'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Consider this a confession because I belonged to that major portion of WWE Universe that thought Brock Lesnar is all of a sudden going to feed 5000 people with a single loaf of bread or turn water into some intoxicating wine when he became the champion.
Though Lesnar did deliver a miracle in the form of 16 German, I repeat, 16 German suplexes to WWE’s superman, it wasn’t enough to cover up for his absence.
As a champion, Lesnar was supposed to be the savior of the WWE Network which was drowning despite all the 9.99 promotions that was taking place everywhere.
The fans outside WWE know Lesnar as a legitimate fighter and Vince McMahon might’ve thought that having Lesnar as the company’s face would attract these non-wrestling fans into the WWE network subscriber list.
Now, you can’t blame Vince McMahon can you? This was the same man who gave thumbs up for another Cena vs. Orton match at Hell in a Cell which looks all set to be a natural disaster even before the starting bell rings.
The funny part however is that, we fans also bought this crappy idea. We were convinced that Lesnar would end up being a good thing even if he would wrestle only in pay-per-views. And if he had actually appeared in the PPVs, we would’ve been happy, but that is not the case now is it?
Lesnar will certainly miss the upcoming Hell in a Cell and looks set to do the same at Survivor Series and TLC as well. That is three pay-per-views without a champion mind you. It’s the complete opposite of what we were promised or what we assumed.
Life without the beast
Not having a champion in the promotion is like not having an army in a war torn nation. WWE is getting hit by criticism bullets in all the directions and to their credit; the company is taking each one right on the head.
The Ratings for Raw has been dropping down the hill due to the coupled effect of bad booking and an absent Lesnar. Upcoming names like Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have been taking advantage of the situation but WWE has a certain lack in that department.
Apart from Ambrose and Rollins, there aren’t many built up names that can fill in an absent Lesnar which is a big problem.
Absence of the championship is also causing problems for the Cenation leader who is finding it hard not to say ‘the champ is here’.
Growing injury list isn’t helping the company either and they are already sweating about booking pay-per-views without the champion when they have only started the treacherous journey.
The road ahead
Now, we get into this magical time machine and reach the future, where Lesnar has finally made his return. The creative team still hasn’t outclassed kinder garden students in making up an innovative storyline and Cena is still a face.
With Lesnar’s return come new headaches. Who would face the Beast next? The possibilities include
1) John Cena - He has a score to settle with the beast and could fill in one pay-per-view with Lesnar. However, if Cena ends up being the one who slay the Beast, the fans are going to riot.
2) Randy Orton- This is with the assumption that Orton turns face by the time Lesnar returns. Orton would be a credible threat to Lesnar but then again, WWE wouldn’t let Orton be the ‘one’ who defeats the ‘one’ in the twenty one and ‘one’.
3) Cesaro or Dean Ambrose – well, it the PG era not the Attitude Era, so let’s just keep the ‘best for business’ stuff out of the possibility list because we are not going to get them.
4) Roman Reigns – Now this is someone who could actually defeat Lesnar. Reigns can be the chosen one who slays the monster and sky rocket himself. All these could happen if Reigns recovers in time for WrestleMania.
His injury has messed up things big time for the company as they are practically left with no one who could defeat Lesnar and look good about it. The bottom line in the end is that, Vince McMahon is stuck with the bunny that came out of his magical hat.
(By the way, does anyone know what Lesnar is up to during all these free time he gets? if yes, do let me know, somehow)
Both, Keeping the title with Lesnar and taking it away from him would spell out ‘disaster’ in capitals for the promotion. And if you thought that WWE almost running out of business due to WCW was a crisis, well think again, having a champion like Lesnar is what you call a crisis.
