establishing himself in his own right—but a wall of top-tier talent stands between him and fulfilling his potential in WWE.

The self-titled Black Sheep of The Wyatt Family, Strowman was very much living up to that billing during his early days with the company. Raw, untested and with little about him, it seemed almost impossible Strowman would become a huge star.

It is to his credit, though, that Strowman has crafted a gimmick that has not only earned praise from WWE officials but has also been overwhelmingly popular with the company's fans.

Strowman is arguably the most popular man on Raw, which in itself is an accomplishment. On numerous occasions, The Monster Among Men has come desperately close to winning gold and solidifying himself as a main event star—but he has fallen short on each occasion.

And with Roman Reigns likely to take home the Universal Championship at WrestleMania on April 8 and Braun stuck in an unusual, albeit entertaining, rivalry with The Bar over the tag titles, a trade to the blue brand could be the key to unlocking his potential.

The list of names standing in Strowman's way when it comes to the Universal Championship is significant. Reigns, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and even The Miz could all have realistic claims to runs with the title over the next six months. That's without including the possibility Brock Lesnar remains with the company.

And while SmackDown Live is not crying out for main event talent—as a dream feud between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship highlights—there does look to be more of a window of opportunity for Strowman on the blue brand.

The prospect of Strowman tearing through both Styles and Nakamura in the weeks after WrestleMania—when there will likely be a Superstar Shake-up—before setting his sights on the WWE Championship is a mouthwatering thought.

Then there's the chance of Strowman locking horns with Daniel Bryan in a David vs. Goliath battle that would command attention aplenty.

All of this could be done while Strowman is in possession of the WWE Championship too. It's clear there are fewer champions-in-waiting on the blue brand than there are on Raw, and while it may take some time for Strowman to get his hands on the title, it would happen much quicker than it would on the red brand.

By the time Styles and Nakamura have concluded their business, it would be the perfect moment for Braun to switch to SmackDown and cause mayhem. He could realistically be champion by the time the company reaches SummerSlam in August.

WWE has played itself into an unfortunate corner with its booking—and roster composition—of Raw. It's a shame to admit, but Strowman may well be the odd one out when it comes to the half-dozen stars who could be a world champion in 2018.

The company cannot allow that to happen. For the good of Strowman's main event career, a move to SmackDown Live would set him on the path to greatness and multiple world championship reigns.