How Should WWE Book A Potential Brock Lesnar Return?

Professional wrestling only has a handful of true stars capable of genuine drawing power during these uncertain times.

And by “true stars”, I’m referring to legitimate draws of the sport, those who bring fans into packed arenas, move the needle of weekly television shows and cause a buzz when they so much as hint an appearance is as much as a possibility.

Off the top of my head we think of John Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H, The Rock, Ronda Rousey, and last but certainly not least, the very subject of this article, “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar, who was the subject of a lot of speculation this past week regarding his potential WWE return.

Brock Lesnar isn’t just a major draw for the sport of professional wrestling, he’s one of the few crossover stars we’ve come across over the last few years. Once he dominated the world of WWE in under three years the man took his ball and went over to the UFC where he became the company’s top draw, selling out every arena he competed in and holds multiple records to this day. He’s a rare talent that can bring in fans from all walks of the sports world while making what he does right now look as real as it can get. While many of us have heavy words when it comes to Lesnar, there’s no doubting the history made since his debut in 2002.

From becoming the youngest World Champion in WWE history to facing the vast majority of established names within the first calendar year of his career to headlining his very first Wrestlemania, few can boast a record as decorated as Brock’s within that short span of time.

Not only are his accomplishments notable, let’s not forget about the opponents he’s left in his path since; John Cena, The Undertaker, The Rock, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Triple H, Goldberg, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, RVD, Edge, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor, Kane, Braun Strowman, Mark Henry and others that I could go on for hours about. And with these fellow Hall of Famers (or, soon to be Hall of Famers), have spawned countless classic matches that remain relevant to this day.

The point of all this is to emphasize the magnitude of star-power that a Brock Lesnar carries with him. He’s not just a legend or a master of his craft, he’s one of the poster boys for what makes a WWE superstar. Be it athletic talent, his animalistic persona, drawing power, charisma or the natural ability to encapsulate a crowd by simply standing there, nobody else is like him. Over the last year, however, that presence has been sorely lacking from WWE programming.

Lesnar isn’t a constant on WWE programming, he stops by when he’s needed not only to suit his character, but that’s because it’s who he seems to be at his core. But since his loss to Drew McIntyre at Wrestlemania 36 last year, Lesnar has seemingly disappeared from the public eye, more than usual.

His absence has left the ever-daunting question that every fan asks when a wrestler takes a leave of absence for a prolonged period of time; what happens when they return?

The return of a star, particularly one of Brock Lesnar’s status, comes with a lot more weight than we usually imagine. Not only is he a big-money contract star with a lot on the line when he’s placed onto a card, but his storylines will also be front and center upon that inevitable return whenever it may be.

So, with that being said, what would the best path forward be for “The Beast Incarnate”?

Let’s have a look at the best possible scenarios for a Brock Lesnar return, whether to RAW or SmackDown. These are, in my opinion, the most logical or interesting ways to re-introduce him back into the fold following such a lengthy departure from the WWE banner which sets up interesting matches and more importantly, things fans would want to see now that arenas are on their way back in a matter of weeks.

Avenge his loss to Drew McIntyre

We’ll start off with the most obvious scenario first, not just because it’s an easy follow-up based on how Lesnar’s last appearance in a ring went, but it involves a superstar who practically carried the RAW brand on his shoulders over the last year or so as it scrambled to create new stars.

Drew McIntyre has been one of the few saving graces of Monday Night RAW since mid-2020. He’s been one of the few consistent elements of the show, always puts on a solid performance no matter the opponent and has been one of the few stars to actually elevate the importance of the WWE Championship during the course of his reign. Oh, and most importantly, the man pinned Brock Lesnar decisively in under five minutes at Wrestlemania 36 to claim his first WWE Championship.

It would be a logical next step to have the man return to avenge arguably his most embarrassing loss consider the level of domination he had prior to the defeat. Having Lesnar run it back with one of the hottest young stars in the game is an easy win-win for both sides of this equation. On one end you have a superstar finally coming into his own who could benefit simply from facing Lesnar in a rematch, while Lesnar gets to redeem his previous performance by not only assaulting his opponent in front of a live audience but maintain his relevance atop the card.

