Braun Strowman Says He Was “Miserable” in WWE Earlier This Year, But Vince “Talked Him Off a Ledge”

Braun Strowman was interviewed on the Notsam Wrestling podcast and talked about feeling “miserable” in WWE earlier this year, but Vince McMahon “talked him off a ledge.”

Strowman said that the height of his frustration was around February, after the Royal Rumble. “I started getting frustrated, because I felt like they were dangling stuff over my head and taking it away. And I was just like, ‘What’s the deal? What’s going on here?'”

Strowman was originally advertised to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble, but he was pulled from that match because he “wasn’t cleared to compete” (storyline) and replaced by Finn Balor. Strowman instead wrestled in the Royal Rumble match and was eliminated by the winner of that match, Seth Rollins.

Here’s what Strowman had to say:

I got to a point where I got really, really frustrated with everything that was going on. I called Vince and I was like, “Vince, what is going on? Like, I’m miserable.”

And he talked me off a ledge. He was like, “Look, big man, I want you for the long haul. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing right now. I care about what you’re doing ten years from now. I’ve invested in you. You’re one of my guys. Don’t worry. You’re fine.”

And just hearing that, coming from that man… Legitimately, I walked into the production meeting one day and I was all but like, “I’ve had enough.” I was just mad about everything. He kicked everybody out of the production meeting, like two hours before Raw was about to start. The show wasn’t even done. And talked to me for 45 minutes, like heart-to-heart, man-to-man conversation and opened my eyes to the picture of like “wow, why am I worrying about this?”

Vince doesn’t get the credit that is due to him. And he’s probably, if he hears this, he’s gonna get pissed off that I’m saying his name and putting him over. But it’s just him. He’s unbelievable. He’s an unbelievable man and I’m very, very fortunate to not only work for him, but to call him a friend.

You can listen to that part at about the 39:12 mark below.