WWE News: Hall Of Famer Says Brock Lesnar Becoming WWE Champion Is ‘Best For Business’
As Brock Lesnar was confirmed earlier this week to be facing Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship on the October 4 premiere episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX, speculation is running rife that “The Beast” could be on his way to another lengthy title reign as a world champion. Such a booking decision might not go down well with a lot of fans, but for WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray (formerly Bubba Ray Dudley), it’s just what the company needs as far as its key metrics are concerned.
As quoted by WrestlingNews.co, Ray commented on a recent episode of Busted Open Radio that Lesnar had a good match against Seth Rollins when he lost the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35, noting that this contest stood out for its storytelling rather than the moves that were executed. The multiple-time WWE tag team champion then shifted his focus to Lesnar’s upcoming Friday Night SmackDown match against Kingston and opined that the ex-UFC heavyweight champion’s presence at the show could be very beneficial because of his name recall, even among those who don’t follow WWE’s current product.
“Brock’s name is known by people who might not be wrestling fans. Brock should bring a lot of eyes to this show on Friday. He’s the biggest name and that’s why they’re going with him. Brock as your champion is what’s best for business right now with your show going to FOX.”
Friday Night #SmackDown is headed to @FOXTV, and the @FOXSports WWE moving truck could be headed your way!https://t.co/5wJ4JVWKW3
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2019
Ray went on to suggest that Lesnar – who has been criticized repeatedly for only showing up at select weekly shows and pay-per-views – should appear twice a month on Friday Night SmackDown. Taking Lesnar’s part-time status into account, the WWE Hall of Famer also speculated that company officials may be able to convince Brock to compete in one match per month if the WWE Championship is on the line during those contests.
Indeed, it appears as if WWE is focusing heavily on Lesnar’s perceived drawing power as Friday Night SmackDown’s premiere nears. Aside from Tuesday’s appearance on SmackDown Live, Lesnar is confirmed for the Monday Night Raw “season premiere” episode on September 30 in Phoenix. Likewise, there has also been speculation that if he beats Kingston on Friday Night SmackDown two weeks from now, the former three-time Universal Champion might hold the WWE Championship until WrestleMania 36 in April.
As noted by CBS Sports, Lesnar’s WWE title match against Kingston on October 4 won’t be the first time for both men to face each other in singles competition. Their last bout took place on the WWE Network-exclusive Beast in the East special in July 2015, with Lesnar comfortably defeating the much smaller Kingston in what the outlet described as a “virtual squash match.”
