5 reasons why WWE booked Aleister Black vs Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 36

If Aleister Black was looking for a fight at WrestleMania 36, then he has his opponent. It was announced on RAW that The Dutch Destroyer will be facing Bobby Lashley at the Grandest Stage Of Them All.

We don't know as yet whether it'll happen on night one or two, but we don't think that matters too much, especially given the circumstances. Either way, it's still a surprising match that came out of nowhere. Even the announcement of Andrade and Angel Garza against The Street Profits at WrestleMania seems to be a random addition to the card, but this one is undoubtedly more out of the blue.

In the penultimate episode of RAW to WrestleMania 36, this was announced and many, including us, were confused as to why this match was booked. There are a multitude of reasons why, and here are some of them

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#5 WWE doesn't need matches that make sense anymore

This would have been a great WrestleMania match

The reality of WrestleMania 36 moving to the Performance Center and another undisclosed venue is that WWE isn't going to put in even 25% of the same creative effort to build to matches and that's been evident with the way the main feud - Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre has been booked.

They simply aren't putting in as much effort and we don't blame them given their limited resources, but it also means that it's now just a show that WWE wants to get over with it and put behind them.

As a result, it gives them the leverage to book matches that don't make much sense - nor do they need to. We'd be surprised if we even see Black and Lashley interact on multiple occasions. Perhaps a small face-to-face or assault and that'll be it.

#4 To start a post-WrestleMania feud

Bobby Lashley

Remember two years ago at WrestleMania 34 when AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had that underwhelming match? Turns out it was on purpose and Nakamura's heel turn after losing to Styles was the spark for an extended feud between the two.

They felt that they needed to add 'substance' to the feud and a change of character for Nakamura was fuel for the rivalry which lasted a couple of more months. Since WrestleMania doesn't feel as 'important' this year, WWE might just be choosing to use this match to set up a feud after the event.

It could be a good feud and a solid bout. Lashley hasn't had too many great matches since returning a couple of years ago, but Black could be one to bring out the best of him. It could be similar to his Buddy Murphy trilogy where both end up looking great - even the loser of the rivalry.

However, for one major reason, we can't guarantee that Aleister Black will be winning this feud.

#3 To build Bobby Lashley as Brock Lesnar's next opponent

Brock Lesnar

According to Tom Colohue, the idea behind WWE scrapping Bobby Lashley's feud with Rusev is to start building him as a serious competitor and challenger to Brock Lesnar. A match against Brock Lesnar is the very reason why Lashley returned in the first place and after missing out in the summer of 2018 (which he openly expressed his frustrations about), he could finally get that opportunity post-WrestleMania.

Colohue even added that Lana and Lashley teasing dissent already is on purpose. He said:

The story between Lashley and Rusev is gone, it's simply over. So, they have got to find something new and they have got to find something new fast. So throwing in Lashley with I believe it was Zack Ryder, so they gave him a match as a way to start his rebuild. He will get more as time goes on and really help to rebuild him and establish him even further, as they move towards a match with Brock Lesnar.

If this is true, then don't be surprised to see Lashley run through Aleister Black clean. We fully expect Black to get a good showing, but he isn't guaranteed a victory. In all fairness, he doesn't need it, though many would argue that Aleister Black should win that match.

#2 No other better opponents for each other

Aleister Black doesn't have too many options

The reality is that the Coronavirus situation has forced WWE to assess which Superstars they may need for WrestleMania 36. Usually, there are two battle royals which are put on the card to get everyone possible on the show - including low card talent.

However, the circumstances forced them to scrap that match and it's clear that the amount of talent and staff present in the Performance Center is limited. In all likeliness, WWE had to put out a list of superstars they felt will be important for the build to WrestleMania 36 and when shuffling the matches and making last-minute changes (which are evident), they probably felt as though they needed to get both Aleister Black and Bobby Lashley on the card, with no better opponents for each other right now.

All the major stars are booked in different matches and this is one that would help both superstars get on the card. While we don't like the lack of build, this could be a show-stealer.

#1 To give Aleister Black a big name in his résumé

Aleister Black needs a major win

Aleister Black hasn't had a perfect win streak intact the way he did in NXT (until he lost the NXT Championship), but we can't complain about the way he's been booked. He's benefited big being on Monday Night RAW - with Black fitting into Paul Heyman's vision of a top superstar.

It seems clear that he's being built as one of the future stars of RAW and if WWE gets behind him, he can be a huge name on the roster. Since it's WrestleMania, he needs to add a big name to his résumé and Bobby Lashley fits the bill.

While we would understand the decision of Lashley going over, the reality is that Black should be winning the match - albeit, they should get time to put on a competitive contest. A win over Lashley would perfectly set Black up for another major rivalry and a big step up the card. It's been over a year since he debuted and he should be doing so much more.