schedule, with the planned match between him and Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire having to be scrapped. Strowman underwent surgery three days later on May 11. However, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that while Strowman's elbow injury was indeed legitimate, it was minor, scheduled to sideline him for only two months, with WWE exaggerating it in order for him to make a surprise return "four months early". On the June 19 episode of Raw, Strowman returned from injury, attacking Roman Reigns. This led to an ambulance match at Great Balls of Fire on July 9, which Strowman won. At SummerSlam on August 20, Strowman challenged for Lesnar's Universal Championship in a fatal-four-way match also involving Reigns and Samoa Joe in a losing effort. Strowman faced Lesnar for the championship at No Mercy on September 24, but was unsuccessful once again. Strowman later became involved in The Miz's feud with the reformed stable The Shield, leading to a five-on-three handicap TLC match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on October 22, where he, Miz, Cesaro and Sheamus, and Kane faced Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Kurt Angle. During the match, Strowman's teammates turned on him by throwing him into the back of a garbage truck, turning Strowman face in the process. His team lost the match. Strowman returned to Raw the following week, attacking Miz and The Miztourage (Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas). At Survivor Series on November 19, Strowman was a part of Team Raw, defeating Team SmackDown as Strowman and Triple H were the sole survivors of the team. On the December 11 episode of Raw, Strowman fought Kane to a double countout in a match to determine the #1 contender to the Universal Championship on January 28, 2018 at the Royal Rumble, leading to the match being changed to a triple threat match involving also Kane and Lesnar. At the Royal Rumble, Strowman failed to win the title. The next night on Raw, Strowman defeated Kane in Last Man Standing match to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match at the titular pay-per-view to determine the #1 contender for the Universal Championship. At Elimination Chamber on February 25, Strowman eliminated The Miz, Elias, John Cena, Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins (setting the new record for the most eliminations in a single Elimination Chamber match), but was the last man eliminated by Roman Reigns. World