WWE Raw may not be building toward another match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, after all.
Credit: WWE.com
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc) reported last month that "The Big Dog" vs. "The Beast" was penciled in as the SummerSlam main event, and the assumption was that Reigns would probably become the No. 1 contender for the Universal Championship at Extreme Rules. WWE seemed to throw a wrench into those plans when the multi-man No. 1 contender's bout was cancelled (in storyline at the request of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman), but that match has been replaced by a match between Reigns and Bobby Lashley that may be a de facto No. 1 contender's match anyway.
And believe it or not, the signs are actually pointing toward Reigns losing that match and Lesnar moving on to a different challenger. Finally.
For starters, there are doubts about whether or not Lesnar will even be at SummerSlam in August or Hell in a Cell in September. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com (h/t Ringside News) isn't so sure that Lesnar will be at SummerSlam, and WWE is playing up the storyline that Lesnar and Heyman don't believe WWE has found a suitable challenger for "The Beast." Even with Lesnar's status up in the air (he's believed to have one match left under his current contract), a new frontrunner has emerged to be his next No. 1 contender: None other than Lashley.
Cageside Seats recently reported that long-running rumors of an expected match between Lesnar and Lashley could finally come to fruition at SummerSlam, as Lashley had emerged as one of the clear betting favorites to win the since-cancelled No. 1 contender's match and then face Lesnar at the pay-per-view. Despite Lashley being fresh off a terrible feud with Sami Zayn, WWE has obviously taken a keen interest in reestablishing him as one of the top acts on Raw by pairing him with Reigns, and as a legitimately successful MMA fighter who compiled an impressive 15-2 record in the sport and could be a big draw in WWE, the widespread thought is that he'd make a perfect foe for Lesnar.
The way things are shaping up, it even looks like Lashley may have a better chance of facing Lesnar at SummerSlam than Reigns does.
KSAT, a local ABC affiliate in San Antonio, recently dropped the following bombshell, which is likely a spoiler indicating future plans for Reigns and the Universal Championship: "WWE's 'Hell In A Cell' will be held Sept. 16 at the AT&T Center...Fans will get to see Roman Reigns take on Kevin Owens, and WWE Champion AJ Styles versus Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship." What's notable here is that while the Styles vs. Joe match is described as being a WWE title bout, the match between Owens and Reigns is not for the Universal Championship, indicating Lesnar will not lose to Reigns (or anyone else) at SummerSlam as reports have indicated he would.
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