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Brock Lesnar is set to wrestle on SmackDown for the first time in ages when he challenges Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship. The Beast Incarnate showing up in this capacity carries with it the implication that he is going to be wrestling for the blue brand from here on. That move wouldn’t feel like a coincidence given that his arrival lines up with SmackDown’s move to FOX, with its larger audience and a push to feature big names.
However, it’s not a foregone conclusion that Lesnar will be a SmackDown Superstar moving forward. After all, Kingston could retain in a victory that could redefine his rein, if not his entire WWE career. Alternatively, another Lesnar rival might get involved to cost him the title victory. On top of all of that, even if Lesnar were to take the title, there is a draft coming soon that threatens to shuffle the rosters. Lesnar could win the WWE Championship, but wind up bringing it back to RAW.
But what if Lesnar is heading to SmackDown to stay? This article takes a look at what it might mean for The Beast, the blue brand, and WWE on the whole.
#5 Interactions with Shane McMahon
Brock Lesnar has had limited interactions with Shane McMahon over the course of their respective tenures. Between the periods of time each man spent away from WWE and then working opposite brands, there haven’t been very many opportunities for them to cross paths. In theory, they could find themselves on opposing shows even if Lesnar does permanently relocate to SmackDown., with McMahon heading to RAW. However, Shane-O-Mac has been a fixture as an authority figure and featured wrestler for SmackDown. That’s not to mention that he’s a relatively recognizable face for casual fans who might stumble upon the show on FOX.
No, the real question might be if McMahon and Lesnar would be enemies or allies. McMahon is still only a half year into his heel turn, which suggests that he’ll stay in that role for some time to come. With his political stroke, an unholy alliance between him and Lesnar could make for a compelling threat.
#4 A shifting role for Rowan and Harper
WWE has recently positioned Rowan and Harper as a monster heel force on SmackDown. Rowan went into business for himself, leaving behind his alliance with Daniel Bryan, and went on to pick up a PPV victory over Roman Reigns. Now, it increasingly looks as though WWE is drawing up battle lines between the team of Harper and Rowan and the unlikely pair of Reigns and Bryan. This arrangement certainly elevates the former Bludgeon Brothers, who had some success, particularly in their tag title run, but have never really been taken seriously as main event level talents.
Brock Lesnar taking up residence on SmackDown would threaten Rowan and Harper’s role. Even at the Clash of Champions PPV, the commentary team sold Rowan as an overwhelming threat, the likes of which Reigns hadn’t faced. But relative to Lesnar with his incomparable physical presence and real-life fighting credentials, it’s hard for anyone else to be believable as a truly dominant big man heel.
#3 Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns once more
While Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns hasn’t always resulted in classic matches, the two have generated some electricity, particularly in their first match at WrestleMania 31, and their last clash to date at SummerSlam 2018. Reigns only made the move to SmackDown this past spring; Lesnar following suit would seem to symbolize that WWE is going to go back to this well before too long.
To be fair, there are only a handful of WWE talents built as credible challengers to The Beast. Reigns not only fits that bill, but has proven some chemistry with Lesnar, especially in short, fast-paced, explosive matches. It seems to be an ongoing thread that Lesnar is the mountain Reigns must overcome to reach the top of the mountain in WWE. Seeing The Big Dog do it one more time, particularly for a fresh SmackDown audience, could be an inevitability in the months to come.
#2 Paul Heyman pulls double duty
News broke this past summer that Paul Heyman was taking over in the role of executive director of WWE RAW. Heyman working that spot seemed to suggest he might have a lesser on screen role, and that Brock Lesnar may relatedly take some time away from the WWE Universe. However, Lesnar moving to SmackDown introduces another possibility. Paul Heyman may find himself working double duty, behind the scenes on Monday nights and on camera representing Lesnar on Fridays.
Such a schedule is far from unheard of. What’s more, given the different nature of Heyman’s responsibilities in these roles, and neither necessarily entailing working house shows, it’s believable that he could pull it off. Nonetheless, it could be interesting to see the ways in which Heyman might shape WWE programming from a creative perspective on RAW, while working purely as an on screen talent for the blue brand.
#1 John Cena on SmackDown
There are not a great many WWE Superstars who are currently positioned as believable rivals to Brock Lesnar. Sure, on RAW, Seth Rollins has bested The Beast twice this year, and Braun Strowman has a viable claim to being able to hold his own with Lesnar. But after that Bray Wyatt may be about the only full time roster member whom fans might bite on holding his own with The Beast Incarnate.
Things don’t look much better on the existing SmackDown roster, where Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, and Kofi Kingston are probably the only Superstars WWE could program against Lesnar. But what if WWE broke the glass on an emergency option?
In search of viable opponents for Lesnar, and seeking star power to satisfy FOX, John Cena could be the man WWE would turn to. There’s even some symmetry to the idea, given that Lesnar and Cena had their original main roster feud on the blue brand long ago.
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