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WWE announced this past week on Monday Night RAW that Bobby Lashley will defend the WWE Championship in a triple threat match against Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman at WrestleMania Backlash in May.
Previously, it had been announced that Bobby Lashley would defend the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in a WrestleMania 37 rematch at WrestleMania Backlash. This was after McIntyre defeated Randy Orton and Braun Strowman on the post-WrestleMania 37 edition of Monday Night RAW to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship.
However, that all changed this past week on RAW. Braun Strowman defeated Drew McIntyre, with the stipulation being that if The Monster Among Men defeated The Scottish Warrior, he would be added to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.
Now that he is defending his championship in a triple threat match in which his odds of retaining the title are reduced, many within the WWE Universe are questioning if Bobby Lashley is set to lose the WWE Championship at the event.
Let's take a closer look at five reasons why Bobby Lashley should retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania Backlash.
#5 Bobby Lashley is the best thing right now on WWE Monday Night RAW
In recent memory, Monday Night RAW has been lambasted by critics on social media and members of the WWE Universe.
The criticism directed at Monday Night RAW is arguably justified. Many fans criticize the storylines that lack any degree of logic, the numerous recaps and video packages played throughout the broadcast and the show's excessive run time of three hours on the USA Network.
However, a recent bright spot for the red brand has been the rise of Bobby Lashley as the WWE Champion. Under the guidance of MVP as his manager, Lashley has been transformed from a WWE Superstar who was involved in an affair angle with Lana and Rusev to The All Mighty WWE Champion in just a matter of months.
This has led Bobby Lashley to arguably become the best thing on Monday Night RAW right now. It would be counter-productive to half the momentum of Lashley and put a stop to the best thing on what is considered by many to be a poor show right now. Lashley should retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania Backlash as he provides RAW with the potential to once again become a great show.
#4 Defeating two high-profile opponents makes Bobby Lashley appear as a strong WWE Champion
As WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley has been booked incredibly well and incredibly strong by WWE.
Since defeating The Miz to become the WWE Champion for the first time in his career, Lashley has successfully defended the WWE Championship against the likes of Drew McIntyre in the opening match of WrestleMania 37 Night One.
However, to continue being billed as "The All Mighty WWE Champion," WWE must continue to book Bobby Lashley in a dominating fashion. It was vital that Bobby Lashley defeated The Scottish Warrior at WrestleMania 37, as this established that Lashley would not be a transitional champion. But, one victory over Drew McIntyre on the grandest stage of them all won't be enough to live up to the "All Mighty" billing provided by WWE.
Retaining his WWE Championship against two powerhouses in the form of Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman would go to great lengths in establishing Bobby Lashley as the true "All Mighty WWE Champion." It would also demonstrate Lashley to be the dominating force that he should be positioned as on Monday Night RAW.
#3 Bobby Lashley is the top heel on WWE Monday Night RAW
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley is without question the top heel on Monday Night RAW right now.
Previously, it could have been argued that a well-known name and heel, such as Randy Orton, could be considered to be the top 'bad guy' on the Monday Night RAW roster. However, in recent weeks, it has appeared Randy Orton could be set to turn babyface after establishing a tag team with Riddle.
With that in mind, it doesn't make any sense for Lashley to drop the WWE Championship to either Drew McIntyre or Braun Strowman at WrestleMania Backlash in May.
If Bobby Lashley loses the WWE Championship to The Scottish Warrior or The Monster Among Men at WrestleMania Backlash, Monday Night RAW would be actively weakening its top heel when there are zero ready-made replacements to step in as the top bad guy on the show.
The Monday Night RAW roster is currently lopsided in the men's division, with a lack of top tier heels in comparison to shows such as SmackDown. Therefore, Bobby Lashley must retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania Backlash as it could seriously hurt RAW's top heel.
#2 Bobby Lashley should drop the WWE Championship at a major pay-per-view
A WWE Championship change is a huge moment in WWE history irrespective of which superstar is winning the title. These title changes are special and live forever in the annals of history. The roar of the crowd and adulation from the WWE Universe makes these moments so iconic.
However, WWE is currently in a difficult position when it comes to title changes. WrestleMania 37 saw the return of live fans in attendance to a WWE event for the first time in one year, one month and one day.
It quickly became obvious how much programming had missed the reaction of a live crowd, in addition to how much the superstars had also missed the WWE Universe.
WWE is currently completing a residency at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida, bringing with them the WWE ThunderDome and its virtual fans for Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown television tapings on a closed set.
WrestleMania Backlash is set to emanate from inside the WWE ThunderDome, with fans once again not in attendance. With rumbles that SummerSlam could be the next major event to feature live fans in attendance, it makes sense for Bobby Lashley to hold onto the WWE Championship until at least then. This is to ensure that when the All Mighty WWE Champion does lose the Championship the title change truly means something.
#1 Continue the build to a potential Bobby Lashley vs Brock Lesnar WWE Championship match
The WWE Universe has long wished for a match between Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar inside of a WWE ring.
Bobby Lashley has long spoken about his desire to face off against the former Universal Champion in the past. After Lashley returned to WWE in 2018, many members of the WWE Universe thought it was only a matter of time before we saw the two colossal superstars square off.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, the dream match between Lashley and Lesnar has yet to happen. Some speculated that due to Bobby Lashley's inconsistent booking and bad storylines on television in the past, he may not have been "worthy" of a feud against a megastar such as Brock Lesnar.
However, that has all changed in recent months, with Bobby Lashley's meteoric rise up the WWE card, becoming the dominating All Mighty WWE Champion in the process.
But the problem right now is that Brock Lesnar is not currently signed to a WWE contract. The Beast has not been seen on television since losing the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre in the main event of WrestleMania 36 Night Two in 2020.
Lesnar's contract subsequently expired later that year. But many within WWE and the WWE Universe expect Brock Lesnar to return to television at some point, possibly when fans return to WWE events on a full-time basis.
So with the return of live fans on the horizon, it makes sense for Bobby Lashley to remain dominant as the WWE Champion for the foreseeable future.
Retaining the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman at WrestleMania Backlash will continue to elevate Bobby Lashley and get The All Mighty WWE Champion ready for his inevitable dream match against Brock Lesnar once The Beast returns.
