Brock Lesnar’s Ongoing Drama Continues in WWE

Brock Lesnar did not appear on the June 25 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. That did not come as a surprise to anyone, mostly because The Beast Incarnate is typically not on hand unless it’s to promote an upcoming pay-per-view.

But what did come as a surprise was Kurt Angle’s announcement that Extreme Rules was not going to happen as previously advertised. Just one week prior, Angle stated that a multi-man match would take place at the July 15 event. That match would determine Lesnar’s next challenger for the WWE Universal Championship.

However now that plan has changed for some reason. Angle blamed Lesnar’s contract which of course is likely just a storyline point. But that point is part of a much bigger picture. The Brock Lesnar drama doesn’t need WWE Creative or anyone on WWE programming doing anything to further the story. This drama writes itself.

Who would have guessed that an absentee champion could evoke the kind of controversy that Brock Lesnar has? It’s been that way since he returned to the company in 2012 but it’s really taken shape over the past few years.

When Lesnar beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 thus ending the undefeated streak, he became the villain. Fans still cheer for Brock but when Paul Heyman reminds them of that night, they boo and hiss. It was impossible to know just how crucial that night would be for his WWE career but it was the beginning of the fans’ love/hate relationship with him.

That relationship is complex but the narrative behind it is not. In fact, it’s pretty simple. Brock Lesnar is a Superstar that gets whatever he wants whenever he wants it. He’s the champ but he doesn’t have to defend the belt. He’s rarely ever on TV and he hardly ever appears at house shows.

Basically he’s a WWE Superstar in name only. After all it’s difficult to think of him in those terms when he’s never around. He won a championship that has no prestige because no one has ever really added any to it. The Universal title means nothing. That’s just how it is.

The ironic part is that if anyone in WWE could elevate the championship to the top of the company, it’s Brock Lesnar. He is a world renowned competitor. He’s a fighter that has the respect of fans not only in the world of pro wrestling but in the world of MMA as well. Brock is freakishly athletic, he’s a monster in the ring and he is a main event draw.

Lesnar should have carried the Universal Championship to heights usually reserved for the WWE Championship. Raw’s top title should be the top title in WWE. But that’s not the case. In fact it may never be the case.

The championship is worthless thanks to its lack of spotlight. WWE is more concerned with saving Lesnar for big events. Fans were upset at first but the fact is Brock wasn’t around as WWE champion. Why would he be around now?

Roman Reigns was the man to bring Brock’s drama to the forefront. He used it as ammunition against The Beast Incarnate and though everyone knew he was right, Reigns came out of his feud with Lesnar worse than when he went in. Roman is still hated. Brock is still not around. Nothing has changed.

It’s not that Roman faces ruin after losing to Brock again but it does not help him either. Even Roman’s critics knew that WWE handpicked him to beat Lesnar. WrestleMania 30 was supposedly the night. When Reigns surprisingly lost, he took another shot at The Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. Everyone knew it. But Roman lost there as well.

Every time it seemed as though Lesnar was going down, he bounced back. Roman is the face of the company but even he cannot get past Brock Lesnar. No one can. Braun Strowman is Mister Money in the Bank but Brock has already beaten him. Brock has beaten everyone. He will probably beat anyone put in front of him. Lesnar hardly ever loses.

That’s perhaps the most difficult part for fans. No one expects Brock to get 50/50 booking. Very few Superstars can survive on that and no main event Superstars can use it. But Lesnar’s most recent loss came in 2016 to Goldberg and that loss was advertised as a fluke.

It didn’t matter that Goldberg matched up physically to Lesnar. It also didn’t matter that Lesnar could lose and not lose his dominance. In fact he could have lost the feud to Goldberg and then moved on to the next big event. But instead, Brock Lesnar won the feud. Once again, The Conqueror could ultimately not be conquered.

The funny part is that none of this is on Lesnar. Brock surely doesn’t want to work many dates, that much is certain. But unless he insisted on having a title belt, his booking as an absentee champion is not in his hands. Brock Lesnar is doing Brock Lesnar things and he’s surely getting paid very well to do so.

Next: What's Next For Samoa Joe?

The real focus should be on the company that is full of talent yet no one is getting the kind of exposure that could lead to superstardom. Brock brings a lot to the table and that cannot be denied. But he also brings a lot of drama as well. That cannot be denied either.