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This week on RAW, there was a huge buzz around the name Brock Lesnar. The WWE Champion was scheduled to make an appearance to reveal his plans. As soon as the Monday night show went on air, The Beast's theme hit the arena and the champion, along with his advocate, made his way to the ring.
While the audience and the millions watching on their television sets were eager to know what plans were in the works for the current WWE Champion, Paul Heyman dropped a bombshell. Heyman announced that Lesnar would be entering this year's Royal Rumble. Not only will Lesnar be a part of this year's Rumble, but he will also be entering the match as the number one entrant.
Now, the WWE Universe has witnessed the WWE Champion enter the Royal Rumble as the first Superstar when Roman Reigns defended his WWE Title in 2016, but this announcement sounded bizarre. Think about it. Neither is Lesnar's Title on the line nor is he in the need to challenge a champion at WrestleMania. One can only wait to see how this story unfolds but here, I try to drill down the consequences of Lesnar's entry into the Royal Rumble match.
#5 One match, many faceoffs
Paul Heyman made it very clear that neither he nor Lesnar thinks that there is anyone, on the RAW, SmackDown or NXT roster, worthy enough of challenging The Beast for the WWE Title. While that is a bold statement, WWE does have a lot of budding talent that many fans would love to see face Lesnar in a match.
This year, it has been officially announced that NXT Superstars will play an equal part in the Royal Rumble match. Today's pool of NXT Stars is a force to reckon with. Matt Riddle, Keith Lee, The Velveteen Dream are a few names that fans would run wild behind if there is a moment between them and Lesnar during the match.
Not only the NXT Stars but also a few legends that we all know make an appearance in the Rumble. WWE spares no expense at this time of the year and wants its fans to go home feeling happy after the Rumble. Don't be surprised to see Lesnar facing off against a familiar foe in the match.
#4 No WWE Title defense at Royal Rumble
This is a given, but one of the big four PPVs without the defense of the company's most prized possession is a letdown. Brock Lesnar is a crowd puller and having him face off in a singles match against another superstar would bring in big money and eyes to the PPV. A main event involving Lesnar and a big name or an opponent that can bring the fight to Lesnar would have been great to watch.
The Royal Rumble has every year, brought the fans engaging contests for the WWE/Universal Title and sadly, this year it won't be the same. While we may see every Title being defended, we will miss out on Lesnar in singles competition. Some may say that Lesnar's matches have been one-sided, but the truth is, one can never say when a Superstar may dethrone The Beast.
#3 Huge Elimination
When the current WWE Champion enters a match in which every Superstar has just one thing on his mind (making a name for himself), Lesnar automatically has a huge bullseye on his back. Now Lesnar is not one to go down without a fight, if he ever really does go down that is. But he will be on every Superstar's radar that night and that has put him in a precarious position.
The Superstar who eliminates the WWE Champion will not only be noticed but will also have bragging rights and might earn himself a shot at the coveted title in the near future. Lesnar has inserted himself in a precarious spot by entering first and while there is no doubt that he can walk the talk, but he must be cautious that Superstars do not form alliances to eliminate him. It will be interesting to see how Lesnar gets himself out of this one.
#2 Champ vs champ at WrestleMania
This scenario is highly uncertain, but you can never say never in the WWE. What if Lesnar does last the entire match? What if Lesnar is the last man standing? What if Lesnar outlasts 29 other Superstars?
If this happens, not only will Paul Heyman's "prediction" come true but The Beast will also earn himself a title shot at WrestleMania.
Going by how things are right now, we could see a match between The Fiend and Lesnar at The Biggest Stage of Them All. This match is one that crowds would gather to watch. This contest could be built brilliantly with The Fiend's mind games and Lesnar's reckless attitude. WWE had teased this feud earlier and the crowd was invested in it but this was dropped suddenly and fans were left disappointed. This can be used as WWE's shot at redeeming itself.
#1 Winner does not challenge for the WWE Title
Of late, rumors are aloft that Roman Reigns is the favorite to win the Royal Rumble. If this does turn out to be true, he will likely challenge The Fiend for the Universal Title at WrestleMania. In another scenario, if an NXT star wins the Rumble, he will probably challenge the NXT Champion later.
Either way, it doesn't look like the winner of the Royal Rumble will be a RAW Superstar or will contest for the WWE Title at WrestleMania. Brock Lesnar's opponent will most likely be the Superstar who eliminates him in the 30-Superstar match.
All said and done. This is one step that nobody saw coming. What new feud will Brock Lesnar be involved in after Royal Rumble? Fans will have to stay tuned to WWE RAW and Sportskeeda to see how this turns out.
