WWE: Will Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H Be Huge, or a Huge Disappointment?

Here comes The Game.

See what I did there?  It comes naturally, what can I say?

That’s right, folks, WWE SummerSlam is right around the corner.  Well, not really, it’s actually on Aug. 19, but you get the point, right?

But, it could not come fast enough, am I right, huh?  Huh?  

Judging from the uncertainty on some of your faces, I would daresay that perhaps this is not exactly the dream match that the whole world has been waiting to see.  At this point, I would venture to say that no one has been waiting to see it.  And, why is that, exactly?

It surely cannot be that fans don’t care for either man in this contest.  After all, Triple H is one of the biggest names WWE has ever produced.  He’s been a headliner all over the world, and is known for his ring work, which has arguably put him among some of the best talent that the business has ever seen.

Triple H just gets it.  One promo, one turn of a phrase, a single intense stare, from the Cerebral Assassin, is all you need to know about where his head’s at.  He wants to be there.  Pro wrestling, more specifically WWE, is his life.  

This is all he wants to do, and his respect, and commitment to the industry is evident in every thing he says and does.

Triple H is a lifer.  Pure and simple.

Brock Lesnar is another huge name that WWE produced and shone the main-event spotlight on.  His ferocity, his brutish strength, both combined with his amateur background, made the Next Big Thing one of the must-see Superstars of his era.

He also had the look, the intensity, the character, that made fans want to buy a ticket to see him, and his matches against other top Superstars stand out among some of the best in WWE history.

Now, reading those two comparisons together, you will definitely notice an obvious difference, one that by now likely has some of you shaking your heads.

I see you.  Now, cut it out.

I know, it’s frustrating, for yet another Bleacher Report writer to again bash ol’ Brock over the head. But I have to be the bad guy on this column, and gently remind everyone that while Hunter is a lifelong WWE man, Lesnar is not.

Brock may have been a natural in the ring, and brought a lot in terms of physicality, and overall skill, but let’s be honest, this is not what he wanted to do for the duration of his professional life.

I can imagine a young Triple H glued to his TV every Saturday, watching Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen dominate the NWA.  I can also see him telling everyone he knows that one day--one day, that will be him.

However, I cannot imagine the same from Brock.  Love it or hate it, Lesnar has developed the reputation of being a guy who took full advantage of everything given to him, got what he wanted, and left.

He does not appear to be a talent along the lines of not only Hunter, but Shawn Michaels, Edge, and John Cena, guys who wanted to be in WWE, wanted to live the lifestyle of a pro wrestler, and become the best in the business.

But, despite that obvious difference in personal drive and love for the sport, another fact that may be standing in the way of fans getting overly excited about his match-up may be because the booking has been horrible.

Not because it doesn’t make sense.  The background story is pretty simple, after all.  Brock tried to threaten and intimidate his way into a fat WWE contract, Hunter said no, Brock attacked him, “breaking” his arm, and now Hunter wants payback.

A straight to the point, basic reason for heat between two Superstars who love to fight.  Simple.

And, it would have been extremely effective, if Brock had actually been there this whole time.

I am still dumbfounded as to why Vince McMahon moved ahead with re-signing Brock Lesnar to begin with, especially if both sides could only agree on a certain number of dates that the Superstar would be either on TV or on pay per view.

Historically speaking, a pro wrestling storyline, when done the right way, takes time, and effort, to produce, and evolve.  Planting the seed for a conflict, exploring both side’s point of view, then presenting one confrontation after another, building to the eventual showdown that is sure to follow.

That’s the way it has always been done, and continues to be the way that works the best.

But, that’s not what we have with Hunter and Brock.  Instead, we have the biggest pro wrestling company in the world, counting on an ex-Superstar who did not stick around the first time, to deliver on what appears to be a comeback of around three matches.

Not exactly what you could call brilliant booking.

Of course, it did work with John Cena and The Rock at WrestleMania 28 this year, right?  No, I haven’t forgotten about that little unconventional rivalry.  Nor have I forgotten about the huge business it did, and the media hype that came with it.

Fair enough.  But, can we really compare that bout to this one?  In terms of work that has been put in by both sides, and the excitement that grew from that work, Cena vs. Rocky wins by a landslide.

Rocky may not have been a constant presence himself on WWE TV, but he did appear from time to time, and his face became a permanent fixture on the TitanTron.  

Oh, and yeah, they had a year to promote it.  Forgot about that one.

However, this is still Brock vs. Hunter, two huge names in WWE history.  The talent is there.  The characters are there.  The style is there. 

But, what about the substance?

Triple H is not a full-time active competitor anymore.  Brock is not even a WWE Superstar anymore. So, what is the payoff for these two men to work the main event of a pay per view?  Ratings?  Pay per view buys?  Money?

Yes, yes, and yes again.  It’s a quick fix, a way to provide another match for fans to sink their teeth into, and it’s yet one more way that Triple H is stepping up for the company that is currently short on highly marketable, main-event Superstars.  He’s filling the void, and doing what he can to give WWE some badly needed star power.

At the end of the day, Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar in 2012 should be a big deal.  Fans should want to see this match go down, and be as anxious to witness how it plays out, as they were with the Rock and John Cena.  

It has the potential to be a classic.  But, will it actually become one?  

Here comes the lame?