The main event ladder match at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view will crown a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion and Amazon.com may have spoiled the ending. If you go to their website and pre order the Summer Slam Blu-ray, scheduled for a September 14th release, the cover reveals that John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar will headline the biggest party of the summer. Did WWE make a promotional blunder or is this advanced promotion for what could be a big return at the box office?
Looking at the eight names in the ladder match, some are viable victors, while others, not so much. Kane, Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton, and Sheamus would be boring options as world champion. Bray Wyatt and Cesaro are interesting prospects and serve as the upset picks in a dark horse sort of way. Then you have Roman Reigns, who is super, super close to being ready for prime time. The idea of going all the way with Reigns at this stage of the game must be extremely tempting for the writers. Do you potentially squander now what you could cash in at WrestleMania? There are pros and cons with both options, but if you are on the fence with which way to go then the safe bet is John Cena.
It’s possible the proposed John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar match will be a non-title affair since there is no mention of it on the poster. In the past, WWE title matches have played second fiddle to bigger marquee attractions. I don’t think that will be the case though. Lesnar just ended the Undertaker’s undefeated streak which is the biggest win any wrestler has had in a long time. Booking him in anything less than a main event world title match in his follow-up performance would be a waste of time and dilute the streak in the process.
The survey WWE recently sent out to fans asking them who they want to see Brock Lesnar wrestle at Summer Slam suggests he is the focal point of their creative endeavors going forward. If this is the case, putting Lesnar over on Cena for the title is the perfect scenario because he will become a draw again while getting his win back from when he lost to Cena in his return to the company. Is it wise for the for the WWE to put their all of their eggs in a part-time basket? In this case, yes. Making Brock Lesnar the monster he once was will pay huge dividends when they decide to beat him. Hopefully, that use that opportunity to make someone like Roman Reigns a star.
Ringside Logic 