Brock Lesnar as WWE Champion: A Good Routine, or Too Much Routine?

Brock Lesnar’s win over Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series on November 24 was not a shock for fans, but it was perhaps a disappointment all the same. Rey continues to be one of the strongest babyfaces in Vince McMahon’s company and Mysterio’s supporters were hoping that he would walk away with the title.

But now that feud is over and Brock has once again disappeared. He’ll likely remain gone until WWE finds another challenger for him to beat and fans understand that. What they don’t understand is why this keeps happening. More importantly, they don’t know who could possibly be the next man to step up to The Beast Incarnate.

For Brock Lesnar, championship reigns have become paint-by-numbers. A guy comes to the forefront. He talks a good game. He believes he is the one to take Lesnar down. He confronts Brock and may even get the best of the champ, as the two men head to their eventual championship match.

During that match, Brock dominates. He keeps his opponent at bay and cuts off the comeback on multiple occasions. Finally, the babyface fires up and reaches a point where it appears that he actually has a chance to dethrone the champ and take his belt. But before that babyface can say “German Suplex,” Brock hits the F5 and it’s over. Lesnar leaves with the gold and fans are left guessing when he will show up next.

Watch Brock “struggle” against Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series

Some fans love the Brock Lesnar routine because it’s simple. It’s basic, black and white storytelling with a plausible beginning, a believable middle and a predictable, yet satisfying, end. After all, there’s no real point in rebelling against WWE for Lesnar’s booking because it’s obvious that nothing about that booking is likely ever going to change. 

But for as many fans who have grown accustomed to this routine and are generally okay with it, there are just as many who are beyond sick of it. For them, the redundancy of it all is ridiculous and it’s just too much to bear. It was once said of the nWo that no one really knew what month it was, because the group was always in charge and they always came out on top. The same could very well be said of Brock Lesnar in WWE.

However it’s all a bit more frustrating now than ever before. Much of that has to do with the fact that Lesnar has bested nearly every main event talent in the company. That includes veterans, who were his only challengers at one time. But that list also includes today’s stars as well. Indeed, Brock has a stellar track record of wins in WWE and that record just keeps on growing.

Relive Lesnar versus Styles! The routine reigns supreme!

John Cena, The Undertaker, Goldberg, The Big Show, Sheamus, Rusev, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Kane, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Finn Bálor, Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston have all fallen to The Beast Incarnate. While some of the names on that list are now out of action for the most part, the rest are still going. Roman Reigns won the last match in his feud with Brock and the same is true of Seth Rollins. But they’re the only two men who claimed the final victory over Brock Lesnar.

So who’s left? Who could believably step up to take on Lesnar and actually give the champ a fight he’ll never forget? Maybe the better question is who will be the man to step up and be the next victim of the Brock Lesnar routine? It’s only a matter of time until that man is revealed and when it happens, fans will already be able to predict the outcome. 

Bobby Lashley is perhaps the frontrunner in the minds of many. A dream match between Lesnar and Lashley has been talked about for years but WWE has never committed to it. Will that change eventually? Lashley seems to be the best candidate, especially with both men’s MMA work on their resumes. 

Relive Lesnar versus Bryan! All hail the routine!

What about Drew McIntyre? Many fans believe that Drew is a great choice to face Lesnar, as McIntyre seems to be just on the verge of doing great things in WWE. Of course, that mantra has been repeated ad nauseam when it comes to Drew. But that doesn’t mean that the match shouldn’t happen, or that McIntyre won’t come out of it stronger than when he went in.

Then there’s KO. Kevin Owens has already lost to Brock, but this is a new KO, a man who is really starting to heat up on Monday Night Raw. Considering that Brock is part of the red brand, it may only be a matter of time until their paths cross again. Bray Wyatt has also lost to Lesnar. But Wyatt is now The Fiend and everything is much different for Bray than it used to be.

Regardless of who the next challenger may be, the most obvious question is, will it matter? How many more times will fans get amped up to see a Book Lesnar match, when they already know how it’s probably going to end? Does the real drama lie in the routine, or the off-chance that Lesnar will actually lose the next time?

Despite how many fans have grown to love Brock for who and what he is, there are just as many who are ready to move on. But WWE seems intent on staying the course with Brock, which means business as usual when it comes to Lesnar’s booking. Maybe something new and different is in the works when it comes to Brock Lesnar. Or maybe there’s no end in sight for the routine, which never seems to change.

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