What if Cain Velasquez beats Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship?

2. Eric Bischoff’s influence shows

The idea of putting the title on a buzz-worthy performer who isn't necessarily fully equipped as a wrestler would fit Eric Bischoff's past creative impulses.

Eric Bischoff is now acting as executive director for SmackDown. Bischoff has a long resume in wrestling, garnering a mix of credit and praise alongside criticism and sneering. He was the business mastermind behind making WCW a formidable wrestling promotion and purportedly the driving creative force behind the New World Order. He was also, however, responsible for creative moves like placing the WCW Championship on actor David Arquette.

Arquette’s title reign is generally considered anathema among wrestling fans. Arquette was a non-athlete, a physically unimpressive celebrity. For him to take wrestling's top prize, drew the anger of many. Bischoff has rationalized the choice on his 83 Weeks podcast and elsewhere as grabbing headlines and getting people from outside the normal wrestling sphere talking.

Velasquez would unquestionably be more credible as champion than Arquette. There’s nonetheless a familiar tinge of not being so concerned about match quality or wrestling credentials. Instead, a Velasquez title reign would be seen as simply creating a buzzworthy story by allowing a big name from outside the wrestling world capture gold.