Braun Strowman And Former NXT Champion Reportedly Pitched For WWE Returns

Since the new regime of co-CEOs Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan, with Paul "Triple H" Levesque as head of creative and EVP of Talent Relations, took over WWE, numerous former stars have returned, including Johnny Gargano, Karrion Kross, and Dakota Kai. But if you believed you'd seen the end of the big-name re-signings, you may have thought wrong. According to a new report from Fightful, former WWE Universal Champion Bran Strowman has been among the names pitched and discussed for a WWE return. It's unclear at this time how far negotiations have gone involving The Monster Among Men or what the specific pitches for his return might be — WWE would neither confirm nor deny whether there was truth to the story of Strowman's return to the company.

Strowman was released in June 2021, as part of the COVID-19 budget cuts that occurred when Vince McMahon was still in power — this came shortly after the first anniversary of winning his first Universal Championship by defeating Goldberg at WrestleMania 36 in April 2020. According to the report, Strowman was finishing up significant seven-figure, multi-year deal when his contract neared its expiration, and he "played hardball" with negotiations for his subsequent contract.

It was also confirmed that former "NXT" North American Champion Bronson Reed is another talent WWE would like to bring back into the fold. Fans will recall that Reed was being pushed into a prominent role in "NXT" just before he was cut from the roster. Reed even noted in an interview after being released that Levesque reassured him that creative had big plans for his future, and though said plans may not have worked out in his first run, Levesque could make good on the promise if he brings Reed back now.