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We are all set to go into a new era of WWE as SmackDown will air its first episode on the FOX Network as Friday Night SmackDown on 4th October 2019. The night would also mark the 20th anniversary of the Blue brand, and such a historic occasion demands a historic show. Well, that is exactly the plan as the inaugural SmackDown episode on FOX is destined to be a blockbuster.
Apart from the returns and appearances from many legends and Hall of Famers, including the likes of The Undertaker, The Sting, Goldberg, Kurt Angle and many more, we also have a huge match scheduled for the show.
A couple of weeks ago, Brock Lesnar shocked us all by appearing on SmackDown and challenged the WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston for a shot at his title on October 4th. Being the fighting champion that he is, Kofi accepted it before eating a thunderous F5 at the hand of the Beast Incarnate.
In what would be the biggest challenge in his title reign so far, the fans are curious to know who would come out on top in this encounter. So without further adieu, let's take a look at the five possible finishes for Brock Lesnar vs Kofi Kingston.
#5 The Era of Lesnar on SmackDown starts again
So let's start with the possibility that is most likely to happen! On paper, Brock Lesnar is the clear winner in this bout, and deservingly so. The Beast has been operating at a different level altogether and with all due respect to Kofi, he is no match to Lesnar's brutal strength.
Of course, we have seen underdogs take out giants before, but if the talks of FOX wanting a more sports-oriented product is true, it's tough to see Kofi going over Brock.
It was great to see Kofi achieve his dream of becoming the WWE Champion but with Lesnar setting his eyes on the title, we might be heading into the Brock Lesnar era on SmackDown again. Would he still be a part-timer? We'll have to wait and see how that goes!
#4 Kofimania does the unthinkable
If this match took place last year, there was no point in even considering a win for Kofi, but such has been 2019 for him that one can't completely rule out the possibility of the WWE Champion picking up a victory over the Beast Incarnate next week. Of course, the chances of him picking up a clean victory are extremely low, if not zero.
It all started on the SmackDown before Elimination Chamber 2019, when Kofi Kingston replaced the injured Mustafa Ali in the Gauntlet match and went on to impress fans and critiques with his performance. This was where "Kofimania" was born as he went on to challenge and dethrone the then WWE Champion Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35, thus becoming the first African-born WWE Champion in the history.
The last instance of Kofi and Brock facing each other was back in 2015 during the Beast in the East event in Japan. In the match that lasted a little over two minutes, the Beast dominated the New Day member with multiple suplexes and finished him off with an F5.
But so much has happened between then and now, with the Beast not being that undefeated, and Kofi becoming a main event player. As shocking as this might be, Kofi does have a slight chance of taking out Brock Lesnar.
#3 Big E helps Kofi retain against Lesnar
Ever since Kofi Kingston won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, talks of one of his New Day brothers turning on him started doing rounds among the Internet Wrestling Community. Hasn't this been a tried and tested storyline before?
The person in contention here was the muscleman of the trio, Big E. While many were expecting him to turn on him way sooner, the faction has still managed to stick together. But how long is the question? Another major factor is whether Big E has that momentum to be presented as a credible challenger for the WWE title?
As discussed in the last slide, the chances of Kofi defeating Lesnar are extremely low, and even if he does manage to somehow walk out with his title, it won't be in a clean fashion. But who could help Kofi against the Beast Incarnate? The answer might just be the guy who has been in shadow for quite some time - Big E.
This would require some long-term storytelling, but check this out! During next week's SmackDown, just when the Beast is about to finish Kofi, Big E attacks Lesnar - thus setting up a feud with him. The two then collide with Big E defeating Brock Lesnar and then going on to challenge Kofi for the title. It is high time WWE uses Lesnar to build new stars, and Big E might just be the perfect candidate to start with.
#2 Matt Riddle distracts and allows Kofi to pick up the win
When it comes to people who can help Kofi retain his title against the Beast Incarnate, the list doesn't end with just Big E as there are a few more Superstars who could equally fit in this role.
Continuing the discussion of Lesnar putting over new Superstars, there is a certain guy who has been named by many as the future of the company and has also expressed his interest in facing and retiring Brock Lesnar. We are talking about the #1 contender for the NXT Championship - Matt Riddle.
The Original Bro is one of the most charismatic Superstars on the yellow brand, and with NXT's move to the USA Network, one can assume him to be featured as one of the top guys. Interestingly, he has had many interesting opinions about part-timers like Goldberg and Lesnar.
Won't this be the perfect opportunity to introduce the world to a future star and at the same time get eyes on the third brand of the company which has recently moved up to mainstream coverage?
Riddle distracting Lesnar, allowing Kofi to pick up the win might become one of the most shocking moments of the year. This could set up a future feud between Lesnar and Riddle which would be the perfect platform to elevate Riddle to new heights. Who knows, Lesnar might even appear on NXT for a segment or two!
#1 Lesnar wins, Strowman takes him out afterward
So far, we've talked about two mid-match interferences that could help Kofi Kingston retain his WWE Championship. Coming back to the point of Lesnar being the favorite heading into this match, one major factor to consider is - who would he feud with if he wins the title?
Other than a rematch feud with Kofi, many other Superstars could tell a compelling story with going up against the Beast Incarnate. Consider this scenario where Brock Lesnar defeats Kofi to become the new WWE Champion, and just when the two are about to start their celebration, Braun Strowman comes out and attacks Lesnar. The Monster Among Men would then show his intentions of getting his hands on the WWE Title.
The upcoming draft gives WWE the chance to make some major shakeups in the roster, and Strowman going to the blue brand might be one. The next major PPV after Hell in a Cell would be the Survivor Series in November, and between these two we have the Saudi Arabia show - Crown Jewel.
On the RAW side, the likeliest Superstar to walk into Survivor Series as the Universal Champion is "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Of course, a match between him and the Beast Incarnate would be a mouth-watering bout, but if last week's RAW was any indication, Braun Strowman would be waiting to take revenge for Wyatt's attack on him.
Two former Wyatt Family members as top champions taking on each other at Survivor Series? Sounds interesting to me!
Who do you think will walk out as the WWE Champion at the end of the inaugural episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below.
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