The Real Reason Brock Lesnar Returned On Last Night’s WWE SmackDown
The Beast is back.
SmackDown started hot on Tuesday with a blockbuster six-man tag team match between The New Day and FTRKO that appeared to pay off the recent hostilities between the singles and tag representatives of both groups when Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods finally appeared to achieve a measure of revenge on the heel trifecta for all their devilish deeds over the past few months.
For a company still defined by protracted feuds despite worthy efforts to bin off automatic rematches in 2019, the contest and result seemed to actively work towards a Steve Austin-like bottom line. The reason for this was made abundantly clear as all babyface celebrations were cut short by the jagged sting of an achingly familiar entrance theme.
Triggering dread on Monday Night Raw over the past few years, Brock Lesnar's famous tune blaring over the SmackDown speakers was something of a treat if only because of the element of surprise - 'The Beast' has only really rocked up on Tuesdays (or Thursdays, or Fridays) over the years when WWE were desperate to pop a number over there for some reason or another, whereas this one came completely out of nowhere and without such cynical inten-
Or not.
It's always a version of the above, but this less about popping numbers and more about creating an audience. Lesnar's arrival was the start of WWE's most important quest for consistent ratings this decade. Their short-term financial future, in part, depends upon it.
CONT'D...