Brock Lesnar and WWE’s Money in the Bank Problem
By Tom Clark
WWE Money in the Bank is coming up on Sunday, June 17. Fans know this of course but what they don’t know is who will go over in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Four of Monday Night Raw’s best will compete with four of SmackDown Live’s best and the man to successfully pull down the briefcase wins the match.
Title glory could follow of course after the winner cashes in on either the Universal or the WWE champion. It’s a unique opportunity for a guy to finally realize his dream. Or it could be a chance for a veteran to get back on track and eventually rise to the top once again. But this match may not be as tough to predict as many fans believe.
The reason for that is Brock Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate is nowhere near this match and he’s nowhere near WWE right now. He’s protected by the company and his appearances are limited as he’s more of a featured attraction. Some fans continue to take issue with it but this is how WWE does business. That’s just the way it is.
But even though Lesnar has no real bearing on the MITB ladder match, his presence is important later. If a guy from the red brand wins on June 17, then he will likely challenge for the Universal Championship. This was fine when Kevin Owens wore the belt. It also would have been fine if Finn Balor had not worn the belt for less than 24 hours.
However now it’s a problem because Brock Lesnar has a stranglehold on the Universal Championship and that shows no signs of changing any time soon. As of this writing, Lesnar has held Monday Night Raw’s top title for just over 13 months. He’s defended the belt only 10 times since his championship win over Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.
Lesnar is undefeated during those 13 months and he has not been pinned since November 20, 2016. To say that Brock Lesnar is the most dominant Superstar of his generation is a massive understatement. To say that no one in WWE is beating him for the Universal Championship any time soon may be the most factual statement of all time. Or is it?
Though it does seem like a Money in the Bank cash-in for the Universal title would be a waste of time, there is always the possibility that WWE could shock the world. One of the most shocking moments of the past few years involves Lesnar of course and his aforementioned 2016 loss to Goldberg. What are the chances that the company is setting up yet another surprising moment for The Beast Incarnate?
Lesnar has proved that he will do business. WWE books him as unbeatable but that’s likely not Brock’s own doing. Brock goes where the money is and he does that because he’s smart. He also goes with the plan when it’s logical and when the story behind it is worth telling.
Photo Source: WWE.com
Angry fans hate Brock but in the end, WWE is pulling the strings. When the time is right and when Brock’s number is called, he will do the job. Many fans believed that job would be done at WrestleMania 34, when Lesnar faced Roman Reigns. Roman’s critics hated the idea of him moving up but even they knew that a win over Lesnar was inevitable. That was the way the story was being told at the time.
But when Reigns did not win, fans began to question if he really was the guy after all. When Reigns did not win against Lesnar at The Greatest Royal Rumble, fans believed they had their answer. Roman is indeed on top but for whatever reason, he cannot get past Brock Lesnar. So what if WWE is reserving that distinction for someone else?
Finn Balor is surely the top candidate to finally stop The Conqueror. Balor has not regained championship form since he surrendered the Universal title in August of 2016. He’s still one of the most popular stars in WWE and fans still have a lot of faith in him. But WWE seems content with booking Balor as the guy that’s working hard but just cannot get over the hump. Is all of that about to change?
If Balor cashed in on Lesnar and won the Universal Championship, it would send shockwaves through WWE. Finn would immediately become the hottest talent in the company and the cash-in itself would become the most replayed moment in recent history. Finally the Universal Championship would come home. Finally the belt wound be around the waist of a full-time champion. Isn’t that what the fans want to see?
Of course imagining the possibilities and dealing with reality are two entirely different things. WWE keeps Brock Lesnar at a distance and keeps him invincible. No one gets over on him and he doesn’t give the rub to anyone. He is doing what the company wants him to do while the title he’s wearing is remains out of sight and out of mind.
But there are seven other men in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and any one of them could make history as well. WWE obviously did not want to book Lesnar to drop his title to Reigns so no history was possible there. If the plan was not to give the rub to Reigns as the ultimate top guy, then why not let it happen in a surprising moment that would create buzz around the guy that cashes in?
It may be a bit anticlimactic when considering what happened with Roman, but at least something good could come from it. Brock Lesnar’s full control of WWE’s second most important championship is the alternative. Perhaps the time has come to switch it up. Maybe WWE should once again shock the world.