WWE Extreme Rules 2012: Will Brock Lesnar Boost PPV Buys Substantially?

WrestleMania 28, headlined by The Rock vs. John Cena, has reportedly broken WrestleMania pay-per-view buy rates. The following edition of Monday Night Raw garnered a 3.4 rating, which was a nice little jump.

The boost in Raw's rating could be attributed to the post-WrestleMania buzz. It could also be attributed to the rumors of Brock Lesnar's return to the WWE. Of course, Lesnar ended up returning and dropped Cena with an F5.

The subsequent episodes of Raw drew sub-par ratings—similar to what the ratings were prior to WrestleMania. That said, will Brock Lesnar's return to WWE PPV result in an increase in buys? Will Lesnar vs. Cena in an Extreme Rules match sell PPVs?

While there hasn't been much time to build Lesnar vs. Cena, they have done a good job of establishing the dynamic between the two.

Lesnar has been advertised as a bully who thinks he's above everyone else in the WWE. In this scenario, Cena has been on the receiving end of Lesnar's verbal and physical onslaught. People will surely tune in to see Cena try and rise to the occasion and defeat Lesnar.

A large group of fans will likely purchase the PPV simply to see Lesnar bludgeon Cena in this match. Even though Lesnar has been established as the heel, Cena still tends to get a noticeable amount of heat from the crowd.

More than anything, Lesnar vs. Cena has the star power to sell PPVs. The matchup is fresh enough to draw. In addition, it can also appeal to Lesnar's UFC fanbase. The fact that the Extreme Rules stipulation allows for a good amount of brawling is enticing.

All things considered, this match definitely has the potential to boost PPV buy rates for the WrestleMania follow-up PPV. Not only is there a great dynamic between the two, but Lesnar vs. Cena is a promising match that will attract WWE fans—as well as Lesnar's fans from his UFC days.

Thanks for reading. As always, I appreciate any feedback on my writing. Feel free to spark a conversation with me regarding what was discussed in this column by commenting or reaching out to me on Twitter @MikePW247. Also, be sure to tune in to This Very Ring every Sunday night at 11 p.m. ET to listen to myself and Stan Grubb discuss all things pro wrestling.