WWE: Is a Possible Brock Lesnar Return Good or Bad for the Company?

So, heard any Brock Lesnar rumors lately?

Already sick of it all, right?  Well, I can’t say as I blame you on that one.  This guy is the most talked about WWE Superstar to have not actually been on their payroll in recent history.

Not since Bill Goldberg has one wrestler captured the attention and sparked the debate among fans than the supposed “Next Big Thing.”  Just by being who he is, Brock has stirred the proverbial naughty-word-for-excrement storm, and it’s doing nothing but intensifying.

Why?  Well, because he lost this past Friday night, and then retired from UFC shortly after.  So, what does a competitive guy like Brock do when he’s done with a sport?  Well, move on to another one, then rip on the one he just left, that’s what!

That’s right, UFC fans, you have that to look forward to.

Ten seconds after Lesnar made the retirement announcement, wrestling fans all over the world stopped what they were doing, and looked at each other with the same response.

“Dude, here we go.”

If I told you I had a clear-cut opinion on this, I would be lying.  The truth is, I have two.  

The first one is that Brock Lesnar equals dollar signs.  He is must-see TV, and the spotlight he was just enjoying in UFC will likely follow him if he indeed does return to WWE.

That spotlight means more attention to the WWE product, which means higher ratings and in turn, more money in the bank.  And, when a top guy is bringing in truckloads of money for the company, then it’s a good day for everyone around him.

Not to mention the fact that one of the biggest complaints that fans have with WWE is that there are times when there just does not seem to be enough star power to keep their attention.  Sure, The Rock came back.  But, then he left.  Then he came back.  Then he left.

Well, you get it.

Brock’s return to WWE, whether it would be for only one big match, as Jim Ross has suggested, or for an extended period of time on a light ring-work schedule, means big-time main-event star power.

There is no doubting that every fan would be tuned in from the moment he came back, through every week after, and up until the moment he left.  He is that big of a star, and would only get bigger with the right booking behind him.

Now, for the other side of it.

This is the side that does nothing but grimace at the thought of Brock returning to the business that he has taken so many opportunities to slam since he left.  When I think of how shallow this guy seems to be, and how he has never really gotten it, in terms of respecting the business, I just believe it’s a bad idea.

The question is: Despite his impressive amateur background, would UFC have been as interested in Brock, and pushed him as far up the ladder as they did without his WWE exposure?

My answer is no.  WWE raised his value by allowing him to perform on a worldwide stage.  He showed his athleticism, his ability and physical prowess, becoming a phenomenon as he went.

For me, Brock has WWE and its fans who paid their money to see him, to thank for making him an overnight sensation, and for giving him the opportunities he wisely took advantage of when he chose to leave pro wrestling.

When I really think about it, I have to ask if another WWE run would do anything for the company long-term, or if it would be just a quick fix?  Does Brock Lesnar returning for a short window of time help or hurt the WWE product?

The goal of any pro wrestler should be to contribute to the company he works for, to work with those around him and do as much as he can to entertain the crowd.  If the booker gives him the right storyline and feud, every person doing their part will benefit in the end.

This does not exactly describe a “one-and-done” Brock Lesnar comeback, which may very well consist of a guaranteed ratings spike, a main-event spotlight over guys who are already there and a big payday.

And, if that’s the case, then the die-hard wrestling fan in me says no, thank you.

According to what Jim Ross thinks, it may never happen in the first place.  Brock supposedly dislikes traveling to the point that he would not make TV, even if it was in a build up to a major one off of a pay-per-view event.  But, as with anything else in WWE, anything is possible.

Despite when and if he returns to WWE, Brock Lesnar is sure to bring a world of publicity, and a world of controversy, with him in the process.  So, is a return of the Next Big Thing good or bad for the company?

Yes.  And, yes.