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Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley suffered his second consecutive loss at WrestleMania as he bowed down to Aleister Black last night. The Dominator had made his return to WWE on the RAW episode after WrestleMania 34, and since then, he has been a part of many exciting storylines.
He had an infamous feud with Sami Zayn before picking up a big win over Roman Reigns. Unfortunately, he never got an opportunity to challenge for the world title, but Lashley won the Intercontinental Championship ahead of WrestleMania last year. Soon, he lost the title to The Demon King Finn Balor at the Show of Shows.
According to many fans, that was the last storyline where Lashley looked like a beast. Because after that, WWE inserted him in a rivalry with Rusev, which saw Lana betraying her husband and marrying Lashley. The storyline did not have a perfect end, and without much buildup, WWE announced a WrestleMania match between Lashley and Black.
Looking at the things that transpired at the Show of Shows, here are the five ways WWE could book Bobby Lashley in the new season.
#5. Breakup with Lana
Bobby Lashley was about to hit Aleister Black with a nasty-looking powerbomb at WrestleMania before Lana asked him to end the match with a spear. Lashley followed her advice, but The Dutch Destroyer countered it with a Black Mass and sealed the deal. This move was an indication that WWE is planning to split the Ravishing Russian and the All-Mighty.
If WWE proceeds in this direction, then we could see Lashley clash with someone on RAW and lose in the same manner. The Creative team would then show some friction between the two, with the duo ultimately announcing a break-up. A change of character is what Lashley wants, and if he parts ways with Lana, he could find himself in the upper mid-card soon.
#4. Enters the United States Championship picture
Bobby Lashley has all the tools to become the next big thing in WWE. Unfortunately, his time has not come yet. But, with Brock Lesnar set to work lesser dates soon, WWE would want to invest some time in building Lashley as the one who could take The Beast Incarnate's place on the Red brand.
WWE needs to build him slowly, and for that, first, the Creative team needs to insert him in the mid-card championship picture. There are chances that Lashley and Lana could come to a mutual agreement backstage where the Ravishing Russian would agree to stay out of Lashley's in-ring business. She would understand the difference between professional and personal life and move away.
Lashley would then focus on winning the United States Championship, a title that has not received much attention in 2020. WWE can announce a tournament for the #1 contender, or else, if they decide to strip the title off Andrade's shoulder, then the winner of the tourney could secure the US belt directly. This way, Lashley would tear apart all the Superstars on RAW and become the US Champion.
The Dominator could then have exciting rivalries on RAW, elevating the United States title and also improving the quality of the flagship show.
#3. Money in the Bank contract
After a fantastic WrestleMania event, WWE's next pay-per-view stop is Money in the Bank. The company aired a promo to hype up the upcoming show during the second night of WrestleMania 36. Hence, the WWE Universe could see qualifying matches for the multi-man ladder match soon, and Lashley could be one of the competitors.
WWE could progress the storyline of the rift between Lana and Lashley in this race. For some reason, the Ravishing Russian may miss the RAW episode, where Lashley would compete in the qualifiers. The Dominator would win that match and secure his berth in the Money in the Bank ladder match.
Then, during the main bout, Lana would accompany Lashley to the ring, costing him the victory once again. Since this win could have changed the All-Mighty One's career forever, he would lash out on Lana, leading to the end of their relationship. Given that WWE needs to boil up the matters before the big break-up, the writers could take this route.
Lashley and Lana will likely split soon. WWE needs to make sure that when they lose their cool, the audience should receive a shock, just like they were amazed when the two appeared together on RAW.
#2. Big breakup on the first show back with a live audience
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, WWE had no other option but to conduct WrestleMania 36 with no live audience. The show entertained the fans; however, some special moments could have been a lot more special had there been thousands of fans cheering in the back.
A plethora of babyface Superstars picked up big wins at the Showcase of Immortals this year, but to no loud pops. The confusion between Bobby Lashley and Lana could have also received a massive response from the fans. Since the RAW after WrestleMania 36 always has a raucous crowd, that could have been the perfect platform for the breakup of Lashley and Lana.
Unfortunately, as there will be no live audience for this year's fallout RAW episode, WWE may delay the breakup and extend the storyline between the two Superstars. There is speculation that WWE shows will return to jam-packed arenas in August. Thus, we might see Lashley feuding with the lower mid-card Superstars until then, and the breakup angle would grow in the background.
This way, WWE could create a massive surprising moment during the first episode of their return to arenas.
#1. Moves to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup after a breakup
The problem with Bobby Lashley is that he is on the wrong brand. WWE had made it clear after the 2019 Draft that Monday nights will focus more on the entertainment factor while the focal point of SmackDown will be wrestling. Lashley is tailor-made for the Blue brand.
The fans witnessed how Braun Strowman could not win a singles championship on RAW for three years. But, after moving to SmackDown, he has captured two singles titles and is the reigning Universal Champion. With Roman Reigns unlikely to feature on the Blue Brand, it is the perfect time to introduce Lashley on the show.
WWE usually has the Superstar Shakeup shortly after WrestleMania. Hence, they could end the storyline between Lana and Lashley on RAW by booking the Dominator to lose another match to Aleister Black in a similar fashion. The two Superstars would end their relationship backstage. After that, Lashley will move to SmackDown while Lana will stay on RAW.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion could then have incredible rivalries with Sheamus, Jeff Hardy, The Fiend Bray Wyatt, as well as his former rival Braun Strowman to establish himself as a main event player. This option is the best in WWE's hands, and it will be interesting to see how they book Lashley now.
Where do you think Lashley should go from here? Share your ideas in our comments section below.