While I’d argue the following two scenarios offer more intrigue on a creative level, this is an easy way to follow up Lesnar’s previous appearance and put him right back on course to where he once was.

“The Beast” vs “The Almighty”

Stylistically, there are very few matches I’d rather see in the whole of professional wrestling as much as I’d love to see Brock Lesnar collide with Bobby Lashley.

Lashley’s WWE return started off dreadfully, to put it lightly. A start that almost killed his momentum entirely, stuffed him in terribly mishandled feuds, forgettable matches, a pairing with Lana that almost shattered his image and a failure to understand what makes a character like Lashley click to audiences. But since then, the man has undergone a transformation, one of the best in recent memory. Following his pairing with MVP, the sky has been the limit for the former ECW Champion.

A successful United States Championship reign, series of great matches against top-tier talents on the RAW brand and shockingly dominating The Miz to finally claim the WWE Championship many thought he was overdue for years now has led Bobby Lashley to the highest point of his career. Lashley is atop the mountain right now, riding a wave of momentum that’s seen him beat the very best available to him with no signs of slowing down, but his truest test may lay with the man we’ve been talking about so much.

Not only is Brock Lesnar the biggest possible fight for the reigning WWE Champion, their styles make this potential contest all the more interesting when we think about it on paper. Their similar MMA backgrounds make this the kind of hoss-fight wrestling fans love to witness when done correctly. An all-out fight, not your proto-typical professional wrestling match, just two behemoths plowing into one another throwing everything but the kitchen sink in there to determine who’s the absolute best.

It’s a match that will excite even the most casual of viewers, the former champion who has latched onto World Championships with a death-grip for the majority of his time since his return going against an absolute animal on a career-saving second-wind that has given him an aura of invincibility. I’m unsure how far we’ll go, but this has dream match written all over it.

Take his seat at the “Head of the table”

I’ll start by addressing the obvious, this match is nothing we haven’t seen in the past.

In fact, both Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar have one of the most divisive feuds you can think of in recent memory. A feud consisting of a genuine classic at Wrestlemania 31, a hilarious disaster at Wrestlemania 34, a steel cage match in Saudi Arabia that nobody cares for and a Summerslam main event that simply tried to fix the broken experiment that used to be Roman Reigns.

The difference now lies in the roles each man will play should they collide again. Reigns is currently the most compelling heel (and character) that WWE programming has to showcase that turns anything he touches into gold, while Brock Lesnar is simply the man who will kill you if you blink at him wrong. It’s the self-absorbed leader versus an absolute killer for the richest prize in the company in my opinion. That’s a match with money written all over it.

On top of the basic styles these two could bring, what makes this potential rematch interesting is the presence of Paul Heyman, a fixture of both men’s characters but in very different ways. For Reigns, Heyman acts as more of an assistant leader to a large cause, while with Lesnar it’s clear the on-screen dynamic aims to portray them as more of a traditional manager. Potentially playing around with Heyman in the midst of this feud is where the interest really stems from for me personally, as well as the added risk of one of these guys maybe even losing Paul Heyman entirely due to the personal nature of the conflict.

I personally feel another clash between Reigns & Lesnar will surpass even their best match to date due to how far Roman in particular has come since 2015 when they first met. Rather than be a character who tried to resemble what WWE’s creative team thought we wanted, he’s now the most compelling character we’ve had since “The Fiend” initially arrived in mid-2019. Placing a dominant force like Roman against one of the most dominant stars the business has ever seen in Brock may not be necessarily new, but the new dynamic of Roman in particular makes this a match that could create fireworks.

One thing through all of this certainly is for sure, should they take Brock in either of the directions listed above, it’ll be some of the most compelling storytelling you could currently write due to the depth of the talent involved and the ramifications coming out of each subsequent contest.