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Brock Lesnar defeated Kofi Kingston in mere seconds to win the WWE Championship on the Friday Night SmackDown premiere on FOX and while first viewing would entice fans to say it is a bad thing, it actually isn't. Sure, Lesnar will have another part-time reign as the world champion. However, there are quite a few positives for WWE and FOX to take from the Beast winning the title.
For the time being, he is the right person to spearhead the men's division as WWE wets its feet in this huge deal with the major network. SmackDown will have to come out of the gates flying, with no better way in doing so than crowning the biggest name in the company with their biggest title on the first episode, even if the manner in which it was done is questionable.
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And if it is booked correctly, Lesnar as WWE Champion could be one of the best things to happen all year. Here are five reasons why the Beast winning the WWE Title on SmackDown will eventually be best for business.
#5 A huge draw
There is absolutely no doubt that the biggest name that still wrestles on a semi-regular basis for WWE is Brock Lesnar. He is still on a level above pretty much the entire locker room, with his aura remaining intact despite a couple of pinfall losses to Seth Rollins. His limited appearances almost always matter thanks to the legitimacy he brings to WWE programming.
Lesnar winning the WWE Championship, along with an impending feud with Cain Velasquez, would fulfill FOX's preference for a sports-centric presentation and it fits the must-see nature that WWE will try to restore in the Blue Brand. The Beast is still one of the biggest ratings movers today and while WWE continues to bring various talents to that level of star power for the future, Brock Lesnar has the present covered.
#4 More spotlight on the IC Championship
When Brock Lesnar was the Universal Champion for the majority of 2017 and 2018, the RAW brand had to rely on other championships to carry their weekly programming. While every title had its moments, it was the Intercontinental Championship that shone the brightest.
The Miz and Seth Rollins made the title as prestigious as it was in the 1990s, with main event segments, programs, and matches throughout the year. However, the IC Title is now one of the coldest pieces of gold in the company right now. It should not be this way, considering the storied legacy of the belt over the past four decades.
The title has not meant much for over a year and while Shinsuke Nakamura makes for a decent champion, WWE should do more with it. Brock Lesnar may make more appearances as WWE Champion this time, but the smart money is that SmackDown will be without their top title for a good chunk of the next six months.
This is where WWE would be forced to make the secondary title mean more. The likes of Kevin Owens, Andrade and Aleister Black among many others could factor in and make the Intercontinental title division one of the hottest in WWE.
#3 Wrestlers are elevated in defeat
Any time Brock Lesnar has a match, it feels big. When he has a WWE Championship match, it is even bigger. He has that aura of a marquee star that instantly entices viewers to pay attention to whatever he is doing. This kind of magnetism could serve to benefit a lot of current WWE Superstars.
Lesnar has already had some excellent matches against smaller wrestlers. In the past year alone, the Beast has delivered against Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor, and Seth Rollins. Even though Bryan and Balor lost, they looked amazing in defeat.
This time around, Brock Lesnar could have multiple memorable bouts against a variety of rising stars. Based on what happened at the end of SmackDown, he will presumably face Cain Velasquez and Rey Mysterio in the near future, but Lesnar could also defend his title against names like Ali and Chad Gable to help them get more over.
Even a full-length rematch against Kofi Kingston would help the former WWE Champion a lot, especially after how he lost the belt. Even a mildly interested Brock Lesnar is one of the best wrestlers in the world.
#2 A new megastar is born
While a number of Superstars would try and fail to defeat Brock Lesnar, one man will eventually defeat him and win the WWE Championship. Unless plans are for Roman Reigns to take the title from the Beast again, we could be in for a very interesting period of SmackDown.
Aside from the Big Dog, there doesn't seem to be a stand-out main event Superstar who seems like an obvious choice to beat Lesnar for the WWE Championship. So, it is up to WWE to give us another major star. Reigns and Seth Rollins have gotten the rub from the Beast, but there seems to be one more huge victory on its way.
It is time for a fresh name to be listed amongst the elite full-time stars in the company. And with SmackDown being the A-show now, the man who eventually defeats the Beast could become one of the faces of the company.
An obvious choice for said position is Kevin Owens, who is extremely talented in every aspect of pro wrestling and is also a relatable figure as we have seen recently. Other candidates who could end Brock Lesnar's current reign include Aleister Black and Daniel Bryan, or possibly Cain Velasquez himself. Whoever it is who does so, a new megastar is set to emerge.
#1 The WWE Title returns to the main event
The WWE Championship, obviously, is the most prestigious championship in the company's history. It was the sole world title for decades and its legacy is undeniably larger than life. However, recent years have seen the title take a slight backseat in favor of RAW's Universal Championship. Part of this is because of Brock Lesnar dominating the Red Brand's main event scene for most of the belt's existence. The WWE Championship was reduced to semi-main events and midcard showcases.
This meant that the likes of AJ Styles, Kofi Kingston, and Samoa Joe among others would have some wonderful title matches, but remain on the undercard. Only one dual-branded pay-per-view has ended with a WWE Championship match since the return of the brand split in 2016. This would be set to change, with Lesnar at the helm. He is usually the biggest attraction of any show he is on, which would certainly mean at least one pay-per-view main event depending on his schedule.
After a solid but slightly underwhelming title reign for Kofi, it is time for the WWE Championship to return to its rightful place in the main event. Also, now that SmackDown will be the number one show, it's World Championship will be the one on top of WWE. The perfect man to make that transaction towards headlining again is Brock Lesnar.
