Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr is an American professional wrestler, strongman and actor. As a wrestler, he is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Braun Strowman.
Before professional wrestling, Scherr began his strongman career in 2010 when he won the NAS Amateur National Championships in 2011, and the Arnold Amateur Strongman Championships in 2012. After his retirement from strongman athletics, Scherr transitioned into professional wrestling and signed a contract with WWE in 2013; he wrestled on its NXT developmental brand under the name Braun Strowman. Upon debuting on the main roster in 2015, Strowman became part of The Wyatt Family.
Scherr has held the WWE Universal Championship and the WWE Intercontinental Championship once, and has headlined many pay-per-view events for WWE. He is tied with Shayna Baszler for the most eliminations in a single Elimination Chamber match with five, tied with Brock Lesnar for the most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match with 13, holds the record for most eliminations in a single André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal with 14, and he is tied for the most eliminations in a single Survivor Series elimination match with four.
Early life
Adam Scherr was born on September 6, 1983, in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, near Charlotte, to Sara and Rick "Crusher" Scherr. His father is widely regarded as one of the greatest slow-pitch softball players of all time, and is a USSSA Hall of Fame member who still holds the All Time World Series records in home runs, hits, and RBI. Scherr has a younger sister named Hannah. Growing up, he spent time in Arkansas and Tennessee. He attended Bandys High School, where he was on the football, track and field, and wrestling teams. He went through a significant growth spurt in high school; he was 5 ft 8 in during his freshman year and grew to 6 ft 5 in by the time he graduated. After graduating in 2001, he "goofed off" until 2003, when he enrolled in a community college. He spent the next four years playing football semi-professionally for the Hickory Hornets, supplementing his income by working as a doorman and mechanic. Scherr attended the NFL Scouting Combine in 2007, but he ultimately did not turn professional. In the late 2000s, he began competing in amateur strongman competitions.Strongman career
Scherr earned his Strongman Corporation Professional Card by winning the NAS Amateur National Championships on November 5, 2011. He won the 2012 Arnold Amateur Strongman Championships on March 4, which took place during the Arnold Sports Festival alongside the 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic. This victory earned Scherr an invite to the 2013 Arnold Strongman Classic. He competed in the SCL North American Championships on July 8, 2012, finishing in 5th place overall as well as competing in the Giants Live Poland event on July 21, finishing in 7th place overall and earned his nickname "The Straw Man".Professional wrestling career
WWE (2013–2021)
Training (2013–2015)
Scherr signed a contract with the professional wrestling promotion WWE in early 2013 and was assigned to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, where he adopted the ring name Braun Strowman. In 2014, he made appearances as one of Adam Rose's "Rosebuds" in his Exotic Express gimmick. He made his professional wrestling debut at an NXT live event in Jacksonville, Florida on December 19, 2014, defeating Chad Gable. On June 2, 2015, Strowman appeared at a Main Event taping in a dark match, where he defeated an unidentified wrestler.The Wyatt Family (2015–2016)
On the August 24 episode of Raw, Strowman made his main roster debut as a heel by attacking Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns and establishing himself as the newest member of The Wyatt Family alongside Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Strowman had his first televised singles match on the August 31 episode of Raw, defeating Ambrose by disqualification. Strowman wrestled in his first WWE pay-per-view event match on September 20 at Night of Champions, where The Wyatt Family defeated Ambrose, Reigns and Chris Jericho in a six-man tag team match after Jericho passed out to Strowman's lifting arm triangle choke. On December 13 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, The Wyatt Family defeated The ECW Originals in an eight-man tag team elimination tables match.On January 24, 2016, Strowman appeared at the Royal Rumble and scored among the most eliminations in the Royal Rumble match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, eliminating five opponents before being eliminated by Brock Lesnar, only to return to the match and help his fellow Wyatt Family members eliminate Lesnar. At Fastlane on February 21, The Wyatt Family lost to Big Show, Kane and Ryback, but got their win back in a rematch the next night on Raw. On April 3 at WrestleMania 32, he appeared during The Rock and John Cena's confrontation with The Wyatt Family, suffering a Rock Bottom after being volleyed back and forth between Cena and Rock in the process. The Wyatt Family were originally scheduled to face The League of Nations on May 1 at Payback, but the match was canceled after Wyatt suffered a legitimate injury. The Wyatt Family soon began a feud with the WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, defeating them in a six-man tag team match on July 24 at Battleground.
