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As already reported here on Sportskeeda, Brock Lesnar is set to defend his Universal Championship at this year’s SummerSlam; the Beast Incarnate’s first title defence since the Greatest Royal Rumble.
By all accounts, it looks like this could well be Lesnar’s last WWE match for the next little while, with his future having him on a collision course with Daniel Cormier in the UFC.
Once SummerSlam is done and dusted, all bets are off on when the Beast will next be in a WWE ring – which throws up the question of who should be the person to challenge Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam.
With that in mind, then, let’s take a look at the top five candidates to face – and potentially defeat – Lesnar for the Raw brand’s top title.
#1 Roman Reigns
The WWE’s resident Big Dog has had his fair share of scuffles with Paul Heyman’s Beast over the past few years, and he’s clearly in with a shout of dethroning Brock Lesnar when the Universal Championship eventually changes hands.
To be fair, we likely all know that Roman Reigns is probably the most likely person to take the title from Lesnar, because, you know, Vince McMahon.
Mr McMahon has positioned Reigns as “the guy” for over four years now, and Vinny Mac doesn’t look like relenting on his stance any time soon.
In McMahon’s eyes, whoever finally beats Brock will get a major rub for doing what nobody else could get gone. And knowing Mr McMahon, if there’s any way whatsoever that he – in his eyes, at least – can give a boost to Reigns, then he’ll most certainly do it.
While Reigns may be the favourite to take on Lesnar at SummerSlam, that’s not to say he’s the opponent that makes the most sense, however.
#2 Bobby Lashley
Let’s be honest. Upon returning to the WWE after this year’s WrestleMania, Bobby Lashley has been used pretty awfully across the board. Remember that feud with Sami Zayn? Yeesh, that was bad!
Following his destruction of Zayn, Lashley’s attention was switched to Roman Reigns. After both guys initially coming off as hugely unlikeable – despite both being positioned as babyfaces – Lashley has finally picked up a little steam as that rivalry has played out. Is it enough to put him in Lesnar’s crosshairs, though? We’ll have to wait and see.
To some fans, Lashley vs Lesnar is a match that they’ve been dying to see for years by this point. With both being freaks of nature in terms of strength, agility, and physiques, the two are also 100% legit when it comes to being tough as nails – as reflected by their careers in the MMA field.
In the world of MMA, Lesnar is clearly the far better fighter, as shown by his huge success in UFC in comparison to Lashley’s impressive record in the lesser Bellator.
Despite that, seeing these two monstrous men locking up in the squared circle is something that many fans would be hugely eager to see; particularly with Lesnar’s seemingly imminent WWE departure.
#3 Drew McIntyre
How great is Drew McIntyre right now in comparison to his first stint with the WWE?!
The Scot may have been dubbed the Chosen One during that previous run with the company, but it’s only now in this second run that he’s fully realising his potential. And that potential could well see him get his hands on the Universal Championship at some point in the future – maybe even as soon as SummerSlam?
McIntyre might be the outside bet to go up against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, but that’s not to say he wouldn’t be a great fit.
In his years away from WWE, McIntyre honed his craft, busted his backside, and travelled the globe as he looked to up his game. And up his game, he certainly did.
Following a relatively short stint as the NXT Champion, McIntyre is now on the Raw roster and has been positioned as a huge deal since turning up alongside Dolph Ziggler after WrestleMania.
It no longer feels like hyperbole to cite McIntyre as a future WWE Champion, and the powerhouse Scotsman wouldn’t look out of place if he were to get one of the company’s main titles by the time 2018 is out.
#4 Braun Strowman
Over the past year or so, Braun Strowman has been on an absolute tear, defeating pretty much any and every of the WWE’s biggest names. Well, bar one man: Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar and Strowman have already done one-on-one battle at No Mercy in 2017, with Paul Heyman’s Beast defeating the Monster Among Men.
Since that defeat, Strowman has rarely lost a singles match, and he’s destined to eventually reach the top of the pile and become Universal Champion or WWE Champion sooner rather than later.
To add even more validity to the claim that Strowman should challenge Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam, The Monster Among Men has the Money in the Bank briefcase in his back pocket.
Given how Strowman has been positioned as an all-conquering, dominant babyface who looks to face up to any challenge at the soonest opportunity, it would make perfect sense for him to announce ahead of time that he’s cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and challenging Lesnar at SummerSlam.
#5 Seth Rollins
Really, is this even a competition by this point? Over the past several months, Seth Rollins has been on an absolute roll! No wrestler has been hotter, had better matches, or connected with crowds anywhere near to the level that Rollins has.
The Architect has been involved with the Intercontinental Championship in recent months, but that still doesn’t mean that he couldn't instantly be pushed as the top contender for Lesnar’s Universal Championship at SummerSlam.
In fact, it would almost be stupid not to capitalize on Rollins’ momentum and have him be the one to finally topple the gargantuan Lesnar.
Out of all of the possible candidates, Rollins simply makes the most sense to face – and beat – Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
The two most likely candidates seem to be Reigns and Strowman, but neither of those competitors would get as much out of the situation as Rollins would.
Reigns would yet again get booed out of the building and be rejected by fans (unless that heel turn is finally in the works?), and the hulking Strowman defeating Lesnar would feel logical, yet not necessarily something that hooks the crowd in.
Rollins is the person who gains the most from beating Lesnar, and when you throw in his current standing as the most popular star on the Raw brand, he’s the only rational option to be handed the task of facing Lesnar.
Who do you think will dethrone Lesnar? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
