It seems 2025 hasn’t started kindly for “The Monster Among Men,” Braun Strowman. While WWE stars were out celebrating the Netflix debut of WWE Raw in Los Angeles, Strowman was sidelined—not by a rival in the ring, but by a ruthless opponent: the flu.
In a candid Instagram post, the former Universal Champion detailed his weeklong battle with a nasty bug that had him down for the count. “I laid in a hotel room for four days, three with a fever of 102 or higher,” Strowman revealed, adding that the flu left him with severe body aches and an astonishing 36-pound weight loss.
The illness kept Strowman from appearing on both SmackDown and the star-studded Raw Netflix premiere, much to the disappointment of his fans. Despite the rough start to his year, the towering titan assured everyone that he’s on the mend and gearing up for a triumphant return. “I will be back bigger, stronger, and badder than ever,” he promised.
Strowman’s last WWE appearance was on the December 27 episode of SmackDown, where he defeated Austin Theory. The big man, who moved to SmackDown in WWE’s latest “transfer window,” will now miss this week’s episode in Portland, Oregon.
WWE fans can rest assured that Strowman’s resilience will likely see him return to the squared circle sooner rather than later. After all, what’s a flu bug to a Monster Among Men?