How WWE could give Brock Lesnar an intriguing partner upon his return

It's been more than a year since Brock Lesnar was last seen in a WWE ring and the former world champion doesn't seem to be any closer to making his return to the company where he once found fame.

Lesnar's final match came back at WrestleMania 36 where he was defeated by Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. The former champion's contract has since expired and there has been no word on if or when he will be ready to return to the squared circle.

Paul Heyman's move over to SmackDown to become the voice of Roman Reigns following his heel turn last year has also added fuel to the theory that Brock Lesnar is now done with the wrestling business, but this may not be the case.

In recent months, Bobby Lashley has been open about the fact that he was promised a match against Lesnar and that it's still something that he is looking forward to. Lashley could walk out of this weekend's WrestleMania event with the championship and then step into a feud with Brock Lesnar since the groundwork has seemingly already been laid.

Did The Hurt Business split because of Brock Lesnar?

The Hurt Business were surprisingly split last week on RAW and Shelton Benjamin was then defeated by Lashley in a one-on-one match later in the show. This week on RAW, Benjamin was once again attacked by his former teammate, which seemingly just put Lashley over as a bigger threat to Drew McIntyre ahead of this weekend's WrestleMania event.

At present, it remains hard to predict who will come out of WrestleMania with the WWE Championship, but if Lashley is able to find a way past McIntyre this weekend, the company could have some much bigger plans for the star heading into SummerSlam.

@MiaYim I have a better plan https://t.co/prAb209pC8 pic.twitter.com/eY2d6qOlNI

— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) April 4, 2021

The buildup to this weekend's WrestleMania main event may not be the only reason for the current storyline surrounding Benjamin and Lashley since WWE needs to plant seeds for the fallout from the show. It's become well-known in recent years that Shelton Benjamin is Brock Lesnar's best friend and the godfather of his children. There's no way that The Beast Incarnate would sit by and allow someone like The Almighty to mistreat Benjamin if he was given the call.

Benjamin was recently asked to join with Mia Yim on Twitter, but he made it clear that he had a plan of his own. Benjamin and Cedric Alexander also threatened MVP this week on RAW, which shows that there must be something bigger coming following WrestleMania.

Once I’m done taking out this Brock wannabe, as I’ve said for YEARS, I’ll take Lesnar whenever, wherever. https://t.co/lfEp2niOvT

— Bobby Lashley (@fightbobby) January 15, 2021

Benjamin could be pushed into a role as Brock Lesnar's new manager when he makes his return, and it could be that the return of The Beast is the way that the former tag team champion is going to get his revenge on MVP.

There aren't many men who know the business like Shelton, who is a veteran in his own right. A storyline like this would add a personal touch to a match that has been building since 2018, and it could play out at SummerSlam in just a few short months.

Brock Lesnar has always had Paul Heyman do the talking for him, so it will be very different for him to make his return and not have his advocate by his side. The former world champion needs someone to talk for him to build up his match. This one could easily be on the level of SummerSlam 2015 against The Undertaker where it was advertised as "the match too big for WrestleMania."

There have been several hints regarding Brock Lesnar's return in reports in recent weeks, but as of yet, there is nothing definitive. The break up of The Hurt Business was such a surprise and was pushed so hard by Vince McMahon that it's hard to believe that the WWE Chairman doesn't know something that he's not yet letting on.

Benjamin and Brock Lesnar have known each other for most of their lives and it would be interesting to see them work together on WWE TV to see if they have the same kind of bond as Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar.