Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Although there are conflicting reports about when Lesnar's current WWE contract expires, what seems to be a certainty is that it ends some time immediately after WrestleMania 34 next year. However, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc) reports that Lesnar's contract has an interesting stipulation that could allow either Lesnar himself or WWE to extend the contract:
The current contract for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar has an option that would renew the deal and most expect that it will be renewed after it expires at WrestleMania 34, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Lesnar's last dates under the current deal would be WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans or the post-WrestleMania RAW the next night. WWE also has certain rights with Lesnar that will go through the first week of August 2018 if a new deal is not signed.
While many believe Lesnar is a virtual lock to re-sign with WWE, Pro Wrestling Sheet reported earlier this year that Lesnar "made it clear to backstage officials that he...doesn’t intend to re-sign" once his contract expires. But that was before any possibility of a UFC super-fight with Jon Jones was thrown out the window, meaning that Lesnar may have changed his mind and decided his best bet is staying in WWE.
However, the question now becomes: Does WWE need to re-sign him? Here are five reasons why WWE no longer needs "The Beast."
Full-Timers Are Capable Of Carrying The Load
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
WWE's current roster may not have a mega-star on par with The Rock or John Cena, but it has a wide array of incredibly talented superstars who are capable of carrying the load.
Google search data indicates that most of WWE's top merchandise sellers are full-timers, with names like Roman Reigns (who is No. 2), Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins consistently ranking near the top of that list. Throw in the success of someone like AJ Styles (who has long been a strong merchandise mover and appears to still be one), Kevin Owens (who's been a major hit on WWE Network), The New Day, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura and a number of other stars, and it's clear WWE does not have a talent issue.
In fact, one could argue that WWE's current roster is one of the most-star studded in company history, with a tremendous blend of established names (think anyone from The Shield) and rising stars (Braun Strowman, etc.) who could carry the company long after Lesnar is gone. Because WWE has so much talent and just two shows per week to showcase that talent, names like Lesnar are doing more harm than good these days by taking the spotlights that should be reserved for rising stars.
If Lesnar continues to work at the top of the card for three or for more years, that will stifle the advancement of up-and-coming stars who have already shown the ability to work in the main event picture and do so admirably.
The Brand Is Bigger Than Any Individual Star
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
There is no star in WWE who is bigger than the brand. Not even Cena or Lesnar.
Look no further than the tremendous brand value of WrestleMania, which is worth $195 million according to FORBES and shows that the pay-per-view itself is bigger than any one star who might appear on the show. That same logic can be applied to WWE as a whole, which no longer over relies on one particular star to carry the company. Although there was a lengthy span where WWE did that with Cena, "The Champ's" infrequent appearances these days suggest that is no longer the case and that WWE can thrive with or without one particular star.
Sure, WWE may be slightly hurt by the loss of Cena, but no one is on Cena's level when it comes to things like merchandise sales or live event attendance. And that includes Lesnar, who certainly possesses the aura and mystique of a major star but doesn't transcend the business the way that The Rock, Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin (who once solid 12 million t-shirts in a single calendar year) have done in the past.
If Lesnar left WWE, there would be a small pocket of fans who would miss him, but the fact that the WWE Network subscriber count continues to be cyclical (whether he's around or not) suggests the impact his departure would have wouldn't be as substantial as you might think.
">WWE could soon be without Brock Lesnar, but does Vince McMahon really even need him?
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Although there are conflicting reports about when Lesnar's current WWE contract expires, what seems to be a certainty is that it ends some time immediately after WrestleMania 34 next year. However, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc) reports that Lesnar's contract has an interesting stipulation that could allow either Lesnar himself or WWE to extend the contract:
The current contract for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar has an option that would renew the deal and most expect that it will be renewed after it expires at WrestleMania 34, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Lesnar's last dates under the current deal would be WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans or the post-WrestleMania RAW the next night. WWE also has certain rights with Lesnar that will go through the first week of August 2018 if a new deal is not signed.
While many believe Lesnar is a virtual lock to re-sign with WWE, Pro Wrestling Sheet reported earlier this year that Lesnar "made it clear to backstage officials that he...doesn’t intend to re-sign" once his contract expires. But that was before any possibility of a UFC super-fight with Jon Jones was thrown out the window, meaning that Lesnar may have changed his mind and decided his best bet is staying in WWE.
However, the question now becomes: Does WWE need to re-sign him? Here are five reasons why WWE no longer needs "The Beast."
Full-Timers Are Capable Of Carrying The Load
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
WWE's current roster may not have a mega-star on par with The Rock or John Cena, but it has a wide array of incredibly talented superstars who are capable of carrying the load.
Google search data indicates that most of WWE's top merchandise sellers are full-timers, with names like Roman Reigns (who is No. 2), Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins consistently ranking near the top of that list. Throw in the success of someone like AJ Styles (who has long been a strong merchandise mover and appears to still be one), Kevin Owens (who's been a major hit on WWE Network), The New Day, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura and a number of other stars, and it's clear WWE does not have a talent issue.
In fact, one could argue that WWE's current roster is one of the most-star studded in company history, with a tremendous blend of established names (think anyone from The Shield) and rising stars (Braun Strowman, etc.) who could carry the company long after Lesnar is gone. Because WWE has so much talent and just two shows per week to showcase that talent, names like Lesnar are doing more harm than good these days by taking the spotlights that should be reserved for rising stars.
If Lesnar continues to work at the top of the card for three or for more years, that will stifle the advancement of up-and-coming stars who have already shown the ability to work in the main event picture and do so admirably.
The Brand Is Bigger Than Any Individual Star
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
There is no star in WWE who is bigger than the brand. Not even Cena or Lesnar.
Look no further than the tremendous brand value of WrestleMania, which is worth $195 million according to FORBES and shows that the pay-per-view itself is bigger than any one star who might appear on the show. That same logic can be applied to WWE as a whole, which no longer over relies on one particular star to carry the company. Although there was a lengthy span where WWE did that with Cena, "The Champ's" infrequent appearances these days suggest that is no longer the case and that WWE can thrive with or without one particular star.
Sure, WWE may be slightly hurt by the loss of Cena, but no one is on Cena's level when it comes to things like merchandise sales or live event attendance. And that includes Lesnar, who certainly possesses the aura and mystique of a major star but doesn't transcend the business the way that The Rock, Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin (who once solid 12 million t-shirts in a single calendar year) have done in the past.
If Lesnar left WWE, there would be a small pocket of fans who would miss him, but the fact that the WWE Network subscriber count continues to be cyclical (whether he's around or not) suggests the impact his departure would have wouldn't be as substantial as you might think.
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