Backstage News on Brock Lesnar’s WWE Return at ‘Hell in a Cell’

Brock Lesnar’s shocking return to WWE at Hell in a Cell is the hottest news in the pro wrestling world right now and with good reason. The Beast Incarnate was believed to be out of Vince McMahon’s company, at least for now. He was supposedly on his way back to the UFC , where he and Daniel Cormier are expected to face off sometime in early 2019.

Lesnar’s return ruined the Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman, infuriating many fans in the process. Considering Brock’s penchant for long absences, is there any reason to believe that will change now? Why is he back? 

Dave Meltzer is reporting on MMA Fighting that Brock Lesnar came back to set up a future Universal title bout. The bout will supposedly happen at a WWE event in Saudi Arabia, probably in early November. This means that current champion Roman Reigns is not safe as many fans previously believed he was.

However it does seem that Lesnar is indeed planning a UFC return. Apparently while he is in the drug testing phase of the process, Brock has yet to officially sign a contract with UFC President Dana White. So as of right now, Lesnar is in a state of flux. The only thing that WWE fans know for sure is that Brock is back. But what happens now?

Watch Brock Lesnar return at Hell in a Cell:

Brock Lesnar kicks the Hell in a Cell door off its hinges: WWE Hell in a Cell 2018

WWE may answer that question as early as the September 17 edition of Monday Night Raw. WWE’s website is not currently advertising Brock for the program and its unknown if he will make an appearance. It could very well be that everything will go through Paul Heyman from this point on. This is good news for many fans, who have missed seeing Lesnar’s advocate on WWE programming. But many others want nothing do with seeing Brock back in WWE.

It’s entirely possible that the Brock Lesnar storyline will restart once again. UFC’s drug testing program takes time, which means that Lesnar has plenty of opportunity to get back into the groove of WWE life again. Of course that life is less than part time. That’s one of the reasons why his return was so dreaded by so many. It’s not that his critics don’t respect him. But at some point, WWE needs to move on.

That’s exactly what everyone believed had happened at SummerSlam when Roman defeated Brock for the Universal Championship. Reigns may have his critics who scrutinize his every move, but at least he is always in the locker room. Roman may not be the full time champion that the fans want, but he is the one that WWE needs. Brock is great for the short term, especially when it comes to drawing a house and spiking the ratings. But beyond that, many believe his involvement is a detriment.

Why is that? Why would an attraction like Brock Lesnar be as hated as he is by so many fans? The answer to that question lays not only in his absentee booking, but in his character’s booking as well. This is about much more than just his schedule. It’s about what he does when he’s actually there.

Watch Lesnar wage war against Reigns and Strowman at SummerSlam:

Brock Lesnar F-5s Braun Strowman & smashes him with his Money in the Bank briefcase: SummerSlam 2018

Brock shows up, Heyman cuts a promo, Brock Leaves. Brock shows up for a match, hits one German Suplex after another, gets the win and leaves again. Wash, rinse, repeat. This is how The Beast Incarnate does business and while the WWE faithful expect it, the routine is painfully routine and cannot be denied. Oddly enough, Lesnar was cheered when he kicked the door down to Hell in a Cell and destroyed both Reigns and Strowman. But when given enough time, fans will turn on Brock just like before.

Lesnar’s stranglehold on the Universal Championship is not something that WWE should repeat and it’s difficult to argue that point. While it did make headlines, Lesnar’s reign made those headlines for all the wrong reasons. Many full-time WWE Superstars on Monday Night Raw never got a title shot when Lesnar was champion. In fact, Brock only defended the title against four Raw Superstars during his 504 day run as Universal champion. Is this where WWE is heading once again?

What are the chances that Brock will actually win the championship in Saudi Arabia? At one point, the company teased the idea of Lesnar holding the Universal title and then winning the UFC Championship next year. It seemed like nothing more than a way to hype Brock’s rivalry with Reigns, but considering that Lesnar is back now, is this really going to happen?

Brock Lesnar certainly cannot accept blame for how WWE uses him. But fans can surely question the company’s logic behind his booking, which is precisely what’s happening now. Lesnar is indeed an attraction and no one can argue with his drawing power. But if WWE goes back down this road once again, then the vicious cycle could continue well into 2019. 

Watch Reigns and Strowman brawl on Raw:

Roman Reigns brings the fight to Braun Strowman: Raw, Sept. 10, 2018

Of course this entire angle may be nothing more than just a temporary move. Lesnar may be back only for the November event in Saudi Arabia and then he will likely disappear afterward. He probably won’t win the Universal Championship again and when he doesn’t, many fans will surely breathe a sigh of relief. 

However if he does win and once again WWE holds the red brand’s top title hostage, then suddenly the entire situation becomes much more complicated. This is likely not the scenario that fans envisioned for the Universal Championship after SummerSlam, yet that’s the reality now. WWE is once again in the Brock Lesnar business and evidently, that’s not going to change any time soon.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live