WWE MITB: 3 reasons why Brock Lesnar winning the briefcase is not so bad
By Jason Reed
2. Brock Lesnar is a massive mainstream name for Smackdown’s move to FOX
It is no secret that WWE’s ratings are at an all-time low and the company is hoping that Smackdown’s move to FOX can help bolster the ratings; boomerang them back to where the company wants them to be.
To really be successful on such a massive channel like FOX, the WWE is going to need some massive mainstream names and right now, there are really only two huge mainstream names that could have that kind of impact.
One is John Cena, who is taking the Dwayne Johnson route of going Hollywood, while the other is Brock Lesnar.
That is why Lesnar is going to likely cash in shortly before SmackDown Live’s move over to Fox to be the WWE Champion in front of the mainstream, something that WWE likely hopes will bring initial viewership that will stick.
I mean, it makes sense. FOX is going to be able to advertise Smackdown on NFL games and other popular programming. The best thing to do is to have a marquee name leading the way.
If WWE is smart, that title reign won’t last long and will only catapult another name into the mainstream. If they can broadcast that monumental win on Smackdown, similar to Mick Foley winning the WWE Championship on Raw in 1999, then WWE could really create something special.