Roman Reigns is almost certainly going to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at some point. A big-money match between arguably WWE’s two biggest stars, it’s probably a matter of when not if.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s the right decision. There are a lot of other matchups for Lesnar that would draw similar money and would actually be fresh and fun to see. Although Reigns is a great performer and the hate has gone a bit far, there is a reasonable argument that he should be out of the main event for a while.
And on a star-studded show like Raw, there are plenty of options to face the Beast Incarnate. A lot of superstars are considered to be on Lesnar’s level, which is the reason for the Fatal 5-Way match for Extreme Rules that will determine Lesnar’s next challenger.
But the list of worthy candidates to face Lesnar is not limited to just the participants in that match. There are others throughout the locker room who would excel in the pursuit of the Universal title. We’ve compiled a list of five of them.
#5 Seth Rollins
Brock Lesnar doesn’t wrestle very often, and he's already had a match with Seth Rollins, so why are we advocating for WWE to rehash this feud?
Well, first of all, the issues between these two were not fully resolved. After Rollins had pulled off the heist of the century at WrestleMania 31, Lesnar was finally granted a title match four months later at Battleground. But the match was interrupted by The Undertaker, sending Lesnar into his iconic feud with the Phenom. He never faced Rollins again after that.
Their feud did end unceremoniously, and the few times these two have crossed paths have been amazing.
In addition to their brief encounter at the end of WM31 and their match at Battleground, their triple threat match – which also included John Cena – at the 2015 Royal Rumble was arguably the best match of that year. Therefore, we know we'll get some great matches if the Beast and the Architect square off again.
Plus, even though it would be the second time they’ve feuded, it would feel fresh because of Rollins’ face turn. No longer do we have the slimy Rollins who deserves to get his face punched in; instead, we have a Rollins who we’d love to defeat the Beast Incarnate, and that adds a brand new wrinkle to this possible feud.
#4 Samoa Joe
When it comes to superstars that could believably beat Brock Lesnar, Samoa Joe is near the top of the list.
While the man dubbed “The Destroyer” upon joining the main roster has admittedly not destroyed much, it doesn’t matter. Joe has yet to be unleashed the way he was in NXT. And if we get that version of him on Raw soon, we’ll be in for a treat.
So why would Lesnar vs. Joe be such a great matchup? Simple. These two love hitting their opponents hard, and fans love watching people wallop each other. Wrestling feels more legitimate when it looks like guys are legitimately getting hurt. So more of that, please.
This match would also probably lead to a split opinion from the fans, which can be fun. Think back to the John Cena vs. AJ Styles feud. It seemed like the crowd was genuinely torn on who to root for, and there could be a similar situation with Joe and Lesnar.
Lesnar is a tweener while Joe is an established heel, but the Samoan Submission Machine still has plenty of supporters. That would create what would likely be an electric atmosphere, especially if the match took place at SummerSlam.
Joe vs. Lesnar would definitely be an unexpected matchup, but it would draw a lot of interest and would almost certainly deliver in the ring.
#3 Braun Strowman
Yes, Braun Strowman is injured right now. But by SummerSlam, he’s expected to be fully healed. And when he is, what better way to bring him back than by having him face the Beast Incarnate, someone he essentially issued a challenge to the last time he appeared on Raw.
Of course, Strowman would have to wrap up his feud with Reigns first, or at least put it on hold. But it would be the right move. While Strowman vs. Reigns has been a white-hot feud, Strowman vs. Lesnar would be even hotter.
We’ve rarely seen someone as physically imposing as Strowman challenge Lesnar. And when we have seen it, we generally don’t root for them. The Undertaker had support, but he was playing a heel in that feud. And Goldberg, while a fun nostalgia act, wasn’t nearly as popular as Strowman is right now.
Strowman is a different animal. He defines chaos and, in a way, feels a little like Stone Cold Steve Austin did in the 90s. Whenever he shows up, you know it’s about to go down.
Seeing this clash of behemoths would be miles better than seeing a recycled Reigns vs Lesnar feud. WWE should give this title push to Strowman. He absolutely deserves it after all the improvement he’s shown over the past year.
#2 Jeff Hardy
This is probably the most unrealistic option as it stands right now. However, this exact feud is rumoured to be in the works for the future. And it would undoubtedly be more interesting than Reigns vs. Lesnar.
While Jeff is deeply entrenched in the tag team division as champion alongside his brother Matt, a singles push is inevitable. Jeff is one of the most popular WWE superstars of all time and was second to John Cena in merchandise sales when he left the company in 2009.
He’s fun to watch, and he’s a believable underdog, especially to someone like Brock Lesnar. What better feud could you build than the seemingly unconquerable Beast against one of the most popular yet somewhat undersized superstars ever?
Whether WWE would actually let Jeff beat Lesnar is a different story. In fact, it’s highly unlikely that they would. But the chase and the idea that maybe, just maybe Jeff could pull off the upset, would make for some incredibly compelling television.
The first time he won a world title was a memorable moment for Jeff and his fans. It would be even more memorable if he were able to accomplish this feat again against a guy like Lesnar.
#1 Finn Balor
Finn Balor is arguably the favourite to win the number one contender’s fatal 5-way, especially after his segment with Paul Heyman on Raw this past Monday.
Heyman said the idea of Lesnar vs. Balor excited him and he wished Balor luck for Extreme Rules. While Heyman could still interact with the other participants in the match next week, it is telling that he singled out Balor.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything as far as the result of the match is concerned. But it does say that WWE doesn’t want Balor to be considered an underdog. Talent-wise, he has just as much a chance as anyone else. And looking at things from a storyline perspective, he probably has a better chance than anyone else.
Roman Reigns is still somewhat occupied with Strowman. Samoa Joe hasn’t quite been pushed enough to be in that spot yet. Bray Wyatt has been booked horribly, aside from a very brief title run, so we shouldn’t expect anything different here. Seth Rollins makes sense, but Balor would just be a fresher opponent.
WWE pushed the Demon King to the moon when he first debuted. In fact, it was a rise comparable only to that of one other man: Brock Lesnar. Seeing two of WWE’s golden boys go at it for the Universal title would be must-see TV.
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