Brock Lesnar is great. That opinion is not open for debate here. If you think otherwise that's cool, everyone is entitled to an opinion and everyone has their own personal tastes. However, in this instance, if you happen to disagree then you happen to be wrong.
Everything Brock does is perfect for him. Paul Heyman said this like it was a
revelation on The Steve Austin Show, but it really shouldn't be news to anyone
who watches wrestling. But I do mean watch. Experiencing WWE and allowing Cole
and The Gang to lead you through the narrative can be a superficial experience
at best. But that's a story for another day.
Watch Brock like you're watching Japanese wrestling. Sure the Japanese
commentary does a far better job than its WWE equivalent at giving a sense of
emotion, but we can't understand what they're saying and you do get desensitised to it over time.
Maybe it actually is the lack of commentary, but when watching an old All Japan
match, or whatever foreign speaking Pro Wrestling variant it may be, you are
invariably paying more attention to the story being told by the work of the guys between the ropes. This isn't some kind of higher sense of Pro Wrestling
awareness. It's just watching wrestling the way it's meant to be, like its a
fight, where everything that happens is important, and not a variety show.
When you really watch Brock Lesnar you see a man who completely understands
himself and his role. The character of Brock Lesnar is that of the baddest,
meanest bully around who, like a true bully, shows vulnerability when the tables are turned. But the shadow and aura of Brock's God given gifts of superiority are never far away.
Everything he does personifies who he is or who he needs to be, at any given
time. A terrifying, marauding beast with the ability to show acts of unlikeable
cowardice or embarrassment (with payback usually to follow). You know Brock
could kill you with his bare hands, but you still thought he looked a dick when
he takes a perfect big man spill over the top rope, stumbles, falls backwards
and lands on his ass. Brock's a true heel. Not everything he does is pretty, nor should it be. You're not supposed to like him.
This was the truth of Brock Lesnar in the real world of fighting. A world where
he became the legitimate world champion after a handful of fights and the sports biggest ever money draw, through his polarising charisma. Despite being a virtual novice and besieged by illness, the aura of Brock Lesnar always fuels the expectation he may amaze us again. But some people choose to mock Brock's MMA career, ignoring his incredible achievements and focusing on the destructions at the hands of Velasquez and The Reem. But then I suppose we are supposed to be happy when heels lose.
Brock is real. And his ability to transplant that reality into the worked world
of pro wrestling is remarkable. The truth, of course, is it's a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Brock is real, but forged and focused, on how to communicate physically with an audience, by the world of pro wrestling. That the lines of fact and fiction are so blurred speak to the genius of Brock Lesnar. But how should he be used?
Brock is special. But his special contract with WWE, coupled with the company's
own ideology and caution, has resulted in some frustrating booking.
First up was John Cena. The prodigy's big return after years away, in which time he kinda made us pro wrestling fans proud by showing a gimmick can be real. And he returns on the post-Wrestlemania B-level PPV. And he loses.
WWE gets lucky enough to get their hands on a ready made, hand delivered
megastar monster heel and they debut him with a loss.
On the surface this was incredibly frustrating, infuriating in fact. I
understand the mindset behind the decision, but I hate it. And it was a decision they should never have had to make.
On the preceding Wrestlemania, John Cena lost to The Rock. This was undoubtedly
the right decision, but it did create a major headache. Whether you love him,
loathe him or claim complete apathy, John Cena was and remains the WWE's most
reliable cash cow. You'd be insane not to treat him as such. After losing to
(and presumably being overshadowed by) The Rock, there was a major concern
another loss to a returning megastar would pigeon hole Cena as only a second
rate star and not on the level of those who have the benefit of nostalgia.
This was also the first test of Brock. Despite the supposed guarantee of 1 year, contracts are contracts and Brock is Brock. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. He left early last time and he doesn't need the money. So it's somewhat naive not to be cautious that Brock may decide he's made a mistake in returning after his first match back. And what if his in ring return resembled Scott Steiner's?
The timing of the match is also understandable in that, after being carried by
The Rock through 'Mania, there was a worry that the product would feel
unimportant with Our Dwayne gone. Yes, this is what you get for not creating new stars, but once in that position you have to deal with it.
So they hotshotted Brock's return to fill the gap and played it safe, booking
him strong but giving the W to Cena. The truth is this match shouldn't have been made. When either outcome is going to have such undesired outcomes just don't book the match. Anyway, on to HHH.
In principal the Lesnar-HHH feud looks a fine Pro Wrestling storyline. (a)
Lesnar destroys HHH, breaking his arm with his bare hands (I told you they were
dangerous). (b) Lesnar beats HHH in a match and breaks his arm again. (c) the
babyface hero returns for a rematch and wins. (d) Brock's wins the rubber match, proving he's the better of two fine men.
Unfortunately aspect (c) was out of proportion to the rest of the plan, being at Wrestlemania and all. And it was still another loss. That it was to HHH enraged many, but from the perspective of Brock it's irrelevant. Brock isn't a normal wrestler and he shouldn't be involved in normal booking patterns.
In hindsight the first year loses haven't hurt Brock. But they didn't help him
either. That first year should have been about setting Brock up as the
unbeatable monster. Logistics, politics, poor planning and a bit of paranoia put a stop to that. The situation is surely different now.
Brock's ending of The Streak shows the company trusts Brock and believes he's
here for the foreseeable future. Whatever your feelings on the ending of The
Streak, it's undeniable that it shouldn't go to waste. It's more important than
ever that Brock's aura and prestige are protected the way they always should
have been.
On a full time schedule he'd be one of the guys you'd build the company around.
He and Heyman are, quite simply, the perfect championship heel act. But on his
limited schedule it's completely illogical to have him in the title picture.
He can't win it because he won't be around long enough to defend it, so he has
to lose, win and drop the belt quickly, making the win pointless, or involve
shenanigans in the booking which renders Brock's appearance secondary.
Brock has to remain a special attraction. So treat him as one. I'd favour
even less matches, allowing plenty of time to position an opponent and build the feud. This also means less danger of burning through opponents. And Brock's TV appearances can be concentrated, allowing the build to be more interesting and layered than just a bunch of set pieces and sound bites.
And Brock shouldn't lose. If the ending of The Streak is to mean anything, if
that incredible, real, emotion we felt (when witnessing a finish to a "fake"
sport) is to echo through the ages the way it should, then Brock Lesnar mustn't
lose. Not until it's time to cement a new megastar who'll receive the royal treatment thereafter. Maybe Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 33. We'll see on that one.
For now, the legacy of The Streak and the aura of Brock Lesnar are one. There can be no excuses, no conflicts of interest or political shadows. From now on, Brock Lesnar must be treated like he 's The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, every time he wrestles.
WWE is lucky to have Brock back, they really shouldn't waste him.
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