10 Directions For New WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar
The Beast is back on top, but where does he go from here?
Two years removed from his last major championship run, Brock Lesnar has gold around his waist once again. The 'Beast Incarnate' finally solved the Bill Goldberg puzzle to become WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 33, and on a show full of ups and downs, his victory was one of the biggest highlights.
The match only went for five minutes, but it was a breathless, hard-hitting sprint. Lesnar survived multiple Spears and a Jackhammer on the road to victory, and eventually downed the 50-year-old with his usual plethora of German Suplexes and an F5. He left the building as WWE's fourth Universal Champion, and with the Goldberg feud finally over, Brock has once again become Raw's top dog.
Lesnar as champion brings a number of interesting challenges to the table, along with plenty of fresh feuds and matches. As a part-timer, he'll be forced to shake off a great deal of cynicism and doubt, but Brock is undoubtedly one of WWE's biggest stars. Play this right, and putting the Universal Championship on 'the Beast' could be one of the best decisions WWE have made in years, and the key to rebuilding Raw's fractured main event scene.
10. Increase His Visibility
While Brock’s last WWE Title run unquestionably brought prestige to the belt, it suffered through his lack of appearances. Lesnar was barely visible on WWE television, appearing on only a handful of live shows between title defences, and routinely missing several weeks of TV at a time. This resulted in a series of limp, under-developed World Title feuds, and widespread disgruntlement among the fanbase.
WWE can’t let this happen in 2017, particularly given the Universal Title’s image problem. The belt’s first champion was forced to vacate through injury, the second was incapable of winning cleanly, and the third was 50 years old and coming-off a 12-year hiatus. At this stage, the championship desperately needs a strong, visible champion, and Lesnar’s limited appearances must be upped.
He doesn’t need to appear every single week, but Lesnar should be on most shows going forward. If he’s not around, it’s vital that Paul Heyman is in the building to keep feuds boiling over and build cohesive rivalries. Anything else will see the problems of old resurface in no time, so here’s hoping WWE have learned from their prior mistakes.