Big E vs. Bobby Lashley Set for WWE Championship Match at Raw

Big E will defend the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley on Raw on Monday night.

The two were part of a six-man tag team match on the Extreme Rules pay-per-view Sunday. Big E was on the winning side with fellow New Day members Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston.

Lashley issued the challenge backstage after the match. The champion didn't wait long before granting his wish.

The pace at which this storyline has evolved will lead to some questions about whether WWE is failing to provide the proper showcase for what is a match worthy of a main-event slot on a PPV.

Big E's title run isn't even two weeks old, and Lashley is already invoking his rematch clause. Their singles encounter is also coming with just one day to build anticipation.

Raw could ultimately prove to tease a bigger battle down the road.

Crown Jewel on Oct. 21 in Saudi Arabia is the next stop on WWE's PPV calendar, and that would be a sensible place to have a third installment of Big E vs. Lashley. They could conclude their business ahead of Survivor Series, when individual rivalries are typically put on hold to pit Raw against SmackDown.

Monday night also provides Big E with an opportunity to earn the kind of signature victory required to establish himself as a dominant champion.

Even if he called his shot well ahead of time, cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase can be seen as sneaking one's way in through the back door for a babyface such as Big E. Firmly dispatching of Lashley will remove any doubt as to his position on Raw.