WWE Extreme Rules 2012: 10 Potential Opponents for Brock Lesnar After John Cena

Since Brock Lesnar's return to WWE, he has been the center of attention for fans all over the world.  The former WWE and UFC Champion has brought not only the pain, but the controversy, and drama, as only he can, and fans expected no less from the Next Big Thing.

Brock's program with John Cena has just begun, and the question of who will go over is one that is not easily answered.

John is coming off of his WrestleMania loss to the Rock, and logic says that he will not lose a second match this soon.  

He is John Cena, after all.  The guy just does not lose all that often.

Brock Lesnar is also in a must win scenario, as this is his first match back in a WWE ring, and it seems incomprehensible that he would receive the attention and spotlight that he has, only to do the job to John.

But, as fans know, this feud with Cena, though it his Brock's first since rejoining WWE, will definitely not be his last.

So, who could be in Brock Lesnar's future?

Glad you asked.

Mark Henry

Since his reemergence as the World's Strongest Monster in 2011, Mark Henry's dominating run as World Champion was most often compared to that of Brock Lesnar.

The comparisons were valid, as WWE had not pushed a big man in the way that they had with Brock, and Mark's rise to the top of the SmackDown ladder seemed to come from nowhere, much like the Next Big Thing himself.

To see these two men hook it up in the ring would be like watching two freight trains in a massive head on collision.

Yes, Mark Henry is a heel, and yes, Brock and Mark have worked each other in the past.  But, one or two matches do not necessarily mean that Henry has to turn babyface, and their matches from years ago would have no bearing on the level that Mark has achieved since that time.

Even though Lesnar would most surely come out on top, it would be interesting to see Mark Henry threaten, and then try, to induct Brock into his Hall of Pain.

Jack Swagger

I know, another heel.  Let it go, folks, and look at the bigger picture.

Jack Swagger was a stand out as an All American, an amateur wrestler who set a record with 30 pins, the most in a single season.

Brock Lesnar's amateur career as an All American is also well documented, as he finished college with an overall record of 106-5.

Needless to say, this match would not be about the quick give and go that we as pro wrestling fans are accustomed to seeing.  

Two mat wrestlers, doing what they do best, going move for move, hold for hold, each man trying to one up the other in the center of a WWE ring.

Jack is nowhere near being on the main event stage that Lesnar has enjoyed from the first moment that he came to WWE, or since his recent return.

But, one match does not mean it will become a lasting feud.  This would simply be for both men to go out, and just have fun with it.

But beware of the competitiveness that will likely come out, because both men certainly have it.

Ryback

While Lesnar versus Swagger would be all about the wrestling, Lesnar versus Ryback would be all about the power.

There's nothing like two muscled up strong men in a WWE ring, throwing one huge blow after another, doing all they can to get an advantage in the ring.

While Brock's vicious side would mesh well with Mark Henry's, it's his power that would come into play against Ryback.

Not much has been done with the Ryback character since he came back to WWE, but one match against Brock Lesnar, even if all he did was just hold his own, would definitely put him on another level with the fans.

This one would likely not go very long, as Ryback needs someone he can display his strength against, and Brock may not be the man to give as much as perhaps another Superstar.

But, still, on paper?  This one looks good.

Daniel Bryan

That's right, we're headed back to the mat.

With Brock Lesnar's recent run in UFC, there is undoubtedly a desire by WWE to showcase the ability that helped him to the top of that company.

What better way than to pair him with arguably one of the best all around technical wrestlers of all time?

Bryan does not have the size or strength that Lesnar does,  of course, but he really does not need it.  His wide assortment of submission moves and wrestling holds would give him every opportunity to make a real go of it against the Next Big Thing.

Brock has that ability as well, and to see him matched up with Daniel Bryan would make for a great main event one day.

Everyone who agrees, feel free to scream YES! YES! YES!

Okay, that's enough.

Triple H

Time for the Pain to play the Game.

This is another one that has happened before, as Hunter and Brock are certainly no strangers in the ring. But, to say that Triple H still has it is a huge understatement.

His Hell in a Cell match against Undertaker at WrestleMania 28 proved that Triple H can still perform on the main event stage, and I would not be surprised if the possibility of him facing Brock has not already come up in conversation.

This one could get a little tricky, however, as let's face it, Triple H does not lose all that much anymore, with the exception of the WrestleMania match.

For him go down against another big name like Brock Lesnar, would definitely take a meaningful storyline, done over time, and have a major payoff at a WWE pay per view.

Whether or not this is in the cards, is anyone's guess.  But, this match, like Hunter and Taker, has the possibility of becoming another instant classic.

