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The first episode of SmackDown on FOX ended in the surprise arrival of UFC star Cain Velasquez. Although Velasquez does have some professional wrestling experience, he had never appeared on WWE programming before. His MMA credentials and size instantly make him a credible challenger to Brock Lesnar. Furthermore, his history of having actually beaten 'The Beast' in UFC adds extra intrigue to their feud.
There’s quite a bit up in the air in regards to Velasquez’s status, as WWE seems inclined to keep an air of mystery around him. Rumor has it that WWE will book him to challenge Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Crown Jewel, but nothing has been confirmed. Such an arrangement makes sense given the need to book big matches for the show in Saudi Arabia. Also, Saudi Arabian shows tend to be inconsequential in their booking. Velasquez vs Lesnar doesn't have to change the course of wrestling history. It just needs to draw viewers. Lesnar beating back a visiting challenger would likely be a huge draw, but could also be easily forgotten, especially if Velasquez is contracted to work only one match as an off the beaten path challenger.
But what if Velasquez were to actually defeat Brock Lesnar and become WWE Champion? This article examines that possibility.
5. A short match
A part of Brock Lesnar’s character, particularly over the last three years, is the element of explosive unpredictability in his big matches. Sometimes Lesnar works more conventional classics like his work as the monster heel opposite Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, Finn Balor at the Royal Rumble, or Daniel Bryan at Survivor Series. Sometimes Lesnar works lightning quick bouts, including when he dropped the title to Rollins at WrestleMania 35.
Given that it’s already not out of the ordinary for Lesnar to work short matches, we can especially expect a quick outing with Cain Velasquez. While Velasquez has worked a handful of professional wrestling matches, he’s far from a seasoned pro in this environment, and WWE will likely seek to protect him with a short outing.
Moreover, if he were booked to win, it also protects Lesnar to lose quickly. As counter intuitive as it might seem to save face by losing a fight in short order, quick losses also sell the idea that 'The Beast' was caught off guard - not truly dominated or decisively beaten, so much as simply surprised with stunning offense. This dynamic also invites a rematch.
4. The title goes back and forth
After having previously beaten Brock Lesnar in UFC, Cain Velasquez is an instantly credible challenger for Brock Lesnar. Not unlike Lesnar, his real fight credentials make him immediately believable as a dangerous man and even a champion. Just the same, professional wrestling is a unique platform. While squashes that invoke MMA have their place, a long term champion also needs to be able to hold his own in putting on longer one on one matches.
Velasquez could take the WWE Championship off of Lesnar, but if he does so, we have to suspect that Lesnar will take the title back form him. WWE may well use the title going back and forth—particularly in short matches—to justify a string of three or more high profile bouts between the two men. In a multi-match rivalry, WWE could lure over those elusive MMA fans, who only dabble in watching wrestling. The lure of these legitimate athletes waging war could also play well to the mainstream audience WWE now has access to via SmackDown on FOX.
3. Fans balk at Velasquez
The general consensus is that WWE pulled off the feel good moment of the year when Kofi Kingston enjoyed an unlikely rise through the ranks, culminating in defeating Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35. Kingston has always been a popular Superstar, but this victory felt particularly vindicating, not only due to the immediate underdog story at hand, but because Kingston really had been grinding it out in WWE for over a decade, putting on memorable performances without ever being given an opportunity to shine at the highest level.
Cain Velasquez represents the opposite of Kingston. He hasn’t been honing his craft or waiting for his chance in a wrestling ring—let alone in WWE—for years and years. He just debuted and in the wake of Kingston getting squashed out of his championship reign, is immediately in the WWE Championship picture.
Velasquez may exceed expectations and do well in a featured role for WWE. However, his immediate rise to the top, without having developed the loyalty of WWE fans means he may be swimming upstream in trying to establish himself as a top face in the company.
This isn't much different from to how fans rejected Batista when he returned to WWE in early 2014 to immediately enter the WWE Championship picture. In similar fashion, the hardcore fan base may be inclined to boo Velasquez, as well.
2. Eric Bischoff’s influence shows
Eric Bischoff is now acting as executive director for SmackDown. Bischoff has a long resume in wrestling, garnering a mix of credit and praise alongside criticism and sneering. He was the business mastermind behind making WCW a formidable wrestling promotion and purportedly the driving creative force behind the New World Order. He was also, however, responsible for creative moves like placing the WCW Championship on actor David Arquette.
Arquette’s title reign is generally considered anathema among wrestling fans. Arquette was a non-athlete, a physically unimpressive celebrity. For him to take wrestling's top prize, drew the anger of many. Bischoff has rationalized the choice on his 83 Weeks podcast and elsewhere as grabbing headlines and getting people from outside the normal wrestling sphere talking.
Velasquez would unquestionably be more credible as champion than Arquette. There’s nonetheless a familiar tinge of not being so concerned about match quality or wrestling credentials. Instead, a Velasquez title reign would be seen as simply creating a buzzworthy story by allowing a big name from outside the wrestling world capture gold.
1. The door is open to Lesnar’s MMA past
WWE has not yet really experimented with bringing in MMA fighters to do battle with Brock Lesnar in the wrestling ring. If Lesnar were to turn back Cain Velasquez' challenge, the experiment may start and end there—cashing in on an intriguing dynamic, but asserting that WWE is going to focus on its own Superstars. However, if Velasquez were to beat Lesnar for the title, it might open the door for WWE to continue down this road.
In particular, UFC teased a fight between Lesnar and Daniel Cormier in the not so distant past, before Lesnar wound up announcing his retirement from MMA. Cormier has already publicly commented that he wouldn’t rule out coming to WWE to see the rivalry through.
There are other fighters like Jon Jones, whom Lesnar has a history with. Particularly if Lesnar is going to be a longer term fixture in WWE, a part of his role could become acting as the ring general for matches with MMA fighters crossing over into the WWE Universe.
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