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Until a couple of weeks ago, the Universal Championship match at Crown Jewel was a triple threat match. However, the match lost one-third of its force as Roman Reigns relinquished the championship to battle Leukemia.
Although the match will still happen as a one-on-one match between Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar, it is not the same as before. Lesnar lost the Universal Championship earlier this year after holding it for a record 504 days, to Roman Reigns. However, the vacated championship needs to have a storyline associated with the coronation to enhance its glory.
Although on paper the Beast Incarnate does have a 50% chance of winning the championship, here are the five bold reasons to prove why he shouldn’t become the Universal Champion at Crown Jewel.
#5 He is a part-timer
Let’s get the most obvious reason out of the way first. The one thing which stood out in the long reign of the Universal Championship along with Brock Lesnar’s intensity was that he barely showed up. Truth be told, the flagship show had to run for nearly one and half year without the man who held its most coveted championship.
Thanks to the over-generous contract offered to the former champion, there were a couple of PPVs in a row without the fans having a sight of him. Not to mention, the countless episodes of Raw when he didn’t show up.
After a long time, the fans were able to expect the champion to show up on Raw. Unfortunately, The Big Dog had to take a leave as of now, but it doesn’t mean that we have to go back in time and relive the same mistake. It will be unfair to the fans to be put on hold once again.
#4 Short championship matches are not worthy of being the main event
Another fact that stood out during Brock Lesnar’s record championship reign was the duration of his matches. The Universal Championship matches were insanely short and clocked barely over ten minutes for most of the occasions. Sadly, the time taken by the competitors to complete their entrances became a major part of those segments.
On the other hand, AJ Styles brought prestige to the WWE Championship on the SmackDown Live by competing in gruelling matches. Ironically, the Universal Championship match almost always got the main event slot despite the other matches at the event being much better. This was clearly to protect the mythical aura around the Beast Incarnate.
It is a good opportunity for WWE to bring gravitas to the Universal Championship by having better matches for the championship. It will prove fatal if the company fails to capitalize this time.
#3 Same match for Survivor Series this year as well
Last year, Brock Lesnar faced AJ Styles in a champion vs. champion match at Survivor Series. Although AJ Styles has to go through Samoa Joe to remain champion at Survivor Series, let’s not forget that Joe got added in the last minute to the match at Crown Jewel. Hence, there are slim chances that the Samoan is going to walk out as the WWE Champion at Riyadh.
If Brock Lesnar wins the Universal Championship once again this Friday, the same match would present itself to the wrestling world for two years in a row. It would further be a tough spot for WWE as the Beast Incarnate will be a newly crowned champion, whereas the Phenomenal One will be the champion for over a year.
Hence, having any of these two men lose in that match will be a big blow to the company.
#2 He is a major draw even without the championship
If WWE is willing to cut a deal with Brock Lesnar allowing him to work for a limited number of calendar days in a year, there is no good reason to have him the championship of his shoulder. A Superstar of the status of Brock Lesnar doesn’t need to hold a championship to bring attention to his matches.
Triple H, John Cena, Undertaker, and now Shawn Michaels, all these men would be working for a limited number of days. But they still manage to bring attention to their storylines without drying out the championship opportunities for the remaining Superstars on the roster. The company needs to follow the same policy with Brock Lesnar as well.
If Brock Lesnar wins the Universal Championship again this Friday at Crown Jewel, it will be a waste of the most important championship on Raw.
#1 Invest in the long-term benefits
The Raw roster is overflowing with Superstars who are worthy of holding the Universal Championship but haven’t even got a shot due to the excessively long run of Brock Lesnar’s last reign. Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Dean Ambrose, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler are just a few names on that list.
The company needs to focus on the bigger picture now with Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 35 in the sight. Both the time and the place are right to start grooming a new face of the company to lead Raw in 2019.
Truth be told, there were many reasons for WWE to part its way with Brock Lesnar after WrestleMania 34. They should now at least ensure that the Universal Championship maintains a safe distance from the Beast Incarnate.
But does this mean that Braun Strowman should become the next Universal Champion?
#Bonus: Universal Championship must remain vacant after Crown Jewel
The best solution in the current situation is to not crown a Universal Champion at Crown Jewel. Not only will this be a totally unexpected move on the part of the company, but will keep the viewers engaged with the storylines.
Here is how it can be achieved. Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman will compete for the championship, but Drew McIntyre will make his presence felt by assaulting both the competitors at the closing moments of the match. Not to mention, his thunderous Claymore Kicks will find their target in the faces of both the opponents.
Further, a three-way storyline can be built to crown the new champion over the next couple of weeks. The anticipation will ensure that the new champion gets a huge response from the crowd.
That’s all for the Universal Championship match from my side. Check out the possible results for the WWE World Cup tournament and the other matches on Crown Jewel.
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