How Lesnar's reign can end...

[nisidhe]

I have a proposition for solving Raw's little "problem" and giving everyone what they've wanted for some time. I may not be surprised if this is already in the works, but this would tick off a lot of boxes for us here.

Balor wins the briefcase, turns heel, teases a cash-in against Styles, but instead recruits AJ, Gallows and Anderson, Becky, Bayley(?) and - f*** it - the Authors of Pain into Balor Club as a cross-brand faction. On the next major PPV at which Lesnar defends (successfully), the Club, sans Balor, collectively attacks Lesnar with a ferocity that will make the crowd cringe. When Lesnar is practically a pile of wreckage in the middle of the ring, down comes Finn (on whose shoulders I'll leave to you all) who calmly and methodically kicks The Beast Incarnate over onto his back, hands the briefcase to the ref, then pins Lesnar to the kinds of boos that will make Roman's reception after WM 33 sound like Ziggler's after winning Survivor Series 2014. Then Roman must chase Balor and claw his way through the entire Club to get to its Founder and Champion.

Bonus points for a) the Demon becoming more and more a dominant element of Finn's personality until, as his redemption arc, intervention is necessary to try to purge it from him; b) hinting that the women are there as much for the Club's pleasure as for their in-ring competence (Finn throwing each arm around a woman and pulling them close suggestively would _destroy_ any wholesome image he may have among his younger and female fans), and/or C) Heyman turning on Lesnar to become part of the machine that will be Balor Club.

The pros: Finn turns heel as many fans would want, and becomes a more powerful, intimidating character, albeit in a different way from what we normally admire in any pro wrestling persona. He'd almost be akin to Ric Flair with the Horsemen. Becky and Bayley get some much-needed changes to their characters; the Good Brothers get more exposure, the Authors of Pain get the rub they lost when they dumped Ellering (who shouldn't have left imo, and would have been an awesome choice for a manager of this crew), AJ gets a potential feud going with Finn as well as crossover potential. The big win is that Lesnar loses the belt in a way that doesn't necessarily make him look like a chump, but does reveal some weakness or inability to conquer entirely. Depending on how genuinely dastardly the Club acts, this could be how Roman gets his facedom back.

The cons: the full angle may prove too long in playing out and heavily risks becoming another nWo or Aces and Eights angle. Finn may become another Bray Wyatt at the end, rather than being allowed to embark on a redemption arc that returns him to facedom. Without the Demon playing a role, it risks destroying a marvelous and lucrative aspect of Finn's appeal. It's too easy to book heels, but near impossible to book heels whose antics bring genuine heat; while Finn can be a good heel, his natural charisma demands that his heel persona be near flawless in its construction. Laziness would throttle the angle in its cradle.

[Deleted]

The problem with this is that Lesnar has to say "ok I can do the match" to the ref before the match starts. Sure, Balor Club can beat down Lesnar before the match as much as possible but if Lesnar doesn't officially start the match then this can't happen.

[nisidhe]

May 9, 2018 17:16:52 GMT -5 @kn said:

The problem with this is that Lesnar has to say "ok I can do the match" to the ref before the match starts. Sure, Balor Club can beat down Lesnar before the match as much as possible but if Lesnar doesn't officially start the match then this can't happen.

There is no question of champion's consent when the Money in the Bank briefcase is cashed in. How many times have we seen the champion laid out in a Pearl Harbor job or exhausted from a title defense, only to turn around and lose to the briefcase holder? Lesnar in kayfabe would have no say in the matter: he accepts and defends or he refuses and forfeits. The very appeal of the MITB briefcase is that it can be cashed in at any time.

[Hit Girl]

Brawn vs Lesnar in a junk yard battle, like in Superman III

[Nosnorb]

So after 4 years of being booked stronger than everyone else on the full-time roster and the rest of the roster looking substandard in comparision, a heel Finn cashes in on heel Brock after 4-5 dudes destroy him? Finn isn't going to get much of a rub out of that.

And who is going to lose to Brock beforehand? Braun? He's already had 3 title shots and failed, and failing again as a monster would be a huge blow for him. Roman? F*** NO.

And the biggest problem? No matter how much The Club act like total bastards, they are still going against Roman Reigns.

[Deleted]

May 9, 2018 17:36:14 GMT -5 nisidhe said:

May 9, 2018 17:16:52 GMT -5 @kn said:

The problem with this is that Lesnar has to say "ok I can do the match" to the ref before the match starts. Sure, Balor Club can beat down Lesnar before the match as much as possible but if Lesnar doesn't officially start the match then this can't happen.

There is no question of champion's consent when the Money in the Bank briefcase is cashed in. How many times have we seen the champion laid out in a Pearl Harbor job or exhausted from a title defense, only to turn around and lose to the briefcase holder? Lesnar in kayfabe would have no say in the matter: he accepts and defends or he refuses and forfeits. The very appeal of the MITB briefcase is that it can be cashed in at any time.

