Brock Lesnar is the new Raw Universal champion, but the move is drawing criticism. Most know of the erratic appearance schedule of the “Beast Incarnate” which will now include keeping the title out of circulation.
The Universal title is barely a year old and has since gained prestige. Finn Balor won the inaugural but had to surrender it 24 hours later. Kevin Owens surprising won it but hardly gave it the respect traditional WWE titles deserve.
Under Lesnar, it does gain some credence though it hardly scratches the surface of meaning. A challenge by Paul Heyman and the “Beast” was directed at Roman Reigns though Braun Strowman has entered the fray.
To date, nothing has gone down with Lesnar expectedly out of action.
Will the Universal Championship get the meaning?
Under Owens, the Universal title took a back seat. KO teamed up with Chris Jericho in what seemed more like a substitute to what “The Authority” did some years back. The only difference is that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were not directly involved in the mix though the storyline had all the similarities.
For Lesnar, it did make sense and most anticipated frequent appearances by Lesnar. Compared to past years, Lesnar does have more appearances lined up though most question the title-defense angle.
Though most cheered him at Wrestlemania 33 over Goldberg, the creative team may not have had any more choice at that point.
They wanted to fulfill the Goldberg storyline of being a champion but lacked time to pass it on to someone else.
Lesnar was the only option, and it seems that this will remain for now. Had there been an extra stipulation like a “Money in the Bank” angle, stealing the supposedly coveted prize on Raw would have gotten things more interesting.
Will there be a new Universal Champion soon?
Matching up against Brock Lesnar would be tough if one considers the likes of Seth Rollins or the returning Finn Balor. Reigns or Strowman could win the title over the “Beast” though that may have to wait.
Reigns and Strowman are still at it, and the feud will likely be one of the cards at WWE Payback happening on April 30 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
Only a four cards have been booked as of this writing but expect a special match involving Reigns vs. Strowman to be announced soon.
The grueling match could see the interference of Heyman and Lesnar, sparking the run for the Universal Title Reigns is the obvious choice, likely winning that match and setting up either Balor or Rollins.
The WWE needs to decide sooner or later on what the Universal title actually stands for. Is it an official title or a paper championship because of the WWE brand split? Either way, Brock Lesnar doesn’t seem fit to wear it, particularly because of his pampered schedule.
