Friday 2 March 2018 12:07, UK
Brock Lesnar's dominant position in WWE was once again in the spotlight this week, with his no-show on Raw the talk of the company.
Lesnar's title will next be on the line at WrestleMania in April, meaning he will have been the Universal champion for a full calendar year.
No competitor has held the current incarnation of Raw’s top championship for as long as that, and only CM Punk’s 435-day reign in 2011-13 eclipses Lesnar’s spell on top in the modern era.
Long reigns are few and far between these days and in that regard, Lesnar’s is an anomaly, a unique piece of booking which sets him apart from the rest of the roster as an elite star.
There is nothing to suggest he is about to drop the belt anytime soon. But when - and if - he does, who should be the man to beat him? We take a look at five names who could be in the frame…
It has long been rumoured that the man many see as the company’s chosen one will be the man to beat Lesnar in a huge showdown between the only two competitors to have beaten the Undertaker at WrestleMania.
The two have crossed paths before - notably in the excellent fatal four-way which also included Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe at SummerSlam last year - but a one-on-one between the pair remains an attractive option to WWE.
With Reigns the current Intercontinental champion, there would also be the chance for some ‘torch passing’ symmetry, as Ultimate Warrior held that belt when he dethroned then-WWF champion Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VI.
At this point, Reigns has to be the favourite to overcome the Beast.
It is a measure of the progress Strowman has made over the past eight months that he was not even on the card at the last WrestleMania and is now one of the most popular competitors in the entire company.
If the Monster Among Men was given the nod to take the title from Lesnar it would represent an enormous show of faith in one of the company’s most effective rising stars.
Their match at No Mercy last year was somewhat underwhelming and their styles do not seem to mesh well, which could be a factor in any hypothetical contest between the two.
What better way for the Big Red Machine to bow out from WWE than with one last run with a top title?
That scenario depends predominantly on whether Kane even wants to hang up his boots or if he is happy to continue being used as he currently is.
There would doubtlessly be question marks about his ability - at 50 - to perform in the ring on a regular basis but Lesnar has proved the Universal champion can be utilised almost as a special attraction and Kane could be marketed as such.
Styles provided Lesnar with one of the best matches of his career at Survivor Series and WWE know they have a ready-made revenge storyline which could build to a rematch between the two.
The tricky part would be what to do with the titles. It seems unlikely they would again be merged, and Styles should deserves to keep the SmackDown belt after proving himself to be the best wrestler in the world in 2017.
Time is not on Styles’ side in terms of being the man to take out the Beast as he is involved in his own storyline on the blue brand, while Lesnar has his concerns on Raw.
Building for a WrestleMania match between them from this point would come almost out of the blue, and is in danger of being rushed and so this option has to go in the ‘long shot’ category.
It would be a huge shock if it happened, but Goldberg could return to avenge his loss to Lesnar at WrestleMania it what was his final appearance in a wrestling ring.
Goldberg’s send-off was pretty much perfect and it seems unlikely he would want to diminish that with an unnecessary comeback match. Especially at the age of 51.
What might be more likely is for Goldberg to make a shock return and cost Lesnar his title against another opponent, thereby avenging his loss without entering the ring and risking ruining his legacy. They could then build to an actual Lesnar-Goldberg rematch further down the road.
However, all of that seems extremely unlikely. Everything about his send-off last year, from the build to the match itself to his farewell promo on Raw the next night, was perfect.
