Paul Heyman and Braun Strowman’s problems explained

A recent exchange between Paul Heyman and former WWE Superstar and Universal Champion Braun Strowman has been gaining traction on X, and while it is unclear whether it is all in good humor or there is some genuine heat there, we can at least attempt to determine the chronology of events that have led to the present passive-aggressive war of words on social media.

At the Roast of WrestleMania earlier this year, during the marquee weekend in Las Vegas, Paul Heyman stole the show; in hindsight, not surprising. The event was only for the house and was not recorded or streamed, but Heyman did discuss a part of what went on on the post-WrestleMania edition of The Pat McAfee Show.

One of the many victims of Heyman's verbal assaults was apparently Braun Strowman, and Heyman had no qualms about not just roasting Braun Strowman but then bragging about it on The Pat McAfee Show. The WWE Hall of Famer had shared,

"You'd think Braun Strowman, literally, Braun Strowman is up there crying that he's not on WrestleMania, and I tell him straight to his face - he's not on WrestleMania because he sucks, and, id he get mad at me? Nope, he's rolling with the punches."

It just so happened that just over a week later, Strowman was informed that his WWE contract would not be renewed, which then expired on July 31.

What triggered the recent Paul Heyman-Braun Strowman exchange?

Despite his second run with the company being spent in the mid-card, primarily due to Strowman's physical health being significantly worse (his left leg was 15% paralyzed throughout his second tenure with WWE), back in 2017-2020, Strowman was truly presented as the Monster Among Men, someone who once upon a time was massively cheered over and frequently feuded with Roman Reigns during a major part of that era. Strowman also annihilated Reigns on some of those occasions.

Therefore, ahead of Reigns and Reed's rematch from Clash in Paris at Crown Jewel, or rather in the very promo that set that match up, when Paul Heyman talked about how Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker destroyed Roman Reigns like he had never been before at Clash in Paris, and that Reigns had never been stretchered out of an arena before, Braun Strowman reminded Heyman that that is not the case.

What was Paul Heyman's response, and did things escalate further?

Paul Heyman responded with an image of the message he wanted to communicate to Braun Strowman. The note said,

"Dear Mr. Strowman, Your post was brought to my attention. I have nothing negative to say about, nor to you sir. In fact, I am actually relieved and actually celebratory to learn you're still alive, something most of us didn't realize and even fewer cared about. With Love and Respect, Paul Heyman."

The obvious sardonic tone of the message now has fans guessing: are Strowman and Heyman just having fun, or is there real-life heat between the two that is being brought to light with some dark humor via social media? Strowman's response was Tony Khan-esque in that he took this opportunity to promote his upcoming TV show: Everything On The Menu.

What's likely is that Heyman was just playing up his public persona and grabbing an opportunity, as it presented itself, of being his usual unhinged self.

What is "Everything On The Menu" on the USA Network starring Braun Strowman?

Fans may be rightfully confused at this development; how does Braun Strowman have an upcoming show on the USA Network following SmackDown if he is no longer with WWE? Well, evidently, development for the show began a long time ago, and it is set to premiere on October 24. Strowman retains his WWE name and likeness in the show.

The premise of the show is simple: Strowman, while travelling across the country (and perhaps, other countries), tries all sorts of food, and he orders everything on the menu while visiting restaurants, cafes, etc.

In the meantime, it is interesting to ponder the fact that exactly three men have been responsible for causing Roman Reigns to be stretchered out of the arena, and all of them are namesakes. If Reigns had a nickel for every time he had been stretchered out of an arena because of a Bron/Braun, he'd still only have two, because Reed and Breakker would cunt as one occasion.

Edited by Tathya Sachdev