I'm saying that the champion has to at least be able to stand on their own before a match starts. It's not how it used to be in the old days when guys could be laid out. I'm not sure when they changed it but there's been a change towards this. An example is the Ambrose/Rollins cash-in, notice the ref checking to see if Rollins is good to go before the match and even if Rollins didn't want to do it, he could stand. That's all the ref needed before he gave the signal to start the match. Had Rollins not been able to stand, the ref wouldn't have called it. Same thing with the Corbin cash-in where the ref checked to see if Mahal could stand and Tom Phillips said "the ref is checking to see if Mahal could go" but JBL, the heel, says he has to go even though the ref's do this in every match now, they always check. It's just something they do these days and it's why we always get the "damaged face is struggling to get up but the match happens anyway" thing. Same thing happened to Charlotte this year.

The only way your idea works is if Lesnar gets beat up, is still able to stand on his own to go and then the refs give the ok but then he falls down again. It's just not like how it used to be.

[Prince Petty]

Honestly, they could have anyone beat him and I'd be happy. But I kind of like the idea of a Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas upset storyline. Brock goes into a match with someone a little unassuming, thinking he's going to stroll it, and gets taken by surprise. Make it quick and shocking, and have Brock outraged rather than hurt. It would at least have a little bit of originality, instead of the WWE's usual predicable booking.

This could be Balor, or Ambrose, but probably not Rollins, because the idea of Brock dismissing him seems less likely. Hell, they could even do it with someone more obscure, to use as a quick, transitional champion.

[Deleted]

At this rate, a cogenital heart defect felling him seems like the most likely outcome.

[fw91]

May 9, 2018 18:24:02 GMT -5 Prince Petty said:

Honestly, they could have anyone beat him and I'd be happy. But I kind of like the idea of a Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas upset storyline. Brock goes into a match with someone a little unassuming, thinking he's going to stroll it, and gets taken by surprise. Make it quick and shocking, and have Brock outraged rather than hurt. It would at least have a little bit of originality, instead of the WWE's usual predicable booking.

This could be Balor, or Ambrose, but probably not Rollins, because the idea of Brock dismissing him seems less likely. Hell, they could even do it with someone more obscure, to use as a quick, transitional champion.

didn't they do that with Goldberg?

[No One]

May 9, 2018 17:39:18 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

Brawn vs Lesnar in a junk yard battle, like in Superman III

Or Braun hammers him into the ground like a stake ala ‘The Quest for Peace’.

[Prince Petty]

May 9, 2018 18:26:52 GMT -5 fw91 said:

May 9, 2018 18:24:02 GMT -5 Prince Petty said:

Honestly, they could have anyone beat him and I'd be happy. But I kind of like the idea of a Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas upset storyline. Brock goes into a match with someone a little unassuming, thinking he's going to stroll it, and gets taken by surprise. Make it quick and shocking, and have Brock outraged rather than hurt. It would at least have a little bit of originality, instead of the WWE's usual predicable booking.

This could be Balor, or Ambrose, but probably not Rollins, because the idea of Brock dismissing him seems less likely. Hell, they could even do it with someone more obscure, to use as a quick, transitional champion.

didn't they do that with Goldberg?

I'd forgotten that was even a thing. But even so, that was Goldberg so it wasn't as surprising, given Goldberg's aura.

[rocnsoc88]

May 9, 2018 18:13:15 GMT -5 @kn said:

May 9, 2018 17:36:14 GMT -5 nisidhe said:

There is no question of champion's consent when the Money in the Bank briefcase is cashed in. How many times have we seen the champion laid out in a Pearl Harbor job or exhausted from a title defense, only to turn around and lose to the briefcase holder? Lesnar in kayfabe would have no say in the matter: he accepts and defends or he refuses and forfeits. The very appeal of the MITB briefcase is that it can be cashed in at any time.

I'm saying that the champion has to at least be able to stand on their own before a match starts. It's not how it used to be in the old days when guys could be laid out. I'm not sure when they changed it but there's been a change towards this. An example is the Ambrose/Rollins cash-in, notice the ref checking to see if Rollins is good to go before the match and even if Rollins didn't want to do it, he could stand. That's all the ref needed before he gave the signal to start the match. Had Rollins not been able to stand, the ref wouldn't have called it. Same thing with the Corbin cash-in where the ref checked to see if Mahal could stand and Tom Phillips said "the ref is checking to see if Mahal could go" but JBL, the heel, says he has to go even though the ref's do this in every match now, they always check. It's just something they do these days and it's why we always get the "damaged face is struggling to get up but the match happens anyway" thing. Same thing happened to Charlotte this year.

The only way your idea works is if Lesnar gets beat up, is still able to stand on his own to go and then the refs give the ok but then he falls down again. It's just not like how it used to be.

The WWE hardly ever has any strictly enforced “rules” regarding just about anything in kayfabe. They pretty much just change the rules to fit whatever story they want to tell at that moment.

Like when Seth cashed in at Wrestlemania 31, Roman and Brock were just bloody bodies lying on the mat and having no idea where they were when the the bell rang. Hell, the fact that Seth cashed in during the actual match making it a triple threat had never been a rule previously, and was pretty obviously a rule they just made up on the fly because they were in a desperate situation with Reigns and Lesnar (funny how so little has changed in three years). 

