Why Braun Strowman Missed WWE SmackDown

Even monsters get sick, with Braun Strowman having missed time from the ring due to a recent illness.

The former WWE Universal Champion was reportedly meant to be in action on the January 3 edition of SmackDown in tag action with Jimmy Uso and Sami Zayn against Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and Tama Tonga but was replaced in the bout by Jey Uso.

Taking to Instagram, Strowman revealed that he has had a bad case of the flu, but is on the mend:

“2025 has been off to a ruff start for me. I picked up some kind of a bug last week and it had absolutely whipped my ass,” Strowman wrote. “I laid in a hotel room for four days three with a fever of 102 or higher for the first three days. A week later I am finally over what I think is the hump. My severe body aches are finally easing up. Today is the first day I have been able to move around and really do anything. I have lost 36lbs in this week. Had test taken and all they could determine is that it was a very bad Flu thankfully. I hate I have had to miss last week’s SmackDown, the premier of Raw on Netflix and I will miss tv again this week. This is yet another speed bump in the road. I will be back bigger stronger and badder than ever!!!

“There hasn’t been anything this life has thrown at me that I haven’t been able to able to OVERCOME and this sure as hell isn’t gonna stop me in having one of my best years to date!!!!!”

Strowman’s last match came on the December 27, 2024 edition of SmackDown, with Braun defeating Austin Theory in singles action. The ‘Monster Among Men’ made his return from a groin tear just two weeks prior, squashing Carmelo Hayes on his return on December 13.

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