Why Brock Lesnar Should Replace Roman Reigns At WWE Battleground 2016

The Shield Triple Threat can wait for now... there's bigger possibilities ahead.

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WWE’s Battleground 2016 main event should have been a hole in one. Dean Ambrose’s WWE Championship at Money in the Bank finally set the wheels in motion for the long-awaited Shield Triple Threat, but Roman Reign’s 30-day suspension for violating WWE’s wellness policy has sucked the life out of what should’ve been one of 2016’s biggest matches.

Reigns will be booed out of the building as soon as he emerges at Battleground and Seth Rollins, a supposed heel, will be cheered. That’s a huge problem, and there’s only one way to fix it: Reigns must be removed from the match.

In its current form, Ambrose vs. Rollins vs. Reigns is a disaster. Reigns will never be accepted as a babyface against his former Shield brothers, and taking this shot away gives him immediate impetus to turn heel and take-out his frustrations on Rollins and Ambrose.

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The Roman Reigns experiment has failed. It’s time to finally give up the ghost, and replace him with a man whose stock has never been higher: Brock Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar UFC 200
2016 Rey Del Rio

After dominating Mark Hunt at UFC 200, Lesnar’s momentum is incredible. His name is on everyone’s lips after his successful MMA return, and fans are crying-out to see him return to a WWE ring sooner rather than later.

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In subbing Lesnar for Reigns, WWE can capitalise on Brock’s immense upswing in public interest and create an immediate buzz for their ailing PPV. It makes no sense for WWE to keep the divisive Reigns on the card with their star attraction waiting in the wings, and a Lesnar title win would do WWE the world of good.

Ambrose works best as a scrappy underdog. He’s not the kind of guy who needs a long reign to stay popular, and with Brock comfortably the company’s most recognisable star at the moment, it’s an easy decision. A Lesnar victory here would build to a potential rematch with Ambrose after their disappointing WrestleMania affair, and added some much needed juice to Brock’s scheduled SummerSlam clash with Randy Orton.

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SHIELD Ambrose Reigns Rollins Battleground
WWE.com

The Shield Triple Threat will happen eventually, but they’d be wasting it at Battleground. Reigns should be rehabilitated as a heel before he even thinks about facing Ambrose and Rollins again, while Lesnar holding the WWE Championship until at least his next UFC fight would be great business for both companies.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.