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**Mr. Nerfect** · 04-14-2010, 01:35 AM

Brock Lesnar was, in some ways, the perfect wrestler. He embodied the "sports" of "sports entertainment," anyway. Great size, but so much talent. He also did a lot of harm to the WWE when he left. I believe that Lesnar is a big reason we have so many aborted pushes. It doesn't help matters that when Bobby Lashley was the "second chance" to have a guy with Lesnar's sort of size and pedigree, he walked for MMA as well. Jack Swagger is the closest thing we have to #3.

Although he started on RAW, when you think about it, Lesnar never even got a chance to play over there. He was the guy on SmackDown!, and he really helped lend it its own identity. Matches and feuds like Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, Brock Lesnar vs. Shawn Michaels, Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton never got a chance to happen. Brock Lesnar vs. Chris Benoit seemed like it was being teased as a potential WWE Title match for WrestleMania XXV, but I feel that the WWE moved Benoit over to RAW to save that match, protect Brock at WrestleMania (I'm sure the original plan was for him to go over Goldberg), and to get that Lesnar vs. Goldberg "special attraction" out of the way.

If Lesnar had stuck around, I think he would have been the guy to end The Undertaker's streak. And not only that, but guys like John Cena would have had to work their way to the top a little bit harder. I mean, Cena no doubt has a tremendous work ethic, but he was really a replacement "fresh star" for Lesnar. Cena's rise would have been way more dramatic, he would have probably had a more respected mid-card career, and his character would have remained more "gritty" and generally admirable. It may have made Cena a more natural star overall.

And although there is no guarantee it would have happened -- if Lesnar had stuck around, Austin had gone into the Hall of Fame and whatever, time might have altered Austin's opinion on Lesnar. This is a huge "what if," but if Lesnar became a massive star, Austin eased up over time, and he did get back into ring shape -- there might have been enough of an attraction to all parties to have a Brock Lesnar vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin match, and that would have made A LOT of money, I feel.

04-14-2010, 01:35 AM	#39
Mr. Nerfect Posts: 60,919	Brock Lesnar was, in some ways, the perfect wrestler. He embodied the "sports" of "sports entertainment," anyway. Great size, but so much talent. He also did a lot of harm to the WWE when he left. I believe that Lesnar is a big reason we have so many aborted pushes. It doesn't help matters that when Bobby Lashley was the "second chance" to have a guy with Lesnar's sort of size and pedigree, he walked for MMA as well. Jack Swagger is the closest thing we have to #3. Although he started on RAW, when you think about it, Lesnar never even got a chance to play over there. He was the guy on SmackDown!, and he really helped lend it its own identity. Matches and feuds like Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, Brock Lesnar vs. Shawn Michaels, Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton never got a chance to happen. Brock Lesnar vs. Chris Benoit seemed like it was being teased as a potential WWE Title match for WrestleMania XXV, but I feel that the WWE moved Benoit over to RAW to save that match, protect Brock at WrestleMania (I'm sure the original plan was for him to go over Goldberg), and to get that Lesnar vs. Goldberg "special attraction" out of the way. If Lesnar had stuck around, I think he would have been the guy to end The Undertaker's streak. And not only that, but guys like John Cena would have had to work their way to the top a little bit harder. I mean, Cena no doubt has a tremendous work ethic, but he was really a replacement "fresh star" for Lesnar. Cena's rise would have been way more dramatic, he would have probably had a more respected mid-card career, and his character would have remained more "gritty" and generally admirable. It may have made Cena a more natural star overall. And although there is no guarantee it would have happened -- if Lesnar had stuck around, Austin had gone into the Hall of Fame and whatever, time might have altered Austin's opinion on Lesnar. This is a huge "what if," but if Lesnar became a massive star, Austin eased up over time, and he did get back into ring shape -- there might have been enough of an attraction to all parties to have a Brock Lesnar vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin match, and that would have made A LOT of money, I feel.