What if Brock Lesnar wins the Universal Title at Crown Jewel?
Brock Lesnar is the longest reigning Universal Champion in the short history of the title. As a part-timer, he held the belt from WrestleMania 33 straight to SummerSlam 2018—a year plus run that would be impressive in any era. While WWE continued to book him as a dominant monster, though, a lot of the luster was off Lesnar’s unique act for this run. A series of uninspired performances opposite the likes of Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns, not to mention his tendency to disappear for long stretches left most fans all too eager for him to drop the title.
When Lesnar did lose it to Reigns at SummerSlam, most thought it was the end of the Lesnar experiment, at least for the time being. The title would stay back in the hands of full-timers while Lesnar returned to MMA for at least one high profile fight, after which both sides might re-evaluate working together.
Lesnar was back in WWE sooner than most expected, though with his surprise return at Hell in a Cell. Followed by the announcement he’d get his return title shot in a triple threat against Reigns and Strowman at the Crown Jewel show from Saudi Arabia. While most expect for Reigns to retain, and a smaller contingent suggest that Strowman might take the title here, there is a third possibility.
What if Lesnar wins? This article looks at five potential implications if that were to happen this fall, and where it might lead WWE as well as UFC in the months ahead.
#5 Champion vs Champion in the Octagon
When Brock Lesnar made his surprise return to UFC, storming the cage to get in heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier’s face, Lesnar was still the reigning Universal Champion for WWE. The confrontation thus generated some serious intrigue. Was it possible we’d see WWE’s top champion and UFC’s square off in a shoot fight?
Roman Reigns taking the title off of Lesnar seemed to defuse that scenario, but with Lesnar getting his title shot in November, the champion vs. champion dream fight is conceivably back in play. Despite some speculation that Vince McMahon was worried about the prospect of his champion getting beaten in a widely watched fight, perhaps he’s won over by the other possibility. Given his age and time spent away from the sport, Lesnar can’t be considered the favorite this MMA encounter, but if he could win, it could be a glorious moment for the legitimacy of WWE.