Brock Lesnar: The Next Universal, or WWE, Champion?

Brock Lesnar will be the next Universal champion. At least, that’s what many WWE fans believe. The Beast Incarnate has been toting the Money in the Bank briefcase around since May 19 and he’s been threatening to cash it in every step of the way. But every time WWE fans think it’s going to happen, it doesn’t.

However it’s only a matter of time until he finally makes the move, which is exactly what a great number of fans are dreading. It’s not that Lesnar can’t handle the responsibility of being champion of course. Brock is one of the last big money veterans left on the roster and if anyone can believably get the job done as the top titleholder, it’s him. But what if Seth Rollins is not the real target?

The WWE faithful is keenly aware that Kofi Kingston’s championship is also not safe. The man on top of SmackDown Live has enjoyed being WWE champion since WrestleMania 35 and he’s done a fine job as the blue brand’s big boss. But from the moment he won the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston’s clock has been ticking. 

The reason for that has less to do with Kofi the champion, as much as it does Kofi the placeholder. Kingston’s title win and subsequent run were both well deserved. But WWE doesn’t exactly have a great track record when it comes to properly booking a fan favorite on top. That’s especially true of Kofi, who has always struggled with one bad creative decision after another.

Listen to Paul Heyman’s warning to Seth Rollins!

Why did it take so long for Kingston to finally get a WWE title reign? Was the company’s timing simply not there? Or was it o easy to book Kingston as a comedy act that Vince McMahon forgot just how talented Kofi really is? Does Vince even know how talented Kofi really is?

But to the company’s credit, Kofi Kingston is still the WWE champion. If his Mania win was nothing more than a trendy feel-good moment, then chances are he would no longer be wearing the strap. However, he is still rolling along and his supporters are surely happy about it. But how much longer does he really have left? 

Kingston is facing Dolph Ziggler at Stomping Grounds on June 24 in a title  match that many WWE fans believe will end with the champ retaining once again. Ziggler is one of the best technicians in the company today and most fans have always recognized his talent over the years. But WWE has never fully believed in Dolph as the top champion and there’s no reason to believe that will change now.

So when Kingston and Ziggler lock up on June 24, fans expect a well wrestled match, which is exactly what they will get. But the buildup to this match and many more in WWE, has been weak at best. These two men are facing each other because the company wants them to and that seems to be the only reason.

Listen to Dolph Ziggler talk about his Stomping Grounds match vs. Kofi Kingston!

Then there’s the fact that Ziggler and Kingston, despite how hard they work, are seen as great mid-carders and that’s where it ends. That’s through no fault of their own of course, it’s just the hand they’ve been dealt.

The truth is that at this point, Kofi Kingston is a sitting duck. He’s an easy target and if Brock Lesnar decides to pounce, he will likely devour the WWE champ. Lesnar would then take possession of the company’s top championship and his dominance over the blue brand would begin with a bang. 

But why? Why would WWE continue to put forth the notion of The Beast Incarnate cashing in on Seth Rollins, only to pul the swerve and redirect him toward Kofi Kingston? The answer to that question is obvious, even if it is perhaps much too simple for anyone to believe. The truth is that no matter how inspiring Kofi’s story of career perseverance has been, he’s perhaps not the marquee star that FOX is looking for.

SmackDown Live’s big move to the FOX Network in the fall of 2019 has been well publicized. The same is true of the rumor that the network wants a more sports-based type of programming, as opposed to the grandiose form of entertainment that WWE is typically known for.

Listen to Seth Rollins talk about Brock Lesnar after Super ShowDown!

If that is indeed the case, which man would FOX perhaps prefer as WWE champion? The smiling, hardworking Kofi Kingston who throws pancakes to the audience? Or the former UFC champion who is regularly presented as the biggest star in the company?

Some would say that a Lesnar cash-in over Kingston is far too predictable and because of that, it’s just not what WWE would want to do. That may very well be true, especially since Kingston is still in the midst of his title reign and has indeed worked hard to prove he can rise to the occasion as WWE champion. 

But fans are very aware of WWE’s commitment to Brock Lesnar. The company feels he is a major star that brings an air of believability to his matches and to the overall product. He’s so important in fact that Vince McMahon is willing to put the gold on him and then keep him at home for weeks at a time.

It’s a fact that brings an incredible level of hate from the WWE faithful. That hate will only increase when Brock Lesnar does cash-in and become the new Universal, or WWE, champion.

 

 

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