Randy Orton

I remember watching Randy Orton taking on Brock Lesnar in 2002, when Randy was still wearing those gold and blue trunks.

But, that was before Orton lost the smile, got covered in tattoos, and became one of the most sinister Superstars WWE has ever seen.

The Viper is a completely different character than when Brock was last in the company.  Randy has established himself as a true star, and has a fan following like no other.

In other words, he would not be such a pushover this time.

Brock's threats of violence against John Cena may be taking their toll on the company's top Superstar, but those words would likely prove ineffective against Randy Orton, who has been in that role many times before.

Randy is, for all intents and purposes, a heel would does not cheat as much as he used to.  That kind of character backs down from no one, and takes a pounding in the ring as a challenge to get back up and go for another thirty minutes.

The Viper versus the War Machine.  Just name the time and place, I'm there.

Sheamus

Pound for pound, Sheamus is the best brawler in WWE.

Try intimidating that character with anyone.

Brock Lesnar is used to pounding on an opponent, and eventually gaining the victory.  But, when it comes to the Great White, Brock would definitely get as good as he gives.

There's a wrestling match, and then there's a good old fashioned fight.  This is Sheamus versus Brock Lesnar.

At some point, Brock will likely win a championship, and Sheamus's World Title could very well be the strap that Brock hoists above his head in the future.

Sheamus has proven that he is one of the toughest men in WWE, and to see him staring down Brock Lesnar, only for him to give that sarcastic smile to the Next Big Thing, would be a great moment, and only add to the match itself.

CM Punk

When CM Punk began his current main event run last year, he did so by verbally burning Vince McMahon, Triple H, John Cena, and Stephanie McMahon.

And, the fans loved him for it.

Punk is a unique talent, in the ring, and on the mic.  Very few Superstars have been allowed to say what he has, and it's because of that rebellious attitude that he has excelled the way he has with the fans.

Brock has been portrayed as being outspoken himself, a man who has no censor on him when touting his own ability and place in the business.

All the fun between these two would happen on the mic, no doubt about it.

But, it's Punk's brutal honesty that may actually prevent this feud from taking place right away.  After all, Brock's push as the unstoppable monster has to be maintained in order for him to be taken seriously in a company that has not seen him in eight years.

Many fans feel that perhaps Punk is too small to be pitted against Brock, that the size difference would be too much for the match to be hyped in the right way, and likely would end in a loss for Punk.

But, the only way a top guy stays at the top is by working the best, high profile talent, in the company.  It may very well be that this match is not only possible, it is inevitable.

But, one thing is for certain.  All the size and strength in the world will not make a difference once CM Punk begins his relentless barrage of pipebombs on the mic.  Everyone he has faced has had to deal with it, and Brock Lesnar will be no different.

The Rock

When the Rock stood in the ring during his last promo on Raw the night after WrestleMania 28, he made the prediction that he would one day become WWE Champion again.

By the end of that program, Brock Lesnar had returned and laid out John Cena.

While on the surface, one may not seem to have anything to do with the other, the fact is that Brock did not come back to the company to eventually compete for the United States, or Intercontinental Championships.  No disrespect to either one of those titles, but this guy is headed straight back to the top.

And, when the time comes that his arm is raised as the new WWE or World Champion, the clock may very well begin ticking for a Brock/Rock showdown.

This match would be a main event at any time, anywhere in the world, but for something this big, only the grand stage of WrestleMania will do.

This may be some epic fast forwarding we're doing here, but if Brock indeed does face Rocky again at some point, it needs to happen at the biggest pay per view of the year, in order to maximize ticket sales, and pay per view buyrates.

Both of these men know what it takes to perform at the highest level, and though neither have been full time WWE Superstars in quite a while, they would no doubt be up for this epic main event when the time comes.

Undertaker

Brock Lesnar versus Undertaker, WrestleMania 29.

It's got to happen, right?

When I sit back and think about the performance that Taker turned in this year against Triple H, and the fact that the streak is so important to his legacy, and to the success of the company  at WrestleMania, the number of suitable names to challenge him are very few indeed.

In other words, when you have Undertaker on one side of the ring, you better have some real star quality standing on the other side.

This match needs to happen, as Brock is not on the list of Superstars who have fallen to the streak.  That fact alone would be enough to sell the match for many fans, and their past history would likely be more than enough to make the match happen in the first place.

Brock needs an opponent who can physically stand up to him, and be able to hold their own against the power and viciousness that he brings to the ring.  He needs Undertaker.

And, I believe he will definitely get him.