Braun Strowman has looked back on the backlash he faced behind the scenes after skipping NXT and debuting directly on WWE’s main roster.

Strowman arrived in WWE television in August 2015 as part of The Wyatt Family, a debut that immediately made him an exception to the usual developmental path. Most new talent at the time worked extensively in NXT before reaching Raw or SmackDown, but Strowman revealed that his preparation was extremely limited before being thrust into the spotlight.

Speaking with Bert Kreischer, Strowman explained that his in ring experience prior to debuting on Raw was minimal.

“I did one dark match in NXT, and then I did three house shows with NXT,” Strowman said. “I like to joke around. We always said, because it was the Bullet Club, but also The Club, Gallows, Anderson, and AJ Styles, when they came in, we were the only four that skipped NXT.”

According to Strowman, bypassing the black and gold brand led to real resentment in the locker room. Without an independent wrestling résumé or family ties to the business, he was seen by many as someone who had not earned his spot.

“So we skipped NXT and kind of went straight to the main roster, which is really wild for me because, like I said, coming in, not born into the business and I didn’t come through the indies,” he said. “So I was an outsider. I was hated. Everyone was like, ‘F**k this big guy,’ and all this sh*t.”

Strowman also addressed long standing criticism that he had not “paid his dues.” While admitting his journey was far from traditional, he made it clear that his road to WWE was not easy.

“There’s always that ‘he didn’t pay his dues’ thing,” Strowman said. “But what people didn’t realize was that I was sleeping in my car. I was traveling around the world. I was North America’s Strongest Man in 2011. I wore the Arnold Amateur.”