5 major WWE opponents Brock Lesnar still hasn't faced

If you combine his two different stints with the company, reigning Universal Champion Brock Lesnar boasts a little more than a decade's worth of experience competing in the WWE ring.

During that time, he's shared epic battles with legends of the squared circle like The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, John Cena and Triple H. More recently, he's also come up against many of the younger generation talents, including talented NXT graduates such as Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe.

In fact, almost all of the big name WWE stars of the last 15 years have shared a ring with the Beast Incarnate at some point or other, most of them (with the exception of Goldberg) quickly falling prey to a slew of German Suplexes before being mercilessly put away for the three count with an F-5.

However, there are a small handful of major wrestlers in the company whose paths Lesnar is yet to officially cross. Even though in many cases, there have been plenty of opportunities for Vince McMahon to serve them up to his franchise player, these five guys still haven't met him in one-on-one singles competition.

#5 Finn Balor

According to some backstage reports, Finn Balor was originally due to step into the ring with Brock Lesnar earlier this year at the Royal Rumble. WWE subsquently canceled their planned Universal Championship bout, however, over apparent fears that he wasn't popular enough with the crowd.

With The Demon King still a part of Monday Night Raw, there's an outside chance we could see this match pairing become a reality before the end of 2018. After all, The Beast Incarnate is fast running out of potential challengers to his throne, having already ploughed through most of the WWE roster since winning the title at WrestleMania 33.

If they do get the chance to square off, the resulting match ought to be a special one. Although he is a powerful muscle monster himself, Lesnar almost always produces his best-ring work opposite a comparatively small opponent. Consider, for example, his brilliant 'Champion Versus Champion' match against AJ Styles in the main event of last year's Survivor Series.

#4 Chris Jericho

Fans became aware of the possible friction between Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar following SummerSlam 2016. According to reports, the pair got into a heated argument backstage after Y2J confronted Lesnar about busting open Randy Orton, without realizing the incident was, in fact, a work.

Despite apparently not seeing eye to eye in the locker room, however, they are yet to actually face each other in the ring, mostly due to them being separated by the brand extension. Between 2002 and 2004, for instance, Jericho was on Raw while The Next Big Thing dominated SmackDown.

Since the former's in-ring career now appears to be a part-time one, there's no guarantee that these two will ever get the chance for a proper feud in front of the cameras, and that's a huge shame. Their matches could have been fantastic.

#3 Bobby Lashley

As two of the only wrestlers who have successfully competed in the world of mixed martial arts, Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar seem destined to meet in the squared circle at some point.

Until now, however, we're still waiting. Lashley got his start in WWE in 2005 - a year after Lesnar departed the company for a career in the NFL - and it's only within the last couple of months that they've finally been on the same roster.

Although Lashley's post-WrestleMania return to Raw has so far disappointed, the duo may yet square off before 2018 is finished. Vince McMahon, after all, has always loved throwing together a pair of unstoppable power merchants. He did it with Brock and Golberg, and there's every chance he'll do the same with Brock and Bobby in the near future.

#2 Daniel Bryan

The main explanation for Daniel Bryan not yet sharing a singles match with Brock Lesnar is that he's been retired for most of the last three years, only returning to active competition in the run-up to WrestleMania 34 in April.

Now that he's back, this match has suddenly become one that fans are absolutely desperate to see. Despite their different in-ring styles, Bryan and Lesnar are both excellent workers capable of telling a compelling "monster versus underdog story" inside the squared circle.

Unfortunately, there's little chance that we'll see it this year. At the moment, The Beast Incarnate is very much wedded to Monday Night Raw, with the former SmackDown general manager still over on the blue brand. Perhaps we'll get more luck in 2019.

#1 Batista

Technically, Batista and Brock Lesnar have grappled once before, sharing a brief back and forth during the final stages of the 2003 Royal Rumble, where they both made it to the final four alongside Kane and The Undertaker.

However, they are still yet to actually face each other in a singles match, primarily because The Animal has only appeared in the WWE ring sporadically since launching his second career in Hollywood a few years ago.

The signs that this dream showdown could one day become a reality are promising, though. Batista has made no secret of his desire to get back in his wrestling boots for a farewell run, and although Triple H is his preferred opponent, there's a lot of money to be made in a match with Lesnar.

Which of these matches are we likely to see in the near future? Tell us your opinion in the comments below!

Edited by Raunak J