Brock Lesnar. His very name sends shivering orgasms through Scott Keith’s body (have you read the guy’s reviews lately?). From the moment news leaked of his impending return, the IWC immediately responded with both negative and positive arguments in regards to the impact he’ll have on the business. This week I’ve decided to cover both sides of the story to enlighten you, the reader, as to the situation we now find ourselves in. NOTE: None of what follows is my opinion; this is simply a non-biased report.
Is Brock’s return to the WWE good for business in the long run, or will his short-term deal ultimately alienate more fans by the time Wrestlemania XXIX rears itself?
Pros
1. “Brock Lesnar is back! My eyes are now firmly glued to the TV just to see what happens next!”
The initial interest in Brock occurred the moment he walked to the ring two weeks ago and demolished John Cena. That fervor continued into this past Monday thanks to the brawl that erupted at the start of the program. Speculation is that this seems to be McMahon’s way of trying to get mainstream coverage, what with his direct acknowledgement of UFC and the “realism” of the brawl. One could argue that the close-ups of Cena’s mangled lip along with the constant utterance of the word “legitimacy” is Vince’s cry for attention to the media. Besides, if this short-term engagement works out in both parties’ favor, it could be an invitation for Brock to stick around longer or for other former talent to return.
2. “Wow, Brock’s going right after Cena! I can’t wait to order Extreme Rules!”
The smartest move the company has made so far is to have the audience wait until the next PPV to have Lesnar wrestle, and the best way to improve buy rates is to have him go after the top dog. It remains to be seen what the ‘E does with this feud over the next two weeks.
3. “Brock’s return means that a lot of the guys in the back need to step up their game in order to be noticed, which is a win-win for wrestling fans.”
A recurring concern that the dirt sheets continue to bring up is that of dissent in the locker room from guys who are lower on the card. One could argue that the guys in the back should take this as an invitation to improve what they do in the ring and on the mic to prove they belong with the main eventers. All that remains is for the booking team to give them the time to showcase said abilities.
Cons
1. “Brock’s only here until Wrestlemania XXIX. That’s not going to help the business in the long-term.”
Currently, Brock’s deal is set for under 40 appearances from now until Wrestlemania. In that time, the WWE hopes to get a few marquee match-ups out of the big man before his contract is up. The questions on the minds of many naysayers are: what happens after his time is up? Do things go back to the way they were? Just how effective will his presence be if he has a “hit-and-run” mentality?
2. “Putting Brock up against Cena now is a bad idea. They should have fed some other guys to him first. The next logical step for Lesnar after this Cena business is CM Punk, right? Is everyone just going to be fed to the former WWE Champion?”
Having Cena face Lesnar at the beginning of his year-long sojourn means the WWE is throwing their ace out the window, because there is no one bigger than John Cena in the company. The next logical step is for Lesnar to battle CM Punk for the WWE Championship. Another concern is that Lesnar will dominate the workers throughout the company and then leave next year, making them all look like chumps.
3. “Brock’s appearance mirrors The Rock’s, except magnified by 100. With Lesnar sticking around for a whole year, the undercard will get no love. Look at what happened on Raw. We saw a lot of guys just pop in for a quick cameo and the main focus was once again Cena and Lesnar.”
The lower card always draws the short straw, but now things will be even worse for midcarders who were getting pushes and are now on the back burner. Take Dolph Ziggler and The Miz, for example. Ziggler is jobbing to Brodus Clay and Miz hasn’t done anything remarkable since winning for his team at Wrestlemania.
MY Thoughts
You all know where I’m going with this: wait and see. So many of us go right for the pessimistic approach, preferring to let ourselves down now rather than allow the WWE to spoil the moment as they often do. Others are immediately optimistic to the point of rabid fanaticism and refuse to see any negativity in this endeavor. I like to just take in and enjoy what’s going on as an observer (I suppose much like on Fringe) and I’ll reserve my judgment for the aftershocks.
But you already knew that about me, right? ;)
Sound off in the comments below and let me know if you think Brock’s deal is good or bad for the business.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
