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Keith Lee returned to Monday Night RAW last night to a large reaction from the live WWE crowd. Fans have been waiting to see the Limitless One since he disappeared from our TVs on February 8th of this year.
Unfortunately, Lee failed to defeat his opponent Bobby Lashley. Aside from a few moments here and there, the WWE Champion demolished Lee for the better part of five minutes.
With that performance, some fans are claiming that WWE is deadset on ruining Keith Lee.
Like the guy above. Very doom and gloom. Still, this isn't the end for Lee. In fact, this loss could very well be the moment that turns his run on the main roster around.
Today we'll be looking at three possible directions Keith Lee can go in after his devastating loss to Bobby Lashley.
#3. Keith Lee goes on a redemption story...and finds retribution with a former ally
Ever since Keith Lee got to the main roster, he's been on a rough ride. After a DQ win over Randy Orton, he'd go onto Payback to defeat The Viper via pinfall. He'd beat Dolph Ziggler soon after before going on a rough losing streak.
On RAW, Keith Lee sits at a lousy 11-13-2 record. It's a big fall of grace from the former NXT Champion. Now, after WWE Champion Bobby Lashley dominated him, Lee's in a pretty tough spot on Monday nights. So where does he go from here?
Well, to have Lee just start winning out of nowhere wouldn't make any sense. We need to see a bit of a redemption journey for Lee. He did just come back after six months away.
However, after such a disappointing loss to Lashley, we should see him reflect on his career and what's going wrong. Maybe vignettes showing Lee talking about his head space.
He's struggled for a year and it's really got him in a bad place. He'll need someone to remind him what he used to be. Luckily, we've got one of Lee's former friends on RAW as well.
Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic had an awesome feud in NXT. With Dijakovic and Dio Maddin, now known as T-Bar and Mace, in a bit of a rut as well, maybe we can save three WWE Superstars in one story.
Have Keith Lee run into the former RETRIBUTION members, with Lee and Dijakovic asking each other, essentially, "What happened to you?" Lee and Dijakovic would look at one another, then themselves, before realizing that they'd gone way off course. It's time to get back on track, and with Dio backing them they could be a great trio.
I'm not saying add Lee to the faction and rename him Granite or Hammer. Shed the RETRUBITION stuff from Dijakovic and Maddin completely. Have the three go away for a few weeks after meeting backstage and come back as a strong and united front.
We erase the T-Bar and Mace gimmicks from existence while reinvigorating Lee in one move. When they return, the trio of Dominik Dijakovic, Dio Maddin, and Keith Lee could be hell to deal with.
#2. Keith Lee reignites his feud with Sheamus
Prior to disappearing from WWE TV back in February, Keith Lee was in a feud with Sheamus and Riddle. Reportedly, he was supposed to go to WrestleMania 37 and win the United States Championship.
Thanks to his disappearance, Sheamus was insterted in the match with Riddle and has held the title ever since. Now, it looks like Sheamus is about to feud with Damian Priest for the belt at SummerSlam.
The Archer of Infamy is a strong force to be reckoned with for sure. And a match between Priest and Sheamus sounds exciting. Sheamus has been on the run of his career thus far, and his style could blend well with Priest's.
But...Keith Lee never finished his business with Sheamus. Knowing that the Celtic Warrior took his opportunity, would Lee want some revenge?
If possible, inserting Lee into the United States Championship match at SummerSlam would be absolutely ideal. It allows Keith Lee to bounce back strong from his loss to Bobby Lashley.
Whether Keith Lee fails or not in his title challenge, he'd get a chance to shine in a bout with two other heavy hitters. Honestly, it would have the chance to steal the show if given enough time.
#1. Keith Lee redeems himself in a rematch with Bobby Lashley
When Keith Lee debuted on RAW last year, the WWE Universe thought he was about to be inserted into the WWE Title picture. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Though he never downright lost to Randy Orton he never won an opportunity at the gold.
After his embarrassing loss on Monday Night RAW last night, one would think he won't be near the top title for long. However, that might not be the case. Keith Lee was destroyed, for sure. It can't be denied. But he's going to have a chip on his shoulder.
Have him prove himself over the next few months. Goldberg is Lashley's next challenger, that's a fact. We've got time to build Lee back up in front of a live audience. Angel Garza, Elias, Cedric Alexander, and Jinder Mahal. Have him run through them all and more.
Get the more serious side of Keith Lee, someone who's tired of being denied, but someone who knows he squandered his last opportunity. That's a serious hit to someone's pride, and it could lead him down varying paths.
It could bring out his frustrations and anger. We could even get a mini-feud with Drew McIntyre, where he finally gets a pin over the Scottish Warrior. The WWE Universe was incredibly disappointed in Keith Lee's loss on RAW. It's understandable, but know that it doesn't have to be the end.
