Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley Doesn't Need Titles on the Line to be Great

For the last few weeks, it has become abundantly clear that WWE Raw needs its main world championship again.

The lack of a top prize has left the brand without a way to establish main eventers and create the type of overarching storyline we see on SmackDown with The Bloodline.

Nevertheless, Bobby Lashley has grown into one of the hottest stars on Monday nights. His current rivalry with Brock Lesnar is a great way to continue to present him as a premiere Superstar even without a title.

The All Mighty was on an excellent run as the United States champion before The Beast Incarnate returned. Lashley is the most popular he has been as a babyface since he started his second stint with the company in 2018. He is also rarely pinned or submitted without outside interference or taking damage before a match.

Case in point, Seth Rollins took advantage of The Beast’s surprise attack on the Oct. 10 episode of Raw to wrest his coveted gold away from Lashley. Still, his successful track record and star power helped to restore prestige to the midcard title.

It wasn’t the ideal way to end such a strong reign, but it was an effective way to add stakes to his upcoming match with Lesnar at Crown Jewel. Their second showdown has the potential to exceed expectations.

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A Second Chance At This High-Profile Match

The former WWE champion’s surprise appearance two weeks ago may have seemed random, but he and Lashley have unfinished business. In fact, Lesnar has technically never beaten his rival.

The 46-year-old came back to the company four years ago for the chance to face Lesnar for the first time. He campaigned for his dream match to no avail until the two shared the ring in the Fatal Five-Way at Day 1 in January. The palpable energy and chemistry between them laid the groundwork for their highly anticipated one-on-one bout.

They finally squared off a few weeks later at the Royal Rumble, but it was surprisingly underwhelming. WWE did a tremendous job building it up as a marquee matchup between two big stars, but it turned out to be merely a vehicle to advance Lesnar’s storyline with Roman Reigns ahead of WrestleMania 38.

The match never really kicked into second gear before The Tribal Chief intervened. Lashley capitalized on his involvement to win the WWE title. Unfortunately, his second reign was short-lived due to a shoulder injury. As a result, he never made it out of his pod at Elimination Chamber.

The rest, as they say, is history. Lesnar went on to regain his title and lose it to Reigns at The Showcase of the Immortals. Now, he looks to settle the score in his return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 5.

This is a nice way to bring the feud full circle. Skeptical fans may see this as a way for The Beast to get his win back. Although that would be par for the course, this rematch could be beneficial for Lashley.

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The Boiling Point

Honestly, the lingering animosity from their other confrontations this year makes their second one-on-one encounter much more interesting. They have a history now, so this feels like more of a grudge match.

WWE's established continuity gives the bout immediate stakes. We don't need to see them compete for a title this time around because it's personal now. If that wasn't clear already, their brawl on Oct. 20 should’ve proved as much.

This doesn't seem like just a one-off exchange anymore; it's an ongoing feud that could continue. Lashley took the fight to Lesnar a week ago and savagely drove him through the announce table.

At that moment, he didn't look like a returning star hungry for a chance to test himself against one of the best anymore. No, The All Mighty is a decorated champion seeking respect as he hopes to continue to make an impact in 2022.

The video package WWE recently produced even presented them as equals set to collide in a momentous heavyweight match. A win wouldn't just give Lashley bragging rights; it would cement him as a new challenger for Reigns. Meanwhile, Lesnar hopes to avenge his loss from the Royal Rumble and vanquish him once and for all.

This isn't exactly a perfect scenario. One could even argue the outcome is predictable. Nevertheless, Lesnar vs. Lashley 2 has the big fight feel that has been missing on Raw lately. If nothing else, it's an outstanding way to revisit a feud that many fans started to think would never happen.