5 Potential Opponents For Brock Lesnar After Braun Strowman's Injury
What next for the WWE Universal Champion?
No WWE superstar is hotter than Braun Strowman at the moment. His perfectly-handled feud with Roman Reigns has not only made him one of the company's most popular acts, but the most convincing monster they've had in years. Strowman has shot to stardom, and if recent reports are to be believed, WWE had planned on building their summer programming around him.
Unfortunately, Braun's momentum screeched to a halt this week. It was announced on Monday that the former Wyatt Family man is set to undergo elbow surgery, and will miss 4-8 weeks of television as a result. This not only puts his Extreme Rules (June 4th) rematch with Reigns in jeopardy, but also his proposed Universal Title match with Brock Lesnar on July 2nd's Great Balls Of Fire PPV.
The injury has forced WWE into a significant rewrite. They're now tasked with finding a new opponent for Lesnar's first major title defence, and it won't be a small task. GBOF might be a B-level PPV, but Brock is WWE's biggest star, and they must replace Strowman with an opponent who is not only believable, but popular enough to sell tickets for a major show. Fortunately, there are several options on the table...
5. Samoa Joe
Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe have a lot in common. They’re both among Raw’s hardest-hitting wrestlers, and each has a ruthless streak a mile wide. Joe and Brock are two of WWE’s most destructive forces, and whenever they appear, violence is just a split-second away. Pairing them up would result in a brutal, chaotic slugfest between two beasts who’ve never faced before, and Joe’s near-perfect main roster booking means credibility wouldn’t be an issue.
The former NXT Champion is a tad preoccupied by Seth Rollins at the moment, but there’s no reason their business can’t be concluded at Extreme Rules. A victory would free Joe up for Great Balls Of Fire, and allow him to propel towards the Universal Championship by overcoming a perennial contender.
Alignments might be an issue, as both play heel at the moment. Brock is one of WWE’s most popular wrestlers, however, and could drift effortlessly into a tweener role for the sake of fighting Joe. Besides, this match wouldn’t be about good guys and bad guys, but two absolute savages pummelling the life out of each other for 15-20 minutes, and who could possibly say "no" to that?