Singles competition (2016–2018)
As part of the 2016 WWE draft, Strowman was drafted to the Raw brand while Wyatt and Rowan were drafted to SmackDown instead, separating himself from The Wyatt Family and beginning his singles career. Over the following weeks on Raw, Strowman modified his appearance and defeated James Ellsworth and several other local wrestlers who put up no challenge. On the September 5 episode of Raw, Sin Cara challenged Strowman due to him disrespecting luchadores; Strowman defeated Sin Cara by countout and by pinfall in the following weeks. On the October 17 episode of Raw, Strowman was confronted by Sami Zayn after easily defeating three local competitors in a one-on-three handicap match. Strowman was scheduled to compete against Zayn the following week on Raw, but the match never started as both men attacked each other before the bell rang. On the October 31 episode of Raw, Strowman won a battle royal by last eliminating Zayn for a spot on Team Raw for the traditional Survivor Series five-on-five elimination match. At the event on November 20, Strowman eliminated Dean Ambrose, but was the first man to be eliminated from Team Raw after being counted out due to interference by James Ellsworth, who was put through a table after being chased up the entrance ramp by Strowman. Team Raw lost the match. On the December 12 episode of Raw, Raw general manager Mick Foley announced a match between Strowman and Zayn for Roadblock: End of the Line on December 18, being announced as a ten-minute time limit match in which Strowman had ten minutes to defeat Zayn, which Strowman was unable to do. The following night on Raw, Strowman demanded a match against Zayn, but Foley had given Zayn the night off which prompted Strowman to attack Sin Cara and Titus O'Neil during their match and later attacked Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns during their match against Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. Strowman defeated Zayn in a Last Man Standing match on the January 2, 2017 episode of Raw to end their feud.On January 27 at the Royal Rumble, Strowman interfered during Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns' title match, helping Owens retain the Universal Championship. Later that night, Strowman entered the Royal Rumble match at #7, eliminating Mojo Rawley, Big Cass, Kalisto, Mark Henry, Big Show, James Ellsworth and Tye Dillinger before being eliminated by Baron Corbin. On the January 30 episode of Raw, Strowman challenged for his first world championship when he took on Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship as he was granted the match by Foley after video proof of Owens promising Strowman a title match, which Strowman won by disqualification after Reigns interfered and attacked him. Strowman then continued to demand better competition, easily defeating four local competitors and then being granted a match with Reigns at Fastlane who also had attacked him in his match against Samoa Joe, causing Joe to win. At the event on March 5, Strowman lost to Reigns, marking his first loss by pinfall. At WrestleMania 33 on April 2, Strowman competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which was won by Mojo Rawley.
On the April 10 episode of Raw, Strowman continued his feud with Reigns, attacking him and kayfabe injuring his shoulder. Despite playing a villain, Strowman received a very positive fan response, partially due to the negative fan reaction of Reigns. At Payback on April 30, Strowman defeated Reigns. During a match against Big Show on the April 17 episode of Raw, Strowman performed a superplex on Big Show off the ropes, causing the ring to implode and collapse; the match subsequently ended in a no contest. After the May 8 episode of Raw, WWE claimed that Strowman had a legitimate injury with a shattered elbow and would therefore be sidelined for about six months. This also caused a change in the schedule, with the planned match between him and Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire having to be scrapped. Strowman underwent surgery three days later on May 11. However, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that while Strowman's elbow injury was indeed legitimate, it was minor, scheduled to sideline him for only two months, with WWE exaggerating it in order for him to make a surprise return "four months early". On the June 19 episode of Raw, Strowman returned from injury, attacking Roman Reigns. This led to an ambulance match at Great Balls of Fire on July 9, which Strowman won. At SummerSlam on August 20, Strowman challenged for Lesnar's Universal Championship in a fatal-four-way match also involving Reigns and Samoa Joe in a losing effort. Strowman faced Lesnar for the championship at No Mercy on September 24, but was unsuccessful once again.
Strowman later became involved in The Miz's feud with the reformed stable The Shield, leading to a five-on-three handicap TLC match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on October 22, where he, Miz, Cesaro and Sheamus, and Kane faced Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Kurt Angle. During the match, Strowman's teammates turned on him by throwing him into the back of a garbage truck, turning Strowman face in the process. His team lost the match. Strowman returned to Raw the following week, attacking Miz and The Miztourage. At Survivor Series on November 19, Strowman was a part of Team Raw, defeating Team SmackDown as Strowman and Triple H were the sole survivors of the team. On the December 11 episode of Raw, Strowman fought Kane to a double countout in a match to determine the #1 contender to the Universal Championship on January 28, 2018 at the Royal Rumble, leading to the match being changed to a triple threat match involving also Kane and Lesnar. At the Royal Rumble, Strowman failed to win the title. The next night on Raw, Strowman defeated Kane in Last Man Standing match to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match at the titular pay-per-view to determine the #1 contender for the Universal Championship. At Elimination Chamber on February 25, Strowman eliminated The Miz, Elias, John Cena, Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins, but was the last man eliminated by Roman Reigns.