Better Brock Lesnar Opponents Instead of Roman Reigns After WWE SummerSlam 2022

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There is no debate that outside of The Rock, Brock Lesnar has perpetually been the biggest opponent possible for Roman Reigns for seven straight years.

That is because WWE doesn’t bother to invest enough in anyone else to put them on the same level. Instead, the company keeps copying and pasting this match into oblivion, and apologists will perpetually make the argument that it is the best marquee match.

Nothing would be “better” for Reigns to do at SummerSlam than to fight Lesnar, but the cycle has needed to end for years.

With WWE calling this the “epic conclusion” of this saga, it is far past time to make sure The Beast Incarnate isn’t just fighting Reigns again at Crown Jewel, Survivor Series or any other event coming up.

Rather than continuing this loop after SummerSlam, let’s look at some of the better options for Lesnar to feud with heading into WrestleMania season next year.

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Bron Breakker has been built up as the definitive star of the NXT 2.0 era. A two-time and current NXT champion with countless endorsements in the business that point to him being a future main event player, Breakker is going to have to level up past the rookies and minor leagues.

Much like how Lesnar was thrown directly into the thick of things from the onset of his career, a great way to show that Breakker has the stamp of approval would be for him to feud with Lesnar.

This could happen either on the main roster or in NXT. If it is the former, Breakker will be more than ready to move up to Raw or SmackDown in a few months (possibly in the draft) to build to this match, maybe even at WrestleMania.

If it is the latter, imagine how much of a boost it would give to NXT for Lesnar to appear on that show. We’re meant to believe Lesnar is the ratings savior. Let’s see if that’s true by having him on the show that gets the lowest ratings of the main three programs.

Even if Breakker were to lose, him putting up a good fight against Lesnar would help put him over as a tough Superstar with the chops to make it big.

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Hate it if you must, but the biggest match Lesnar can have that will garner even more attention than Reigns would be against Logan Paul.

Paul’s star power exceeds nearly everyone in WWE, whether you’re a fan or not. Otherwise, WWE wouldn’t have been so eager to sign him in the first place.

He’s proven himself capable of handling some in-ring action, too, which is a major asset. Working alongside a veteran like Lesnar—who does know how to do more than just German suplexes and an F5—could lead to a fantastic fight that gets considerable media coverage.

If at all possible, this should be something WWE considers for WrestleMania to really make that feel like the biggest show of the year, but Crown Jewel or Day 1 could be great fits, too.

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While Theory lost the United States Championship at Money in the Bank, capturing the briefcase means he had an overall massive net gain to his career that night. Now, he’s in that zone between the upper-midcard and main event, hovering over a potential world title win.

Many would say he isn’t ready yet, and that may be true, but WWE might not want to have him cash in any time soon. He may have a Seth Rollins-esque run with the briefcase, holding it for months while upping his stock until the time is right.

In the meantime, Theory represents Vince McMahon’s pick to be the next John Cena. Lesnar has long been McMahon’s password child over the past decade. It’s natural for Theory to poke the bear and say he’s going to surpass Lesnar in that role, only to eat his words.

Babyface Brock has been a fun change of pace. Putting him against the most arrogant version of Theory yet would be a fitting pairing, and fans would be seething if Theory won and beyond joyous if Lesnar took the kid down a peg.

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So far, Gable Steveson has been much ado about nothing. WWE continues to hype up how much of a big deal his signing is and talks about how excited everyone should be for what he does as part of the Raw roster, but he’s done zilch.

His star power is losing momentum day by day. He needs to do something soon—and that something needs to be big enough to be worth all the wait, rather than just another appearance ringside where he smiles and waves.

Steveson vs. Lesnar could act as a gatekeeping match. If Steveson has it in him to beat Lesnar, his credibility skyrockets in this environment past just resting on the laurels of his prior career outside sports entertainment. Since they both have amateur wrestling backgrounds, that can play into the feud, too.

Obviously, another major beneficial aspect would be the marquee. These two names against each other could lead to more widespread appeal for audiences who might not be as interested in Lesnar against the regular Superstars on the roster.

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Gunther is one of the biggest men on the main roster and could
stand toe-to-toe with Lesnar and not look out of place.

It hasn’t
happened yet, so it would be fresh, and if the Intercontinental
Championship were on the line, it would give that belt a much-needed
boost after over a year of not being defended on any pay-per-views.

These two would beat the tar out of each other. Gunther’s chops are monstrous and echo throughout the arena. Lesnar would surely relish in taking those on and dishing the punishment right back.

Like others on this list, it would also boost Gunther’s stock to be considered worthy enough for a Lesnar match, which few are able to say they’ve had.

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Rounding out the list, here are some honorable mentions worth talking about that are less likely, but still interesting.

• Riddle has had some scuffles with Lesnar, but never a one-on-one match like he’s wanted. It wouldn’t work as well right now while both are babyfaces, but if Lesnar were to turn heel again, Riddle’s a top choice for an opponent.
• Bobby Lashley says he wants another rematch. If WWE were to book this in more of an MMA-style fight, it could be great. Again, one would have to turn heel for it to work better than two babyfaces going at it, but a test between two people who mutually respect each other could work, too.
• If Lesnar is ever in need of a squash match against someone who is still big enough to justify standing across the ring, Happy Corbin would fit that bill nicely. Fans would relish in seeing Corbin get tossed around.
• Ilja Dragunov has some of the most intense matches you can watch, and Lesnar’s worked well with smaller opponents like Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles. This brawl would be intense, brutal and fierce.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere you find podcasts. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.