The dust has settled on Extreme Rules and we can now officially say that we are going to see Samoa Joe challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship. That sentence, on its own, is potentially one of the most exciting things that the company has been able to produce in the last five years.
Unfortunately, on the opposite end of the spectrum, a lot of fans are extremely worried when it comes to the eventual result of the match, because let’s face it – Brock suplexing Joe back down to the mid-card is a realistic possibility. Now, obviously, we don’t want to see that happen, which is why we’ve thought up a few alternatives.
People may claim that several of these options will make Brock look weak, but come on now – it can’t get much worse than losing to a 50-year-old man in 90 seconds. Obviously, we’re going to try and take both into consideration when thinking about how to logically book this, but at the end of the day, Joe is the future of this business. Fact.
So with all of that being said, here are 5 ways WWE can protect Samoa Joe against Brock Lesnar.
#1 DQ finish
Yes, we know, this is going to ruffle some feathers, but it could be the most logical option of all. In this instance, we’d have Brock and Joe go about 10 minutes because let’s face it, there’s no chance that Lesnar is going to be out there longer than the length of a basketball quarter.
Brock would look like he’s getting the upper hand, only for Joe to turn the tables and start to fight back. The two men continue to throw haymakers at each other in the corner as the referee desperately tries to get them to stop, only for him to issue a disqualification finish to the match as they’re just too focused on destroying one another.
Rematch anyone?
#2 Brock gets lucky
Brock has a history of underestimating his opponents, and that’s exactly what we’d have him do here. With The Beast coming in as an overconfident champion once again, Joe surprises the former UFC fighter with a string of fantastic sequences. Lesnar, stunned, doesn’t quite know how to react to this onslaught.
Joe is setting up for the finish just under 10 minutes into the match, only for Brock to catch him out of nowhere with a monstrous F5. Joe kicks out, but after a few vicious elbows Lesnar plants him with yet another F5 as he can barely cover Joe to get the one, two, three.
Do the smart thing Vince, and protect the future.
#3 No Holds Barred
It’s quite simple: put two warriors inside of the squared circle and let them beat the hell out of each other for as long as they see fit. If you strap a No Holds Barred stipulation onto this encounter, then you’re guaranteed to get more people interested.
Plus, how terrifying is the prospect of these two behemoths swinging stairs and steel chairs at one another?
If Lesnar is forced into using foreign objects in order to get the job done, it’ll make the Samoan Submission Machine feel like a genuine threat in the main event picture. Then following the match, you could have Joe brag about how Brock needed to use alternative methods in order to make sure that Joe didn’t walk away with the big red title.
#4 Heyman assistance
It may only be June but we’re calling it – Samoa Joe choking out Paul Heyman on Monday Night Raw was the segment of the year. The way in which he quietly whispered into his ear and informed him of what was about to happen was absolute gold.
So surely, in the aftermath of this event, it’d make sense if Heyman wanted to get back at Joe somehow – and what better way than by costing him a World Championship. As Joe and Lesnar are going at it, have Paul grab Joe’s leg whilst he’s by the ropes.
It’s a small detail, but one that could cost Joe everything.
#5 Double count out
We know, we know, but just give us a minute to try and explain this. With two competitors like Joe and Lesnar, it’s a case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. So then, doesn’t a draw make sense in the grand scheme of realism?
It’s risky, but you could have Joe pull out a high flying move in a desperate attempt to win it all. With Lesnar laying prone on the announcer’s table, have Joe hit a splash off the ring apron and through the table.
Both men are down for the ten count, and we continue to realise that Brock Lesnar is indeed human after all.
