Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman are the best act in fake wrestling. Now, and in quite some time.
Lesnar and Heyman would be a top act in any era, any promotion. Lesnar is chillingly believable in an era where almost nothing is believable. The entire business has ditched kayfabe, yet we’re still scared of Lesnar. We know Heyman’s words are designed to inflame, yet they do anyway.
Lesnar’s appearance is overwhelming. His style is destructive. His sneer is legit: Lesnar mostly considers fake wrestling beneath him. He’s the REAL GUY. Boy, is he ever. A former UFC champ.
Lesnar’s impact, frankly, is exposing recent top guys like C.M. Punk and Daniel Bryan. The notion of those two – or guys who look like those two – beating BROCK LESNAR is utterly unimaginable, and will be for quite some time.
Lesnar’s success may dictate a shift in what it takes to be a top guy in WWE, and maybe it should. Bryan won’t return to the top when his injury heals. How can Bryan be compared to Lesnar? It’s absurd. John Cena is an underdog to Lesnar. Bryan is beyond that. He’s a bug to be flicked off Lesnar’s shoulder.
That’s the reality of reality. Besides, Bryan’s injuries give WWE management the excuse to not trust him.
I’m out of things to say about Heyman. His promos show the value of a quick wit working with bullet points and reading the crowd, as oppose to just regurgitating a script written by a lesser mind.
Heyman, right now, may be the best manager ever. His appearance only adds: A bit chunky, a bit jowly, tremendous facials, impeccable timing.
Despite his limited dates, WWE has a chance for an excellent run with Lesnar as heel champion. As previously noted in this space, history shows a promotion can benefit from not putting the champ on TV every week.
You’ve got to buy the WWE Network to see the champ! It’s only $9.99, I’m told. Lesnar is WWE’s most marketable asset.
WWE finally has a favorable situation. A legit top guy. Most people don’t think Reigns will be ready to grab the torch by WrestleMania. I agree. Lesnar vs. Big Show and Mark Henry can provide good drama between now and then. Bring in Bully Ray to get his head chopped off. Feed monsters to the monster. A lot can be done with Lesnar. Maybe turn him babyface by ‘Mania, and have Heyman stay heel and line up challengers Lou Albano-style.
Problem is, I think WWE is going to screw it up with Lesnar. Vince McMahon is going to flinch. More tomorrow…
Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkMaddenX
