Why Braun Strowman Didn’t Appear On Raw, Backstage News On Asuka Vacating NXT Women’s Title

Braun Strowman is a Monster Among Men, and at SummerSlam he asserted his dominance when he destroyed Brock Lesnar by putting him through two announce tables. Unfortunately for Strowman, he didn’t win the Universal Championship at SummerSlam, but he will get a chance to take the title from Lesnar when they face off in a singles match at No Mercy in a few weeks.

Related: Braun Strowman Suggests Hilarious Gimmick Match For His Feud With Roman Reigns

Strowman is quickly becoming a fan favorite in WWE, and some fans were disappointed by the fact that he didn’t appear on Monday Night Raw this week. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Braun Strowman was kept off Raw for creative reasons. The plan was to keep Strowman and Lesnar away from one another since they got physical in the ring last week, with the idea that they couldn’t both appear on the show without interacting.

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman aren’t scheduled for Raw on 9/4 in Omaha, so it’s likely we’ll be seeing Strowman next week. At this point both Strowman and Lesnar are scheduled for the 9/11 episode of Raw.

Asuka has accomplished a lot in NXT, and she successfully defended the NXT Women’s Championship against Ember Moon at Takeover: Brooklyn III. Unfortunately she suffered a broken collarbone during the match, so Asuka will be sitting on the sidelines for a while.

Asuka’s injury is expected to take about two months to heal, and the decision was made to have her vacate the title rather than lose it so that she can join the main roster with her undefeated streak intact.