Brock Lesnar dropped a bomb that he is entering WWE Royal Rumble 2020 first. Here are five individuals that would benefit greatly from tossing him over the top rope.
The build to the Royal Rumble is upon us as things ramp up for one of the biggest annual PPVs in WWE. Brock Lesnar dropped a massive bomb on Monday Night Raw when Paul Heyman announced that not only is Lesnar entering the Rumble, but he’s doing it at number one. Lesnar is a divisive champion, to say the least, and this is an intriguing shake up to his current narrative.
The title isn’t on the line, as we’ve seen in Rumbles past. But that doesn’t mean the WWE couldn’t build to something even bigger with the WWE champion in the event. One of the big moments in Royal Rumbles are the staged opportunities for major standoffs. Two big men, former tag team partners, returning or new faces; fans cheer when two individuals stare at each other while the rest of the field clears the way for them to engage with each other.
With Lesnar in the Rumble, there’s an opportunity to put The Beast face to face with multiple opponents he’s yet to face. These five individuals are in the perfect position to not only face down Lesnar but eliminate the champion. Eliminating Lesnar sets up big storylines for the future and puts the eyes on new names just in time for the lead up to WrestleMania.
Keith Lee
When you want to talk about current pushes in the WWE, few have gotten quite the push as Keith Lee has in recent months. Lee was a widely known name on the independent circuit, but, at first glance, was a questionable signing when he joined NXT in 2018 due to his age and fit in WWE. That first year was a super-slow build, but 2019 shifted things in the opposite direction. That big push led to Lee being named the Breakout Star of the Year.
Lee’s grand moment came at Survivor Series this year where he was the last member of Team NXT. In that position he stood face to face with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Not only did he stand face to face with them, but he pinned Rollins before eventually being defeated by Reigns. That was the moment in which Lee had “arrived” in the eyes of many.
Having Lee face off with Lesnar and throw the former UFC champion over the top rope would continue that build. Throughout his career, Lee has shown that he can hang with any type of opponent. For example, he and Ricochet have put on great matches in other organizations. Or one could look at his NXT matches with Dominik Dijakovic to show that he can put over big men as well.
Lee can deliver in the ring and can match Lesnar’s size when they would face off in the Rumble. It would be hard to see Lee going over Lesnar in any sense, especially at WrestleMania, but it would still be a hard-hitting and different match that would keep fans excited in the outcome for both men.
Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre was once considered The Chosen One on the WWE roster. His moment would never really come during that first run with the WWE as McIntyre would turn to the independent scene to hone his craft. Hone is exactly what he did for nearly three years before returning to WWE. However, he returned as a part of NXT where he was able to build himself as a fan favorite before heading to the main roster.
While he hasn’t been given the room to showcase his full talent on the main roster, McIntyre is an individual that many wrestling pundits and fans have kept a close eye on. When he came back to NXT, he was propelled to the main event picture where he flourished until an injury pushed him to the sideline.
That trend was expected to continue the main roster, but he bounced back and forth between the main event and mid-card as if the minds behind creative didn’t have the trust to put the spotlight on him. Now, McIntyre is playing a “heel” like character, but the fans are thoroughly behind him. Having him be the guy to eliminate Lesnar from the Rumble would put him in a popular position and give McIntyre the main event slot that he’s fit to fill.
McIntyre has the size and ability in the ring fit to carry the biggest prize in WWE. One of the appeals for Lesnar is that he’s a legit fighter. Often, the narrative is that majority of the roster isn’t a believable foil to the current champion. McIntyre checks those boxes and then some. While it’s puzzling that McIntyre hasn’t competed for the WWE Championship title yet, having him eliminate Lesnar from the Rumble and start that program is a clear path to getting him into that main event picture.
Matt Riddle
When talking about Brock Lesnar there’s a lot of commentary that he’s a “believable” professional wrestler that also has success as a mixed martial artist. There are several personalities that have jumped from MMA to wrestling including Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Kushida and past names like Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn. But in talking about Lesnar in the Rumble, there’s one person who could leverage the opportunity to eliminate Lesnar and further additional, long brewing angles. That person is Matt Riddle.
Back in 2008, Riddle’s professional MMA career began with a victory in the UFC Octagon against Dante Rivera. His career would be short lived after being jettisoned from the organization due to issues with marijuana. As he progressed into professional wrestling, he took to the sports entertainment realm and became a more outspoken, fan favorite. One of his most eye-catching lines of late was his promise to “retire” Lesnar. That’s quite a line coming from an individual like Riddle, but the Rumble is an opportunity to set that angle in motion.
Imagine Lesnar standing in the middle of the ring after eliminating several people and Riddle’s music hit. The two get a few minutes alone in the ring which sees Riddle eliminate Lesnar without the need of additional help. That moment would make Riddle a major star not only for the NXT brand, but for the WWE. One that could be a central figure heading into WrestleMania. The question is whether WWE Creative is prepared to pull the trigger on the “Bro.”
Kofi Kingston
This story writes itself. KofiMania took over the WWE Universe in 2019 as Kofi Kingston rose to the WWE Championship. His victory over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 was a career accolade that cemented what was already a Hall of Fame run.
How did it end? In eight seconds on first episode of WWE SmackDown on Fox. The response across the wrestling community was disdain for the situation. Kingston’s character hasn’t been too outspoken about coming to terms with losing the title, but the Rumble is a place where that story could come into play.
Kingston has been known for being a highlight reel each year when he performs in the event. While this Rumble could still have that moment, it would be an extra benefit for that moment to lead to the elimination of Lesnar. That gives a moment in which Kingston has some sort of “redemption,” while setting the stage for him to potentially be a foil to Lesnar, even without wining the Rumble in totality.
Kingston deserves some type of moment as a former champion who dropped his title in sudden fashion. KofiMania shows that there’s a desire for Kingston to be booked in a successful fashion with his New Day brethren by his side. Seeing him eliminate Lesnar at the Royal Rumble would set the stage for that storyline that could led to another big moment for the group in 2020.
Big E
If Kofi Kingston attacks and fails to eliminate Brock Lesnar, imagine the reaction if Big E were to avenge that moment. When Lesnar defeated Kingston in 2019 there was an opportunity for a match between Big E and Lesnar to be built to work into that arc. WWE Creative opted to go in another direction for other reasons. The 2020 edition of the Royal Rumble is an opportunity where the WWE could correct this botch and give us a face off that everyone wants to see.
Again, there is a lot of commentary around who is a believable threat to Lesnar’s run. One look at Big E and its clear that he fits that mold. Not only is he the muscle of The New Day, but he’s a legit powerlifter who broke multiple records. While his in-ring style consists of mostly power moves, he’s shown that he can move around the ring with the best of workers. A match between Big E and Lesnar wouldn’t be just another slow, plodding big man match.
For all of this to work, there needs to be a face off in the Royal Rumble between Lesnar and Big E. Setting up the moment with Lesnar tossing over Kingston and Big E returning the favor to eliminate Lesnar creates an angle that would drive intrigue in the future of the WWE Championship.
Yes, Lesnar is on Monday Night Raw, but that issue could easily be corrected in storyline. Either way, this is an opportunity to build Big E into the main event talent many see him as in the future.