WWE SummerSlam 2017: The Case for Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

WWE SummerSlam 2017 is on the horizon, and while there are two more Pay Per Views to get through before then, a triple threat match pitting Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman against each other could be ideal.

If there was an appropriate time to turn Roman Reigns heel and actually draw a negative, heel reaction from the crowd, it would have been after his victory over the Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. Even though Reigns remains a face, much to the chagrin of a large section of the fanbase, the WWE has embraced some of the negativity by allowing Reigns to tip-toe the heel/face line in promos. He speaks more confidently and selfishly, bragging about his achievements and making it clear that he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.

Since defeating the Undertaker, Reigns has renewed his rivalry with Braun Strowman, and it has reached new heights. Strowman draws reactions loosely resembling that of a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, because the crowd loves how much he loves beating people up, especially since he spends most of his time beating up Reigns. Both superstars will face off at Great Balls of Fire, and the finish of that match could honestly go either way.

Reigns still has his eyes set on the Universal Title, and he has already named himself the No. 1 contender to the title for WWE SummerSlam 2017. He basically announced this without having to fight for his spot, so if he loses to Strowman at Great Balls of Fire, “The Monster Among Men” now has a legitimate case to join the fight for Raw’s most prestigious championship (sorry, Miz).

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The WWE has been aiming for a Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns clash for quite some time, and the rumors are starting to point towards a match between them at SummerSlam, as opposed to a third straight coronation for Reigns at WrestleMania. That is all for the best, and I’m sure most fans would like to see Reigns net that victory sooner rather than later. Whether you love or hate Reigns, you have to admit that Raw will be much better off with a Universal champion who is able to defend the title consistently, including on “free TV”.

Lesnar and Reigns had their clash at WrestleMania 31 interrupted by Seth Rollins’s legendary Money in the Bank cash-in, and it would be nice to see both superstars settle their differences one-on-one. They were tearing the house down before Rollins decided to steal the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and since they both defeated the Undertaker at WrestleMania, it would make sense for them to collide in a pure singles match.

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The issue is that the fans already saw Lesnar vs. Reigns in a marquee setting, even if there wasn’t a definitive finish. Repeating that matchup could be a dud at SummerSlam. Reigns and Lesnar can put on great matches, but neither of them are able to consistently get the crowd emotionally involved in a match. Not many people care if either wins or loses, simply because we’ve seen them in these situations so often. Pitting two marquee athletes who almost always win against each other sounds great on paper, but the finish itself would likely fall flat.

So why not throw Braun Strowman into the mix? It’s almost a travesty that he hasn’t been given a real opportunity at the Universal Title, since he’s an absolute monster (hence the nickname) and has been one of the only members of the main roster to pin Reigns cleanly. Along with Samoa Joe, Strowman is the best thing going for Raw’s men’s divisions right now, so why not continue highlighting him?

Strowman and Reigns have so much bad blood, and there’s still a chance to keep milking that. Plus, adding Strowman into a triple threat can help protect Reigns and Lesnar more, since the company obviously cares about protecting the aura surrounding both of their strongest-booked superstars. While Strowman should also be protected, the company seems more willing to let him take losses to top opponents, partially because the fan base has shown that they can keep buying into Strowman’s menacing ways.

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Following SummerSlam, the WWE can have Strowman feud with the champion. Yes, I’m operating under the assumption that Strowman will lose, because, let’s face it, Reigns and Lesnar are always going to receive the spotlight. If the WWE wants to keep Lesnar as the champion (I do not recommend this), then they can finally give us the Strowman vs. Lesnar feud. But if the WWE wants to put the title on Reigns, they can continue the Strowman-Reigns feud and can use the triple threat at SummerSlam as a way of keeping the storyline fresh.

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