The main event for Summer Slam is set. Brock Lesnar will challenge John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Some are predicting a Lesnar victory while most feel he has no business being champion. However, it is business that is driving the decision to possibly make him the king of the mountain.
I understand the hesitation behind putting the title on Brock Lesnar. He is a part-time member of the roster, rumored for only 30 dates a year. One thing to take into account is his contract renews shortly after WrestleMania each year. The last two years, Lesnar worked the Extreme Rules pay-per-view and dates leading up to it. He didn’t do that this year, and Monday was the first time we’ve seen Lesnar since the April 7th episode of Raw. That means Lesnar’s dates have been banked and can be used in the Fall and Winter which he normally doesn’t work.
With Brock Lesnar’s limited schedule being an issue, his championship reign could call back to the days where an appearance on television was rare for the title holder. Also, the WWE Network is the company’s primary focus at the moment. Hyping the digital platform as the only place to see the WWE champion could boost subscription numbers. With only 667,287 subscribers, announced so far, the company needs every promotional hook it can get if they are to keep their customers at the conclusion of the mandatory six month period, which is the day after Summer Slam. Paul Heyman can take care of the weekly buildup so there is no need for the champion to attend every outing.
This is all assuming that Brock Lesnar will be champion come WrestleMania, which is what I’m predicting. Hardcore fans will hate it, but it will ultimately get over because it will be something different being done with the title. Lesnar has the legitimacy to be a monster heel champion until his reign ends at the hands of a Roman.
Ringside Logic 