Why Brock Lesnar will eventually return to WWE
Brock Lesnar's free agency has been a hot-button topic within the IWC for the past few weeks. It was first reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider that Lesnar is no longer under a WWE contract. This was followed by the company pulling Brock Lesnar's merchandise from their online store.
Where could Brock Lesnar head next?
It was reported a few weeks ago by numerous outlets that Bellator President Steve Coker had reached out to Brock Lesnar. The talk within the MMA circle is that Coker has offered The Beast a potential fight against Fedor Emelianenko.
Brock Lesnar has always been in the good books of Dana White and the UFC. He was scheduled to take on Daniel Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but the fight never materialised.
There is also a potential money fight against Jon Jones in the offing. With JBJ teasing a move to the Heavyweight division, the possibility of this mega-bout finally happening is pretty strong.
Brock Lesnar is one of the most-coveted athletes in combat sports. He is the only man to have held the UFC Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the WWE Championship. The Beast has been a big box office draw in both the UFC and WWE.
There is no denying the fact that Brock Lesnar's name carries a lot of cache in both the pro wrestling and MMA circles. But, the fact of the matter is the services of Lesnar don't come cheap.
Brock Lesnar has been the highest-paid pro wrestler in the world for the past few years. Despite his limited appearances, the former WWE Champion walks away with a hefty cheque every year.
At this point, it's most likely not financially feasible for any wrestling promotion other than WWE to sign The Beast Incarnate. The ongoing pandemic has hit the wrestling business in more ways than one. It doesn't make for a promotion like AEW or NJPW to spend a bomb on Lesnar, who is only going to make sporadic appearances.
Besides, the style that Brock Lesnar wrestles in is what one would call the prototypical WWE style. He would look out of place and it would be quite odd to see him perform in any wrestling promotion other than WWE.
Now, coming to Brock Lesnar's return to MMA. Three of the world's top MMA promotions, UFC, Bellator and One Championship, have the financial resources to sign Lesnar. But, at 43 years of age, it wouldn't be wise on Lesnar's part to step back inside the cage.
Mixed Martial Arts is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. Unlike pro wrestling, one gets hit for real in MMA. One of the reasons cited for The Beast re-signing with WWE in 2015 was his physical well-being.
Besides, Brock Lesnar would have to complete a major chunk of his USADA suspension and get himself back in the testing pool. Even if he wanted to make to return to MMA, it would take another six to eight months for Lesnar to get cleared.
All of this leads us to believe what many in the wrestling and MMA world have been saying for the past few weeks. Some of the brightest minds in the sport have hinted that Brock Lesnar might be sticking with WWE.
The rumors of him signing with Bellator or returning to UFC is Brock Lesnar's way of receiving an even fatter pay-check from Vince McMahon and Co. This is something Lesnar has done before in 2015 and 2018.
Brock Lesnar returning to WWE seems to be the most plausible conclusion to all the hoopla surrounding his free agency.