WWE can salvage another Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar match
Brock Lesnar made his surprising return on last night's edition of WWE SmackDown. Lesnar confronted Roman Reigns after his title defense and laid him out with an F5. It was later announced that the two will face off in a Last Man Standing match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship next month at SummerSlam.
While the Last Man Standing stipulation adds some spice to this match, WWE is beating a dead horse with yet another Reigns vs. Lesnar match. However, there are a couple of ways for them to salvage the bout and get two world champions again.
SummerSlam will be the ninth match between Reigns and Lesnar in the past seven years. When all is said and done, 1/3 of their matches will have happened at "The Biggest Party of the Summer". This is why there is little to no fan excitement for their upcoming bout.
.@BrockLesnar is here!!! #SmackDown https://t.co/FAoxzhG0R2
Roman Reigns finally got his WrestleMania win over Lesnar earlier this year. The match was also built up as the final chapter between the two. If Reigns beats Lesnar at SummerSlam, it doesn't do anything for him.
If Lesnar beats Reigns at SummerSlam, then Reigns' two-year run of dominance was for nothing. That is because instead of giving that rub to a young up-and-comer, it would go to Lesnar, who is already a household name and doesn't need that accolade.
WWE can fix this problem fairly easily. One solution would be to add another competitor to the match. If they do this, that person could either eat the pin in the match to protect Lesnar, or WWE can shock us all by having that person pin Lesnar to win the titles so Reigns doesn't take a pinfall loss.
Reigns, Lesnar, and the 'Heist of the Century' Part 2
The most likely route WWE will go is the Money in the Bank cash-in route. With Reigns vs. Lesnar being a Last Man Standing Match, both men will be in bad shape during/after the match. This makes them easy prey for the briefcase holder.
If it is Seth Rollins who is holding the briefcase, WWE can go with the "Heist of the Century 2.0" story. Rollins would cash in and win both championships. Then the next night on RAW, Paul Heyman would come out and say that the contract was only for one title.
Under this scenario, the titles will be separated again. Rollins could go on to have a lengthy reign as WWE Champion on RAW. Meanwhile, Roman Reigns could continue his record-breaking Universal Championship run on SmackDown.
With The Tribal Chief's new limited schedule, WWE's premier live event won't suffer as much since the WWE Championship would be highlighted on the shows where Reigns is absent.
Is Roman Reigns set for a Clash in Wales with Drew McIntyre?
If Drew McIntyre wins the briefcase, WWE can go the RVD/John Cena route and have McIntyre announce when he is cashing in. Drew had already challenged Roman Reigns to a title match at Clash at the Castle in September. One way or the other, WWE seems set on Reigns vs. McIntyre for the UK show.
While Drew hates Reigns and Lesnar, he wants the winner at SummerSlam to be 100% healthy with no excuses come September. WWE can still do the "only for one title" story as well, although it works better with the Rollins scenario.
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@BrockLesnar @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle #SmackDown https://t.co/v2OCEgj6o9
In conclusion, with all of the injuries lately, WWE's hands were tied and they went with the safe option in Brock Lesnar. While there is little excitement for the match, WWE can salvage the angle, split the titles again and keep the Universal Championship on Roman Reigns by using the Money in the Bank briefcase.