Braun Strowman says he was "shocked" by his WWE release last year

Braun Strowman has reflected on his release from WWE last year, describing it as a hard pill to swallow.

The Monster of All Monsters made his debut on Monday Night RAW in 2015 as the newest member of The Wyatt Family. He went on to have a singles run and captured his first world title at WrestleMania 36 when he dethroned Goldberg to win the Universal Championship. He was shockingly fired from the company in June last year due to budget cuts.

Speaking to the Toronto Sun in a recent interview, Braun Strowman stated that he was shocked when he learned that he was released, as he considers being a WWE Superstar his destiny.

“It was a very hard pill to swallow because at the end of the day, I realized that I was put on this Earth to be a WWE Superstar. At first it was a big shock because it was like ‘Alright, what am I going to do now?’ I didn’t want to do anything else," said Strowman.

The one and only!!!!! #MonsterOfAllMonsters #EveryoneFallsBeforeMe https://t.co/YsvvumY5Vc

Braun Strowman is one of the many stars that have returned to WWE under the Triple H regime

On the September 5 episode of Monday Night RAW, The Monster of All Monsters made a surprise return to WWE and laid out every superstar in the fatal 4-way tag team match.

He joins Karrion Kross, The OC, Bray Wyatt and Dexter Lumis in the list of names that The Cerebral Assassin has brought back into the fold. Braun Strowman collided with 'The Nigerian Giant' Omos at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, coming out with the victory.

Best match ever!!!!!!! All the stars #HossFight https://t.co/45YOA7r1Kn

He recently competed in the SmackDown World Cup tournament, but was eliminated by Ricochet. Strowman is a former Universal Champion, and as one of the top babyfaces on the blue brand, it'll be interesting to see whether he'll go after Roman Reigns anytime soon.

What was your immediate reaction to Braun's WWE release? Sound off in the comments below!