WWE News: Brock Lesnar Next Universal Championship Defense Announced But It Won’t Be Until July

Brock Lesnar will return to WWE television soon and has a title defense set up for his Universal Championship in July. The WWE just announced that they will return to Dallas, Texas, for a brand new pay-per-view event known as Great Balls of Fire. The video released for the new event advertised Lesnar would defend his Universal Championship but did not indicate who the title defense would be against, only stating it will take place on July 9.

Interestingly, this announcement was made two days before the next Monday Night Raw pay-per-view, Payback. Brock Lesnar will not appear at Payback but Roman Reigns is scheduled to fight Braun Strowman at the show. Those are the two names most likely to end up battling Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship down the line.

It is also important to note that Monday Night Raw will also have a pay-per-view in June with Extreme Rules in Baltimore, Maryland. If Brock Lesnar is scheduled to defend his Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire in July for the first time, as the website indicates, that means that Brock Lesnar will miss two consecutive pay-per-view events in a row.

One very important thing for fans to keep in mind is that Brock Lesnar being advertised to defend his Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire does not mean that it will happen. Long-time fans know that the WWE will often advertise talents and matches months in advance of shows and then change them up as the show grows near.

The WWE states specifically that talent and matches can change for a show, especially a pay-per-view event or a televised Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live event when it comes to champions like Brock Lesnar. Since there are still two pay-per-views between now and Great Balls of Fire, anything could happen.

However, the prevalent rumors are that the WWE plans to keep the Universal Championship on Brock Lesnar for a long time. There are even thoughts that he will hold the title until WrestleMania 34 next year, meaning there will be a lot of Monday Night Raw pay-per-views that will not include their biggest champion, Brock Lesnar.

The good news for fans in Dallas is that there will be a Universal Championship match at Great Balls of Fire at the American Airlines Center. It will be the first for Brock Lesnar since WrestleMania 33 and, at the moment, the thought is that Braun Strowman will be one of the next men to challenge Brock Lesnar for the title, possibly at Great Balls of Fire in Dallas.

Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns are scheduled to fight on Sunday at Payback in Roman Reigns’ official return to television after the brutal attack over two weeks ago on Monday Night Raw. In a surprising move, the WWE chose to leave Roman off television even though he was backstage this past Monday night and the company has not announced any stipulations for the match this Sunday.

One thought is that the match on Sunday at Payback will just continue the feud between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. It will then lead to a special stipulation match at Extreme Rules with the winner possibly getting the title shot against Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire.

The last time the WWE was at the American Airlines Center in Dallas was a house show in February and Brock Lesnar fought Big Show at the event. They also had a show in the arena on the Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania 32 and it was also where the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony was held in 2016.

Texas has become a hot spot for WWE special events. After WrestleMania 33 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, they also held this year’s Royal Rumble in San Antonio, and this year’s Survivor Series in Houston, meaning three of the Big Four pay-per-views were held in Texas within one-and-a-half years of each other.

[Featured Image by WWE]