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Despite what one's opinion of him may be, Brock Lesnar has had a great 2019. The Beast Incarnate has been at the top of his game throughout the year, having some of the best matches in the last 12 months against the likes of Finn Balor and Seth Rollins. From keeping the fans at the edge of their seats to making fans uncomfortable with vicious beatdowns of his opponents, Lesnar has proven why he is so valuable to Vince McMahon & the WWE.
Lesnar successfully defended his WWE Championship against Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series. It is widely believed that this was Lesnar's final match in 2019 and we will not be seeing much of the Beast until the build-up to the Royal Rumble, with Lesnar not being expected to defend the WWE Championship at the upcoming TLC pay-per-view. Given the Beast Incarnate's track record as of late, we believe that it will be worth the wait. Here are five potential opponents for Lesnar at the Royal Rumble:
#5 Rusev
The Bulgarian Brute has for long been one of the most underutilized talents on the roster. The former United States Champion is among the more well-rounded performers in the company. An adept in-ring performer, Rusev is a charismatic star, making him a great asset to the company. Despite not being featured prominently over the past few years, the former United States Champion has managed to capture the imagination of fans.
Russev is currently involved in a storyline with his real-life wife Lana and Bobby Lashley which has drawn a lot of flak from the WWE Universe. While some have questioned the necessity of having such a storyline in 2019, others have been left shell-shocked by the events that have unraveled between the trio over the past few weeks. Despite the huge negative reaction, one thing that this angle has done is to get Rusev over with the fans.
Last week on RAW, Russev's beatdown of Lashley received one of the loudest pops of the night. Following his feud with Lashley, The Bulgarian would be the perfect candidate to face off against Lesnar at the Rumble. A strong showing against The Beast would work wonders for the career of The Bulgarian Brute and could catapult him to the main event scene, something which the fans have been wanting to see for a while.
#4 Bobby Lashley
It's no secret that Bobby Lashley has been wanting a match against Lesnar ever since he returned to the company in 2018. One of the most accomplished athletes in the company, the Colorado-native is a former Intercontinental and United States Champion. But, despite all of his accomplishments, Lashley, sadly, hasn't been able to connect with the fans the way many had hoped. While Lashley's physique and his in-ring acumen is top-notch, the company's lack of creative direction combined with his lack of innate charisma has meant fans haven't gravitated towards him.
Fans have been wanting to see Lesnar and Lashley go up against one another for years now. Following his initial departure from WWE in 2008, the former collegiate wrestler would dabble in Mixed Martial Arts. Lashley has worked for various MMA promotions across the world but is primarily known for his time in Strikeforce and Bellator.
Lashley vs Lesnar will a fight of epic proportions, considering their MMA backgrounds. In addition to that, there are only a few men in the company who can match the physical attributes and the sheer power of The Beast Incarnate and Lashley is one of them. It will be quite a sight to see these two behemoths go up against one another inside the squared circle.
#3 Samoa Joe
The Samoan Submission Machine is currently nursing an injury that has kept him out of in-ring action for the past few months. Joe was drafted to RAW during the 2019 Draft. Meanwhile, the California-native has been making sporadic appearances on WWE Backstage on FS1 and was on commentary on RAW two weeks ago. While the timeline for Joe's recovery is still unknown, it is largely believed that he would be returning before the Rumble.
Lesnar and Joe have previously faced off against one another on two occasions. The duo first locked horns at The Great Balls of Fire event for the Universal Championship in July 2017. Joe would take Lesnar to the limit during the match but would fall short with Lesnar hitting an F5 to win and retain his Championship. Lesnar and Joe were a part of the Fatal-four way match for the Universal Championship in the main event of SummerSlam 2017 alongside Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. Lesnar would once again reign supreme after he pinned Reigns to retain the title.
A third meeting between The Beast and The Submission Machine is something we believe fans wouldn't mind seeing. Lesnar and Joe are two of the baddest dudes in the company at the moment and seeing them going at it once again will be a treat to watch.
#2 Ricochet
One of the fastest rising stars on the red brand, Ricochet has been one of the dark horses for the company throughout 2019. Despite not being in the main event scene, WWE's resident superhero has had more TV matches than anyone else on the Red brand. The former Prince Puma has vowed and mesmerized the WWE Universe with his gravity-defying moves and his charming personality.
We all know by now that Lesnar works well with people who are smaller than him. The Beast is one of the best sellers in the business at the moment and his recent matches have shown how giving he can be. Lesnar made Seth Rollins look like a million bucks during their match at SummerSlam and who can forget his match against Finn Balor at the Royal Rumble where for a moment it seemed like that Balor would do the impossible.
Ricochet vs Lesnar is a dream match for many in the WWE Universe. WWE's Resident Superhero is someone who can have a great match with almost anyone on the roster. The sight of Lesnar selling for Ricochet's aerial offense alone is worth the buck.
#1 Kevin Owens
Following Survivor Series, there has been a change in the character trajectories of some of the biggest names on the red brands. With Seth Rollins potentially turning heel, Kevin Owens has been positioned as the top babyface on the red brand. Owens is one of the most over Superstars in the company at the moment whom the fans have backed despite his one-off pushes and inconsistent booking.
A natural heel, Owens turned babyface a few months ago during his feud against Shane McMahon. The Prizefighter would defeat Shane on two separate occasions at SummerSlam and on the premiere episode of SmackDown on FOX, the latter of which was a Loser Leaves Town match. Owens was drafted to RAW during the 2019 Draft and was a part of Team RAW in the Traditional 5-on-5-on-5 Men's Elimination Match at Survivor Series.
Owens is currently feuding with Seth Rollins with the duo potentially facing off against one another at TLC. Owens has all the makings of a megastar and we believe that there hasn't been a better time for the Quebec-native to be pushed as the top babyface in the company. Lesnar would be the perfect foil for Owens and if given the right amount of time and proper build, this could be an all-timer for sure.
