No Mercy 2017: Preview and Match Predictions
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs Braun Strowman
Now this one ought to be really interesting. Over 500 pounds of man will be colliding Sunday with the Universal title on the line in what is undoubtedly the biggest match of Braun Strowman’s life. “The Monster Among Men”, a pro for less than 3 years will walk into a sold-out 21,000 seat arena to take a on a 5-time WWE world champion, not to mention a former UFC world champion, in his quest to capture the Universal Championship. Talk about pressure.
The word “strong” doesn’t quite encompass the way Strowman has been booked since branching out on his own after The Wyatt Family split up in July of last year. However, the word “herculean” comes to mind when describing his most recent exploits. After battling Roman Reigns for 3 months earlier in the year when he basically did everything except murder “The Big Dog”, Braun set his sights on becoming a world champion. And after working his way into the main event fatal 4-way at SummerSlam, Strowman came just inches away from putting Lesnar out permanently. The following night on RAW, his attack on Brock continued and by doing so has put doubt in a lot of people’s minds as to whether Lesnar will leave No Mercy as champion. His weekly attacks and what looks to be a huge advantage currently over Lesnar only strengthen that notion.
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But for all the damage and destruction Braun has administered of late, things will be markedly different once the bell rings Sunday night. Lesnar’s status as the most dominant wrestler in the company is legit and when he does eventually lose the title, it’ll be a major deal and will most likely happen at one of the biggest shows of the year. Additionally, the person that beats him will have to be ready to be the biggest star in the company. A win against Lesnar means that much. As good as Strowman is and could even possibly be someday, he’s not ready for that honor. He’ll put Lesnar through the ringer, but he’ll leave without the belt.
Winner and still champion: Brock Lesnar