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Brock Lesnar returned on the Feb. 6 edition of WWE RAW to address his heated rivalry with Bobby Lashley. Lesnar challenged his foe to another one-on-one encounter at the upcoming Elimination Chamber PLE. The Beast inked the contract and laid it on top of a fallen Lashley, who had received two F5s.
Although the contract signing technically occurred on RAW, WWE has yet to reveal the promotional graphics on their official website. Either way, Lesnar vs. Lashley III will likely be taking place in Montreal a week from Saturday.
This was a mild surprise because many fans, and even Dave Meltzer, were expecting the blow-off encounter to be held at WrestleMania. However, in this listicle, we explore and analyze 5 potential reasons why WWE chose to move up Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley to Elimination Chamber 2023.
#5 WrestleMania plans for The Conqueror may have changed
As noted previously, the general feeling was that the rubber match between The Beast Incarnate and The All Mighty would be taking place at 'Mania. However, with the showdown announced for the Chamber, one can reason that Lesnar's plans for The Show of Shows have abruptly changed.
A couple of months ago, rumors were circulating that Brock Lesnar was pitched in to face Gunther at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood. The two behemoths crossed paths in a scintillating showdown in the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble. Despite the tease, the mega dream match was reportedly not on the cards for Mania.
However, considering the overwhelmingly positive fan response to their skirmish at the Rumble, WWE may have taken a U-turn and changed its plans for Lesnar. Therefore, The Beast vs. The Ring General may occur at WrestleMania 39.
#4 WWE has run out of options to stall the inevitable blow-off match till WrestleMania
The primary issue with booking rematches in rivalries that span months or even years is that fans could lose interest, and the creative team could run out of ideas. In the Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley program, the WWE Universe has seen the company exhaust all potential storyline movers and feud propellers.
This narrative has seen everything from locker rooms being brought out to separate the two behemoths to anti-climactic finishes to their matches. Lesnar has cost Lashley the US Championship on two separate occasions, and each time, a fire was lit inside The All Mighty that saw him become more aggressive.
It's possible that the creative team ran out of options to create innovative ways to propel the inevitable blow-off match to WrestleMania. Hence, WWE moved it up to the Elimination Chamber to prevent fans from losing interest.
#3 Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley will draw in more eye-balls for the Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber PLE will take place in Montreal, Canada. This is a historic landmark show as this will be the first significant show to take place in the Canadian city since 2009. Consequently, WWE will pull out all the stops to make the event memorable.
The Beast Incarnate is one of the company's biggest draws. He also brings a cross-sport appeal to the ring. Furthermore, Lesnar is a Canadian national who lives on a country farm, so the former Universal Champion is technically a hometown hero over there.
Hence, WWE may capitalize on his popularity and fame in Canada to boost interest heading into the Montreal show. The crowd will be red-hot for Brock Lesnar.
#2 It could set up a Hurt Business reunion
MVP has been trying to get The Hurt Business back together for months. The veteran pulled some strings with Adam Pearce in the rehiring of Bobby Lashley after The All Mighty was fired last December. He has also become a temporary mentor for Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin.
The host of the VIP Lounge also brought out Omos a few weeks ago to assist Lashley in earning another shot at the United States Title. Thus, the goal is to bring the four-person faction back together with The Nigerian Giant and reunite The Hurt Business.
Considering the recent change in momentum Alexander and Benjamin have seen, the timing is perfect to set a full-fledged reunion in motion. Furthermore, if Lesnar loses, the win might not be entirely clean. Some outside interference from Lashley's old friends could also cost Brock the match.
#1 Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley ends in a no-contest
It is possible that announcing Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley III is a mere advertisement tactic that capitalizes on the former's star power to draw casual fans. The match may not happen at all, as the two fierce rivals could engage in a wild pre-match brawl that leads to Adam Pearce calling off the entire showdown.
Another possibility would be either man brutally injuring their foe to prevent them from competing in the bout. WWE has done this quite a lot in the past. Most recently, they announced Becky Lynch vs. Bayley for a Steel Cage match on RAW is XXX. However, the encounter never happened, as Lynch was deemed unfit to compete.
This would allow for the original plan to book the match at 'Mania to come into place. However, it risks the Montreal crowd lashing out and hijacking the show.
When it's all set and done, who do you think will come out on top? Let us know in the comments section below.
