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After the September 13th episode of RAW, Big E is officially the new WWE Champion. Bobby Lashley's WWE title reign ended at 196 days, marking the end of an incredible run.
As great as Big E's WWE title win was, this introduction partly serves as appreciation for The Almighty WWE Champion Bobby Lashley. He may not get his Brock Lesnar match, but he enjoyed a half-year-long run as the face of Monday Night RAW.
Bobby Lashley's push to become the WWE Champion may have happened purely due to circumstance, but he was as legitimate a champion as one could ask for. While fans thought that he won the WWE title only to be "sacrificed" to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 37, that wasn't the case at all.
For six months, Lashley dominated RAW, and it's only fitting that Big E made the jump from SmackDown to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase.
The funny part is that Big E wasn't even subtle about his cash-in. He announced beforehand on Twitter that he intended to cash in his briefcase on RAW. His role seemed to be more psychological at first, as he was constantly getting in Bobby Lashley's head.
After Bobby Lashley defeated Randy Orton to retain the WWE title, Big E came out and cashed in, struggling a bit before capturing his first World title. Here are five reasons why Big E cashed in the MITB briefcase on Bobby Lashley to become the WWE Champion on RAW:
#5. Big E likely led to a big ratings pop
TV ratings are a big deal to WWE, even if they try to make anyone else think otherwise. Pay-per-views are obviously important, but in the larger picture, weekly TV serves a bigger purpose.
The television broadcast revenue that WWE gets is their biggest source of revenue. Did you wonder why there was a sudden switch into making SmackDown the A-Show over RAW? And why the biggest stars and feuds are now on SmackDown? It's because of the whopping $200 million a year that WWE gets for giving FOX broadcasting rights for SmackDown.
RAW isn't worth as much money as SmackDown right now, but it doesn't mean that it isn't already worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Pressure from TV executives normally plays a big role.
In this case, the Bobby Lashley vs Randy Orton match itself was likely moved from Extreme Rules to RAW for a ratings pop. Big E may have just secured a huge rating, which is important considering that AEW Dynamite beat RAW last week in the 18-49 demographic.
#4. It doesn't make sense for Big E to dethrone Roman Reigns right now
It's hard to see a scenario where Big E would have dethroned Roman Reigns. While Big E was one of the rising stars of SmackDown in the FOX era, it may not have been the right decision for WWE to end Roman Reigns' run as the Universal Champion.
Roman Reigns has been WWE's best superstar while his heel run and Universal title reign on SmackDown have been nothing short of excellent. The biggest issue with Reigns now is that it's hard to see anyone worthy of dethroning him.
Roman Reigns already has "The Demon" Finn Balor lined up for Extreme Rules and Brock Lesnar at some point, presumably in October and November. Even then, it's hard to imagine either of the two men dethroning 'The Tribal Chief'.
With Bobby Lashley, on the other hand, he was always less likely to be protected by WWE. It also sets up a rematch in the future for Bobby Lashley.
#3. Big E's win makes it easier to set up a Bobby Lashley-Goldberg rematch
Big E winning the WWE Champion clears the way for WWE to book a rematch between Goldberg and Bobby Lashley. At SummerSlam 2021, Bobby Lashley defended the WWE title against Goldberg.
The match went on a bit longer than expected, and it ended in controversy as MVP hit Goldberg's leg with his cane. As Lashley capitalized on Goldberg's injury, it worsened and the referee was forced to stop the contest, awarding the win to Lashley.
Recently, WWE put out a video on social media interviewing Goldberg, who was recovering from his injury at SummerSlam. Since Bobby Lashley also attacked his son Gage, the rivalry became personal.
Goldberg then announced that he didn't want the WWE title but wanted Bobby Lashley instead. Thanks to Big E, he will eventually get what he wants. Reports have emerged stating that WWE is planning a Goldberg vs Bobby Lashley match for Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.
Big E's WWE title win means they can now proceed with the match without a title on the line. This makes it easier for Goldberg to get his win back over 'The Almighty one.'
Unfortunately for Bobby Lashley, his loss to Big E might be the first in a string of defeats.
#2. To set up a Big E vs Bobby Lashley rematch at Extreme Rules
Bobby Lashley will likely face Big E at Extreme Rules for the WWE Championship. Lashley was originally scheduled to face Randy Orton at Extreme Rules, but the match was moved to RAW instead.
On RAW, Bobby Lashley accused Randy Orton of politicking to change the date. However, Orton denied the claim, revealing that he went to the right person and got the deal done because he's Randy Orton - basically saying that he did, in fact, politick as Bobby Lashley said he did.
Big E egged both men on, and again, wasn't even subtle about his intention to cash in the MITB briefcase. Big E's cash-in was rare, in the sense that he announced his intentions beforehand, rather than cashing in to secure a title match in advance.
Since Big E happened to beat an already-worn down Bobby Lashley to win the WWE title, it makes sense to book the rematch for Extreme Rules. We expect Big E to win, which means that Bobby Lashley will be out of the WWE title picture after the bout.
#1. To cement Big E as the next big star in WWE
With the news of the WWE Draft for this October, it's important to realize how important it was for Big E nearly a year ago. 11 months ago, Big E was separated from The New Day, as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were drafted to RAW, and the now-WWE champion to SmackDown.
From then on, it was clear that WWE intended to turn Big E into a singles star. The New Day had a nearly 6-year run together as a faction, missing the mark by a single month. It was unprecedented and historical. It felt satisfying that there were no steel chairs to the back involved.
Big E simply began his own singles run and it began with an Intercontinental title win on Christmas Day last year. While he lost the title to Apollo Crews at WrestleMania 37, his Money in the Bank victory meant that there were big plans ahead for him.
Those plans culminated right now, but this is only Big E's greatest moment as a singles star so far. His WWE Championship win on RAW is a statement - that a new top star in WWE has been established.
