Braun Strowman has only been pinned three times in the last two years

Braun Strowman is going to wage war against Roman Reigns on Sept. 16 inside Hell in a Cell. This type of match can only be won by pinfall or submission. Therefore it’s worth pointing out that Braun Strowman has only been pinned three times since the late July 2016 brand split. This does not include house show matches, but it does include roughly 90 total matches across Raw, pay-per-view, and the Mixed Match Challenge.

Strowman has been on the losing side of 22 of those 90 matches, yet he was protected from pinfall in all but three of those defeats. Here is a full listing of his 22 official losses, in chronological order.

1. Raw, 11/7/16: Kevin Owens pinned Chris Jericho to win a 5-way match that also included Strowman, Reigns, and Rollins.
2. Survivor Series, 11/20/16: Team SmackDown defeated Team Raw. Braun was counted out when James Ellsworth held his foot down outside the ring.
3. Roadblock End of the Line, 12/18/16: Strowman failed to defeat Sami Zayn within a 10-minute time limit, so Zayn was declared the winner.
4. Royal Rumble, 1/29/17: Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble match. Strowman was hit with a Helluva Kick from Sami Zayn and then eliminated over the top rope by Baron Corbin.
5. Fastlane, 3/5/17: Roman Reigns pinned Braun Strowman following a spear. This is the first time Strowman was pinned since the brand split.
6. WrestleMania 33, 4/2/17: Mojo Rawley won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Strowman was tossed over the top rope by a group of wrestlers working together.
7. Raw, 4/24/17: This was a Dumpster match that Kalisto won by dropkicking Braun into a dumpster.
8. Raw, 7/31/17: Roman Reigns pinned Samoa Joe with a spear to win a Triple Threat match that also included Strowman.
9. SummerSlam, 8/20/17: Brock Lesnar pinned Roman Reigns with an F5 to win a Fatal 4-way match that also included Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman.
10. Raw, 9/11/17: John Cena defeated Braun Strowman by disqualification when Braun powerslammed John onto the steel steps.
11. No Mercy, 9/24/17: Brock Lesnar pinned Braun Strowman with an F5. This is the second time Strowman was pinned since the July 2016 brand split.
12. TLC, 10/22/17: Angle, Ambrose, and Rollins defeated Strowman, Kane, Miz, and The Bar. Strowman was murdered with a garbage truck by his own teammates, and Angle’s team eventually pinned Miz for the victory.
13. Royal Rumble, 1/28/18: Brock Lesnar pinned Kane with an F5 to win this Triple Threat match that also included Strowman.
14. Raw, 2/5/18: Elias pinned John Cena to win a Triple Threat match that also included Strowman.
15. Elimination Chamber, 2/25/18: Braun eliminated five of his six opponents in an Elimination Chamber match, but he was finally pinned following a spear from Roman Reigns. This is the third time Strowman has been pinned since the brand split, and he has not been pinned since.
16. MMC, 3/20/18: Asuka & Miz defeated Bliss & Strowman in the Mixed Match Challenge when Alexa Bliss tapped out to the Asuka Lock.
17. Raw, 5/14/18: Ziggler & McIntyre defeated Strowman & Balor when Ziggler pinned Balor.
18. Raw, 5/28/18: Finn Balor beat Braun Strowman by disqualification when Kevin Owens attacked Balor.
19. Raw, 6/18/18: Owens & Corbin defeated Strowman & Balor in a tag team match when Corbin pinned Balor following the End of Days.
20. Extreme Rules, 7/15/18: Kevin Owens defeated Braun Strowman in a Steel Cage match after Braun tossed Owens off the top of the cage and through a table.
21. Raw, 7/30/18: Jinder Mahal defeated Braun Strowman by count out after Braun chased Owens up the ramp.
22. Raw, 8/6/18: Jinder Mahal defeated Braun Strowman by disqualification after Braun struck Jinder with a briefcase.

The 22 losses that Strowman has suffered since the late July 2016 brand split can be classified in the following way:

• 5 matches lost by Disqualification or Count Out
• 5 multi-man (3-way, 4-way, 5-way) matches lost when someone besides Strowman was pinned
• 5 gimmick match defeats that didn’t require Strowman to be pinned (Battle Royal, Steel Cage, Time Limit, Dumpster)
• 4 tag team matches lost when Strowman’s partner was pinned
• 3 matches where Strowman was pinned

Vince McMahon has tried ridiculously hard to protect Braun Strowman compared to just about everyone else on the roster, because the Monster Among Men has only been pinned three times in over two years. Finn Balor wishes he had that kind of dominant booking - Balor was just recently pinned on all three episodes of Raw from August 20 through September 3, 2018.

One of the big reasons why Strowman got over with the audience in a major way since the advent of the brand split is because wins and losses do matter, and Strowman rarely ever has his shoulders pinned down to the mat.

But on Sept. 16, Braun Strowman will be competing in a gimmick match where pinfall or submission is the only way to lose. And he happens to be fighting against the man responsible for two of his three pinfall losses over the last two years. Something has to give, Cagesiders. Either Roman will pin Braun yet again, or Braun is walking out as the new Universal Champion.

Or will Vince find a way for Strowman to lose a Hell in a Cell match without being pinned?