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In the long, illustrious history of the WWE, there has only ever been one athlete who has made Vince McMahon leave his office and go to greet personally. That man was Brock Lesnar.
The fact that the boss of the biggest pro wrestling organization on the planet was so eager to greet Brock upon first sight speaks volumes. There is no denying that Lesnar brings a heavy presence to the WWE, and that same presence brings in a lot of attention. And in the pro wrestling industry, a lot of times attention is synonymous with money.
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Brock Lesnar has been in and out of the WWE for over a decade. His supremely conditioned physical body is matched by his athletic acumen and combat sports experience. On one level, it makes perfect sense to have Brock Lesnar represent the company as Universal champion.
On the other hand, however, certain critics decry his part-time schedule. They believe the champion should be present for every weekly show and most house shows.
Here are five reasons Brock Lesnar as Universal champion is good for the WWE, and five reasons it might be bad.
Good for WWE: A Real life fighting champion adds credibility
Like as not, there's no denying Brock Lesnar had a successful, if brief, MMA career. He managed to capture the World heavyweight championship and turned away legends like Heath Herring and Randy Couture while he was at it.
Having a legit fighting sports veteran as world champion gives credence to the Universal title and the WWE in general.
Bad for WWE: Lesnar's MMA career wasn't that impressive
A lot of Brock's marketability in the WWE revolves around his reputation as a nigh-invincible juggernaut, but as we've seen from many of his fights in the UFC that is simply not the case.
When Brock reigned as UFC Heavyweight champion, the division wasn't exactly stacked with the world's best fighters. Heath Herring and Randy Couture were past their fighting primes. When Brock started facing actual, real competition he faltered, including an embarrassing loss to Cain Velasquez, who gave Brock the scar he bears on his face to this day.
Like so many other things, Brock's UFC title reign was about 60% hype.
Good for the WWE: Brock's longevity with the company
It's hard to believe that Brock Lesnar made his WWE debut almost twenty years ago. An entire generation of wrestling fans has either been born or grew up during this time. They're used to seeing Brock Lesnar and associate him with the WWE, especially big events.
Fans like seeing old stars as much as they like new favourites, and they can get their wish by watching the veteran Lesnar perform in the WWE.
Bad for Wrestling: Brock is ageing past his prime
While Brock Lesnar was a true beast in the past, these days father time is catching up to him.
Brock lacks the conditioning, power, and explosiveness that characterized his first run in the WWE. While he's in great shape for a middle-aged man, he isn't the dynamo that men like AJ Styles or Christopher Daniels are. Brock's advancing age draws away from his aura of invincibility, which is pretty much all he has left at this point.
Good for the WWE: The "Brock Lesnar Brand" is still a hot commodity
Brock Lesnar at this stage of his career is more than just a man. He's an icon, a brand name, a face and a presence that is known all over the world.
There are probably monks cloistered away in remote monasteries that know who Brock Lesnar is and what he represents. His prestige bubble extends over the WWE so long as they continue their association, which is good for the bottom line.
Bad for the WWE: Resentment in the locker room
What many people who don't follow wrestling fail to realize is just how much time the athletes spend on the road.
Performers might wrestle five times in one week, in five different cities in three different states and two different time zones, to say nothing of international tours and travel. Being in the WWE is more of a lifestyle than a career in many ways because having a normal life is difficult or impossible when you're on the road so much.
Brock, however, does not have a rigorous road schedule. He works not much more than once a month and is charter flown by private jet wherever he competes. In short, he's not working anywhere near as hard as his peers in the locker room, and that can lead to a lot of resentment when the other wrestlers are unable to break the glass ceiling.
Good for the WWE: There's no one else worthy right now
Part of the reason Brock Lesnar is still the Universal champion is that there's no one else who can fill those big shoes.
Roman Reigns is a polarizing figure and quite controversial. John Cena has become a special attraction and reality TV star. Daniel Bryan is still being treated gently in case his injuries act up once again.
In short, there's no one for Brock to pass the torch to, so his continued championship reign is good for business.
Bad for the WWE: Other talents are being held back
Men like Finn Balor and AJ Styles would make fine champions, but so long as the WWE continues to push part-timer Brock Lesnar over them their careers have stalled.
AJ holds SmackDown's major title, but everyone knows that Raw is the 'main' WWE brand. Poor Finn Balor never got a rematch for the Universal title he never truly lost, and it doesn't seem like he'll be getting one anytime soon. WWE would do well to push their full-time talent rather than a special attraction like Brock Lesnar.
Good for the WWE: Paul Heyman's gift of gab
Paul Heyman has one of the most golden voices in the history of pro wrestling. When he speaks, he does so with authority and an ingratiating cadence that suggests anyone who disagrees must be at least incompetent and at worst a blithering idiot.
Heyman doesn't like to work a full-time schedule either because of family and health issues, but having him involved with the Universal title adds richness and character to the product. While Brock can stand there and look menacing, Heyman does the extra work of getting the matches and the participants over with the crowd. The Lesnar/Heyman show has been going on for years, and we haven't grown tired of it yet.
Bad for the WWE: Brock is a mercenary
Love them or hate them, men like John Cena and Roman Reigns are dedicated to their craft. John Cena was known for his propensity to show up at events early and stay late, always looking for ways to improve not only his own promo skills but those of other wrestlers.
Roman Reigns is well liked in the locker room for his dedication and his ability to work snug but safe, and not legit injure his fellow performers.
Brock Lesnar, on the other hand, is an aloof mercenary who is only in the WWE for the money. If he could find another way to make millions of dollars, he would probably do it because pro wrestling just isn't his passion the way wrestling or even MMA were. Having a man who is not totally committed to the product as your champion can cause the product to go stagnant, which might explain the lower ratings and buyrates the WWE has been enduring recently.
There you have it; Five reasons Brock as Universal champion is good for the WWE, and five it might be bad. Please comment and let us know what you think of Brock Lesnar's role in the WWE.
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What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
