What if Brock Lesnar wins the Universal Title at Crown Jewel?

Brock Lesnar is the longest reigning Universal Champion in the short history of the title. As a part-timer, he held the belt from WrestleMania 33 straight to SummerSlam 2018—a year plus run that would be impressive in any era. While WWE continued to book him as a dominant monster, though, a lot of the luster was off Lesnar’s unique act for this run. A series of uninspired performances opposite the likes of Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns, not to mention his tendency to disappear for long stretches left most fans all too eager for him to drop the title.

When Lesnar did lose it to Reigns at SummerSlam, most thought it was the end of the Lesnar experiment, at least for the time being. The title would stay back in the hands of full-timers while Lesnar returned to MMA for at least one high profile fight, after which both sides might re-evaluate working together.

Lesnar was back in WWE sooner than most expected, though with his surprise return at Hell in a Cell. Followed by the announcement he’d get his return title shot in a triple threat against Reigns and Strowman at the Crown Jewel show from Saudi Arabia. While most expect for Reigns to retain, and a smaller contingent suggest that Strowman might take the title here, there is a third possibility.

What if Lesnar wins? This article looks at five potential implications if that were to happen this fall, and where it might lead WWE as well as UFC in the months ahead.

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#5 Champion vs Champion in the Octagon

We could be in for a historic champion vs. champion fight.

When Brock Lesnar made his surprise return to UFC, storming the cage to get in heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier’s face, Lesnar was still the reigning Universal Champion for WWE. The confrontation thus generated some serious intrigue. Was it possible we’d see WWE’s top champion and UFC’s square off in a shoot fight?

Roman Reigns taking the title off of Lesnar seemed to defuse that scenario, but with Lesnar getting his title shot in November, the champion vs. champion dream fight is conceivably back in play. Despite some speculation that Vince McMahon was worried about the prospect of his champion getting beaten in a widely watched fight, perhaps he’s won over by the other possibility. Given his age and time spent away from the sport, Lesnar can’t be considered the favorite this MMA encounter, but if he could win, it could be a glorious moment for the legitimacy of WWE.

#4 Lashley vs Lesnar

Bobby Lashley may finally get his match with Brock Lesnar.

When Bobby Lashley returned to WWE, most fans expected him to get lined up for a dream match with Brock Lesnar. These two are of a similar size, with similar athleticism, and somewhat with similar pedigrees of having wrestled successfully at the amateur level, and competed well in MMA (albeit with Lesnar enjoying much greater success in both endeavors). Between timing, uneven booking for Lashley, and Lesnar’s very part time schedule, however, the match has never come together.

If Lesnar were to win back the Universal Championship, it’s a signal that he really isn’t leaving WWE altogether in the immediate future. Thus, the window for Lashley vs. Lesnar that most fans had worried passed them by may well be open again. Rather than a missed opportunity, we might have a WrestleMania match in the making.

#3 Lesnar carries the title into WrestleMania

Brock Lesnar could go into WrestleMania 35 as champion.

For better or for worse, Brock Lesnar’s two world title reigns as a part-timer to date have both demonstrated that a part-timer reigning doesn’t have to mean a short-term reign. At about eight and sixteen months, respectively, Lesnar’s reigns were dominant. While it’s probably not best for WWE’s business for him to have another year plus reign again, it’s not unrealistic at all that if Lesnar won the title in Saudi Arabia, he’d hold it until WrestleMania.

The ‘Mania scenario could see Lesnar defend just once or twice in between, perhaps at Survivor Series or the Royal Rumble. That opens the door to unrealized matches with full-time talent like Bobby Lashley or Finn Balor, besides the fact that Shawn Michaels is rumored for a comeback. Hopefully, we won’t get another round of Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns, though we can never put that entirely past WWE. Of course, there’s another big time, part-time legend rumored to be coming back in time for the biggest show of the year, too.

#2 Brock Lesnar vs The Rock

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Back in 2015, rumors persisted that, while Brock Lesnar defending his title against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 was the plan, there was the possibility of Lesnar going up against another star from the same family. The Rock had worked WrestleManias 28 and 29 in the ring, and WreslteManias 27 and 30 in less physical roles. While Lesnar vs. The Rock had happened once before, that was when the two were main eventers, but not the global megastars they would become.

Lesnar vs. The Rock could be back in play for 2019, and might actually make more sense now with Lesnar-Reigns so played out, and Rock away from the ring long enough to, at least theoretically, to be ready to come back for a full-fledged, hard-hitting match. If both of these stars are in play for ‘Mania, a Universal Championship match between them could be a heck of a draw.

#1 More worked shoot promos

Worked shoot drama seems to follow Lesnar these days.

One of the signature elements of the last leg of Brock Lesnar’s Universal Title reign was the worked shoot. There was a persistent suggestion, particularly when Lesnar was feuding with Roman Reigns, that he was undergoing behind the scenes contract disputes with WWE, and even missing previously agreed upon dates.

While some will argue that worked shoots are played out in pro wrestling, they can still work in the right context. More specifically, they can still work for a figure like Lesnar, known to be a little volatile, and a big enough star to believably make demands or when push comes to shove, not need WWE. If Lesnar does reign again, we can fully expect whoever is booked against him to at minimum play the card of being committed and there all the time or go so far as to revisit previous suggestions of Lesnar being in contract turmoil.