Meanwhile, he continues to work a sleazy part-time schedule, holding the Raw Universal Title hostage while not affording fans the opportunity to see it put on the line and defended regularly.
And when the time comes, and he’s done milking his brand and fattening his pockets, he’s just as likely to up and quit as abruptly as he did back in 2004.
Storyline wise at least, he’s just begging for a comeuppance isn’t he?
And I’m also sure you’d agree that ever since the skewed finish at WrestleMania 31 that saw Rollins cash in his MITB briefcase to win the Title, the WWE has positioned Roman Reigns as the person to cut Brock Lesnar down to size sometime in the future.
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But we all know that nothing in the WWE is set in stone. So many matches have been decided backstage moments before they start and so many feuds trashed before they even take shape. So how certain is it that Roman Reigns will be the one to receive the rub of finally vanquishing the Beast?
Well, if these Superstars have anything to say about it, not at all.
Here then, are 5 WWE Superstars other than Roman Reigns who can put an end to the era of Brock Lesnar in the WWE.
#1 Braun Strowman
It’s pretty clear that Vince is high on Strowman and for his part, the big man has worked really hard on his in-ring skills of late, transforming himself from someone who was viewed as ‘green’ to a reliable worker who can hold up his end soundly.
So after this rivalry with Roman Reigns is put to bed, why not book him against Brock Lesnar?
The only legitimate competition that Lesnar has had to overcome in the recent past is an ageing Goldberg who could barely work anything other than a shock and awe angle. A monster like Braun Strowman next would do nicely for a change of pace.
It would be one of those feuds that the audience sit through without actually knowing who would win. There are precious few Superstars we can say that for when going up against Brock Lesnar.
And that’s exactly what makes it believable.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura
The King of Strong Styles has, thus far, enjoyed a fabled introduction to the main roster. Whatever we’ve seen of him till now has left the audience yearning for more, and one can almost expect all the hype to culminate in a show-stealing match against Dolph Ziggler at Backlash.
Some feel that he would be moved straight onto the WWE Title picture after that, while others feel that baby steps are the way to go lest a monster push should fail. After all, an enigmatic foreign character like Nakamura should be handled carefully with the mainstream fans.
But if you know anything about Shinsuke Nakamura and the way he works, then you’re probably foaming at the mouth at the prospect of him facing Brock Lesnar. Both of them are charismatic in their own way, and the fact that they’ve both had success in MMA is a nice little wrinkle in the sub-plot too.
If Nakamura is booked like anything close to the mega star that he is, the potential match against Brock Lesnar has money written all over it. And with his stiff MMA-inspired striking style, he could be the perfect foil to Lesnar’s wrestling-based approach.
After all, it’s strongly rumoured that Brock Lesnar doesn’t like getting hit in the face. If I’m sure of one thing though, it’s that Shinsuke Nakamura will put that theory to the test.
#3 AJ Styles
The Face that runs the Place, the Champ that runs the Camp or just the Phenomenal One...however you choose to address AJ Styles, words can’t do justice to how much positivity this man’s signing has brought upon the WWE.
Even the glowing appraisal that SmackDown Live! receives from all quarters today is in no small part due to AJ Styles’ effort and commitment. His ring work is second to none ( in the world even, perhaps) and his promo skills have been surprisingly fluid too.
And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he puts on stellar matches with just about anyone he shares the ring with, even a rank part-timer like Shane McMahon.
He’s had a solid run with the WWE Title and despite being moved on temporarily to the US Title picture against Kevin Owens, elevating him back up the pecking order against Brock Lesnar would be a universally popular decision.
As we know, Lesnar is sometimes accused of being a ‘lazy’ worker but rest assured, there is absolutely no chance of that in a match against the Phenomenal One. And although Styles is fully capable of putting Lesnar over – making him look like a million bucks in the process – nothing would make the WWE Universe more happy than to see him slay the Beast.
Also read: 5 Possible opponents for Brock Lesnar at WWE Great Balls of fire
#4 Finn Balor
Highly touted right from his NXT days, Balor’s appeal was only augmented when he was crowned the inaugural WWE Universal Champion on his main roster bow. And he has so much potential that his ill-timed injuries on the main roster since have only tuned up the mystique surrounding the man by a couple of notches.
Supremely gifted in the ring and not too shabby on the microphone either, Finn Balor’s main selling point, however, is his mysterious alter ego of the Demon King. While Balor himself is thoroughly legitimate competition to Brock Lesnar, you can bet your house that the Demon King will step up to the plate and then some.
And in an industry where it’s all about the storytelling, the Finn Balor/Demon King character undoubtedly possesses the extra ‘oomph’ factor and believability to be paired up against Brock Lesnar.
Should he beat the Beast Incarnate, Balor’s stock would be higher than ever. Even if he should fail in the attempt, at least it would make for compelling television.
#5 Samoa Joe
The Samoan Submission Machine exudes so much intensity and vigour that he’s going to be one of those WWE Superstars whose relevance or over-ness, for lack of a better word, won’t depend much on his win-loss record.
He’s another Superstar who’s cut his teeth in MMA, giving his hard-hitting wrestling style much more impetus, and is blessed with athleticism that belies his frame – an unlikely characteristic that he shares with Brock Lesnar.
This one match has to happen purely because neither Joe nor Lesnar has ever been booked as anything but the most dominant alpha male in the yard. And if they do clash, something has to give.
Samoa Joe will not be intimidated by Brock Lesnar, and we all know what happened the last time someone stood up to the Beast – the match just lasted a minute and 26 seconds.
There is little chance that Brock Lesnar will be on the wrong end of a squash match yet again, but we can at least concur that the whole immovable object versus the irresistible force shtick never gets old.
Book it, Vince!
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