What Will Be Sunday’s Big Swerve?

We’re hearing that Survivor Series will be the launch of a major new angle for WWE. These reports are coming from sources as reliable as the venerable Wrestling Observer, yet no one seems to know exactly what the nature of this swerve will be–or, at least, they’re not telling. With that, I think we’re justified in some wild speculation about Sunday’s event, what might happen, and what it will mean for WrestleMania season.

All of the biggest possibilities center around one name–Brock Lesnar. With his “fantasy warfare” match against Goldberg likely to be the main event this Sunday, it would be an opportunity to set up a major feud for WrestleMania. However, none of the likely possibilities are especially exciting. The Undertaker, having just returned to SmackDown, could renew their rivalry, but Lesnar won that war in decisive fashion at Hell in a Cell 2015–which, incidentally, was the only good match of the entire feud. A repeat encounter at WrestleMania would do neither competitor any favors.

Interference from Shane McMahon is another possibility, and a possible WrestleMania feud with Lesnar is a long-circulated rumor. But this would ultimately be a disappointment. Lesnar should not come out of WrestleMania undefeated–his arc as a monster has nowhere to go from there–but Shane, not even an active wrestler, should not be the man to do it. If Shane, or even Goldberg on Sunday, were to be the one to put Lesnar down, it would feel like all that effort, that multi-year run of Lesnar as the “final boss” of WWE, would all be for nothing.

A more interesting possibility would be Kevin Owens, who has been teasing a Lesnar match for months. A contest for the Universal Championship would be a logical progression for both Raw superstars, and if the next few months go well for Owens, he could be one of the most credible superstars on the roster against Lesnar.

WWE could also choose to return Roman Reigns to a feud with Lesnar, though if the Samoan superstar were to interfere in such an anticipated match, the crowd’s reaction would cement the already controversial wrestler as an all-time hated heel. Yet Roman was the original choice to defeat Lesnar way back at WrestleMania 31, and Roman would benefit greatly from that victory.

What about the hardcore fan’s dream, though? Both Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura should be on the main roster by now, and a debut setting one of them against the most dangerous man in WWE would be electric in front of the Toronto crowd.

Of course, there’s also the Rock, and a match versus Lesnar at ‘Mania has been another long target of rumors and speculation. Yet it’s difficult to imagine a less interesting possibility than another feud between the Beast and a returning superstar.

Of course, it’s entirely possible that this “big angle” won’t involve Lesnar at all, but anything beyond that is so wide-open for speculation that it’s tough to even begin. We’ll see this Sunday.