WWE Should Continue Limited Use of Brock Lesnar Throughout Title Reign

WWE may have tipped its hand as to whether or not it intends on booking Brock Lesnar as WWE world heavyweight champion through WrestleMania.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com), Lesnar and WWE have a deal in place where the promotion can book him as WWE world heavyweight champion for Raw and pay-per-view events based on when it feels it wants him on TV.

This alleviates the looming problem of WWE working around Lesnar's limited-dates contract through WrestleMania.

WWE’s apparent increased financial investment in Lesnar is a wise one since it justifies its priceless investment in rebuilding Lesnar as a monster in 2014.

And while it will be tempting to book Lesnar more regularly on television, especially in the wake of a recent ratings tumble and the onset of Monday Night Football, it would behoove WWE to exercise the same discipline that has maximized his mystique. When it comes to monsters like Lesnar, less is more.

The Return of Godzilla, like most Godzilla movies, follows a pattern designed to accentuate the larger-than-life aura of an iconic monster.

In this film, the legend of Godzilla preceded his actual appearance. In fact, early parts of the movie are ambivalent toward Godzilla’s very existence through grainy Zapruder-like footage, pictures and shrapnel.

Even when his existence is confirmed, it is kept a secret from the citizens of Tokyo, thus building more tension toward his inevitable appearance. Godzilla eventually arrives, conquers everything in his wake, and in a moment that is a staple to the entire franchise, Godzilla disappears—for the time being.

While the movies are hit-or-miss, Godzilla has grown into a genre unto himself. Godzilla movies, much like their star, are best received when significant time has passed between installments.

The most recent American production of Godzilla premiered in 2014, 16 years after its predecessor. The film was critically acclaimed and followed a familiar formula of building toward Godzilla’s onscreen appearance.

This formula is a key to booking WWE’s resident monster, Brock Lesnar. WWE has made sure to keep the legend of Lesnar alive through Paul Heyman’s electric promos and footage of Lesnar’s recent tear through the biggest names on the WWE roster, including The Undertaker and John Cena.

Lesnar’s pre-taped vignettes give him a controlled environment to cut the very quick, snarling promos that make him most effective as a talker.

Despite being the WWE world heavyweight champion, his presence is not needed on Raw every night. The WWE championship is rarely defended on Raw in the post-Attitude era, and Lesnar’s pay-per-view appearances will be more special (read: marketable) if his presence in general is kept rare.

This incarnation of Lesnar has been a more effective world champion than anybody in recent memory. Of course, CM Punk's 434-day reign as WWE champion comes to mind as another effective world title run. But even then, he was often booked outside of the main event, and company revenues were “all over the place,” according to Chris Smith of Forbes.com.

Lesnar’s occasional wrestling matches seem more like real bouts. That, his wrestling gear and his vignettes all make him readily associated with the record-breaking juggernaut he was in UFC.

A characteristic common to most monsters is that they come, they see, they conquer and they leave. Designed absenteeism is just as important to a monster as breathing fire and stomping out buildings.

If Lesnar’s reported contract makes him more available to WWE programming, this is a privilege that should be handled with care. To remain a difference-making draw, this monster needs to be kept at bay.

At least for the time being.

Follow @ThisIsNasty