[mcstoklasa]

It needs to end with Braun overcoming Brock in something brutal like a hell in a cell match and retiring the beast.

Screw off, Roman

[DragonMasterP]

I don't care how it ends, just end it already!

[chronocross]

Honestly, I thought the cage match would have been the best way to go about it, where Reigns could escape and Lesnar didn't have to actually put him over and get pinned in the match.

[PTBartman]

May 9, 2018 16:54:50 GMT -5 nisidhe said:

I have a proposition for solving Raw's little "problem" and giving everyone what they've wanted for some time. I may not be surprised if this is already in the works, but this would tick off a lot of boxes for us here.

Balor wins the briefcase, turns heel, teases a cash-in against Styles, but instead recruits AJ, Gallows and Anderson, Becky, Bayley(?) and - f*** it - the Authors of Pain into Balor Club as a cross-brand faction. On the next major PPV at which Lesnar defends (successfully), the Club, sans Balor, collectively attacks Lesnar with a ferocity that will make the crowd cringe. When Lesnar is practically a pile of wreckage in the middle of the ring, down comes Finn (on whose shoulders I'll leave to you all) who calmly and methodically kicks The Beast Incarnate over onto his back, hands the briefcase to the ref, then pins Lesnar to the kinds of boos that will make Roman's reception after WM 33 sound like Ziggler's after winning Survivor Series 2014. Then Roman must chase Balor and claw his way through the entire Club to get to its Founder and Champion.

Bonus points for a) the Demon becoming more and more a dominant element of Finn's personality until, as his redemption arc, intervention is necessary to try to purge it from him; b) hinting that the women are there as much for the Club's pleasure as for their in-ring competence (Finn throwing each arm around a woman and pulling them close suggestively would _destroy_ any wholesome image he may have among his younger and female fans), and/or C) Heyman turning on Lesnar to become part of the machine that will be Balor Club.

The pros: Finn turns heel as many fans would want, and becomes a more powerful, intimidating character, albeit in a different way from what we normally admire in any pro wrestling persona. He'd almost be akin to Ric Flair with the Horsemen. Becky and Bayley get some much-needed changes to their characters; the Good Brothers get more exposure, the Authors of Pain get the rub they lost when they dumped Ellering (who shouldn't have left imo, and would have been an awesome choice for a manager of this crew), AJ gets a potential feud going with Finn as well as crossover potential. The big win is that Lesnar loses the belt in a way that doesn't necessarily make him look like a chump, but does reveal some weakness or inability to conquer entirely. Depending on how genuinely dastardly the Club acts, this could be how Roman gets his facedom back.

The cons: the full angle may prove too long in playing out and heavily risks becoming another nWo or Aces and Eights angle. Finn may become another Bray Wyatt at the end, rather than being allowed to embark on a redemption arc that returns him to facedom. Without the Demon playing a role, it risks destroying a marvelous and lucrative aspect of Finn's appeal. It's too easy to book heels, but near impossible to book heels whose antics bring genuine heat; while Finn can be a good heel, his natural charisma demands that his heel persona be near flawless in its construction. Laziness would throttle the angle in its cradle.

Actually if you have Braun beat Brock, then have it play out the same way it might work. I'd even go as far as have the cash in the night after (So you keep the Braun the 24 hr champion shtick going.) Make the match Falls count anywhere (or last man standing.) and use the fork lift ending.

[rocnsoc88]

I just thought of a way that makes so much damn sense that there’s no way this company will do it....

Have Reigns win the briefcase at Money in the Bank, and then have Rollins go over Lesnar at Battleground. Have the big triumphant moment for Seth, and have Brock be a good sport and begrudgingly shake his hand after the match before handing him the belt himself. Paul Heyman also shakes Seth’s hand for a job well done, and Brock and Paul are then on their way. Then when Seth is celebrating in the ring getting a continued ovation from the fans....Roman jumps Seth from behind and proceeds to decimate him with the briefcase before handing the referee the briefcase to cash in. The referee takes the briefcase and goes to ring the bell.....before Brock comes in and starts kicking Roman’s ass. Brock is pissed partially because Roman’s tried to take this moment away from Rollins who just honorably beat him fair and square, but he’s mainly pissed because Roman has been whining about being an uncrowned champion and insulting Brock for months. The bell didn’t ring so Roman still has the briefcase, and this sets up Brock vs. Roman at Summerslam in the blowoff grudge match before Lesnar leaves for the UFC.

So there you go. You give Seth the big win over Brock, plus you get to still have Roman beating Brock which is clearly what Vince has been dying to do for years anyway. Brock vs. Roman just gets to happen with Roman as a heel and Brock positioned as something of an antihero babyface.

[Deleted]

It can end as soon as f***ing possible.

[TWERKIN' MAGGLE]

I've got one.

End of the show. Everyone gets baseball bats and surrounds Lesnar. Fade to black.

Next week RAW opens and the Universal Title Tournament is announced and no one ever mentions Brock again.

[Skeletor]

/Lashley