10 Major Problems WWE Faces After SummerSlam 2017

10. Brock Lesnar's Uncertain Future

The beauty of pro wrestling is when fiction blends into reality, creating a delicate balance that leaves viewers wondering what is true and what is storyline. Brock Lesnar masterfully tiptoes that line because of his legitimate fighting background. He has cultivated an outsider persona, appearing sporadically throughout the year, straying from overly scripted promos and maintaining a MMA-influenced wrestling style. By standing out from the other sports-entertainers, he has become a special attraction – his contract negotiations are more closely studied than Shakespeare’s works.

Fans are aware that Lesnar’s current contract expires at WrestleMania 34. It’s become tradition to speculate whether he’ll re-sign with WWE or jump back to UFC, where he could face UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Although the two elite athletes have jaw jacked about a possible fight, it’s very likely that Lesnar is playing up the drama to gain leverage in contract negotiations with Vince McMahon.

Here’s where the reality weaves into storyline: Paul Heyman has vowed that if Lesnar loses at SummerSlam, he (and his advocate) will leave WWE. Regardless of whether that pledge is fact or fiction, WWE officials need to prepare either to appease 'The Beast' or for a future without him.