Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Brock Lesnar's Absence Hurting WWE Universal Title

1. A Beast Out of Sight

Rhyno's plate of crackers has had more screen time on WWE Raw in the past three weeks than Brock Lesnar and the Universal Championship. That's not exactly how you build prestige for a title in its infancy.

We knew this was coming, but it hasn't stung any less.

Lesnar has been a part-time star since rejoining WWE in 2012. And when he became world champ two years later, he only occasionally stepped into the spotlight with that strap in hand.

Yes, Lesnar is a special attraction, and his infrequent appearances play that up, but the universal title is losing momentum around his waist.

Since beating Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 to become the fourth man to hold that belt, Lesnar has only shown up on WWE TV once. Following the post-WrestleMania Raw, Lesnar has been in a state of hibernation, leaving the Universal Championship picture stock-still.

There will be no universal title match at Sunday's Payback pay-per-view.

There is no clear No. 1 contender. There are too few on-air mentions of the title. 

The audience has seen Superstars' hunger for Raw's other titles, but the red brand can't put any focus on its top one because of Lesnar's schedule.

The gold's absence has become a running joke, something many, like the folks at the Lost in the Midcard podcast, have taken shots at:

The newness of the championship makes this situation more significant. The WWE title's long history allows it to retain momentum if it's not constantly around. The Universal Championship, though, is a prize WWE is trying to establish as prestigious.

Its history has been underwhelming so far.

Finn Balor never got to defend it after becoming the inaugural champion. A shoulder injury forced WWE to find a new wrestler to crown right after Balor's big win at SummerSlam.

Kevin Owens lost in mere seconds at Fastlane. Goldberg defended it only once.

And now it's not even on TV.

The Miz elevated and invigorated the Intercontinental Championship last year by ranting about how much it meant to him, by fighting so hard to keep it in his grasp against the likes of Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose. John Cena had everyone talking about the United States Championship in 2015, when he issued weekly open challenges that often led to stirring battles.

The universal title doesn't have a flag-bearer like that. It's a trophy that's not a part of the product.

And that won't change until SummerSlam nears and Lesnar begins to pop in more or a beast like Braun Strowman yanks the title from him.

2. More Sudden Success on SmackDown

The blue brand is taking its "land of opportunity" slogan to heart, as we saw again when the struggling, rarely used team of Tyler Breeze and Fandango earned a title shot on Tuesday. Breezango defeated The Ascension in a Beat the Clock Challenge to earn a date with The Usos.

A look at Breezango's record magnifies how surprising that victory was. 

Pinning The Ascension marked the team's first win since last November, per CageMatch.net. Breeze and Fandango had gone 4-16 as a pair in their previous 20 bouts, including a 0-5 stretch to kick off 2017. 

And now, like Jinder Mahal, SmackDown's fashion police are a three-count away from a career-changing moment.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Scott Steiner

Big Poppa Pump is back. Scott Steiner appeared at an Impact Wrestling taping over the weekend, reinserting himself into a promotion in which he hasn't performed since 2011. 

Few wrestlers have transformed their look over the years as much as the master of the Frankensteiner.

As seen in this clip from a 1992 edition of WWE's Wrestling Challenge, he looked like a completely different person back when he was a beardless suplex machine, tagging alongside brother Rick:

And now, 25 years later, Impact Wrestling is hoping the 54-year-old Steiner can bolster its product in some fashion.

4. Perkins the Lackey 

After dropping the Cruiserweight Championship, TJ Perkins spun his wheels. His character felt flat. He lacked traction overall.

A character tweak has proved powerful since.

Gone is the gung-ho, video game-loving babyface. Perkins is now Neville's loyal minion.

Credit: WWE.com

He has embraced his arrogance, but he's also a coward, hiding behind the lead bully. It's a fitting role for him, one that has already made him miles more interesting. TJP finds himself in the heart of the cruiserweight division spotlight with an apt act.

Sometimes, a redressing of one's persona can work wonders.

5. The Hardy Heir

Maxel Hardy has been an in-ring performer, a key part of the Hardy family's onscreen saga and a narrative device in wrestling stories, but beyond all that, he's simply a kid in awe of his dad, Matt Hardy. 

Reby Hardy reminded us of that when she shared a video of her son freaking about The Hardy Boyz's recent appearance on Raw:

One day, Maxel will discover that it's far from a common experience to watch your father and uncle team up on TV. For now, though, that his norm, one he's clearly enjoying.

6. The Vince Movie

WWE's head man is set to be the subject of his own movie. Rebecca Ford of The Hollywood Reporter recently announced that TriStar Pictures is set to make a Vince McMahon biopic entitled Pandemonium:

There is a wealth of intriguing stuff to dive into for the film. McMahon gobbling up the wrestling territories, his banking on the success of WrestleMania, being on trial during the company's steroid scandal and his part in the Montreal Screwjob all need to make it to the screen.

Regardless of how the final product turns out, however, not calling the movie "No Chance in Hell" is a big-time missed opportunity.

7. Payback Title History

Challengers entering Sunday's PPV don't have history on their sides. After the inaugural Payback event, gold has been crazy hard to come by.

No new champs have emerged from Payback since 2013.

Year	Championships to Change Hands	Championships Retained	Total New Champions
2013	Intercontinental, Divas, World Heavyweight	WWE, Tag Team, United States	3
2014	None	Intercontinental, Divas, United States	0
2015	None	WWE, United States, Tag Team	0
2016	None	WWE, Women's, Intercontinental, United States	0

That's a total of three title changes in 15 championship matches. If that pattern holds, fans of The Hardys, Kevin Owens and Bayley will be happy on Sunday.

8. Early Hits from John Cena

John Cena turned 40 on Sunday.

He has been in the prime of his career for the past few years, knocking it out of the park in matches with AJ Styles, Kevin Owens and others. But Cena is far from a late bloomer. The powerhouse has been thriving for a long time, even if fans refused to give him credit for it.

Look back at his best work from early in his career for proof:

• John Cena vs. Kurt Angle: No Mercy 2003
• John Cena vs. Undertaker: SmackDown, June 24, 2004
• John Cena vs. Chris Jericho: SummerSlam 2005
• John Cena vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield: Judgment Day 2005 (I Quit)
• John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle: Taboo Tuesday 2005

The argument used to be that great performers were carrying Cena. Of course he looked good in there against a master like Angle, folks would say. Then the 16-time world champ proceeded to produce opposite Undertaker, JBL, Y2J, Edge, CM Punk and a long list of foes of various shapes and sizes.

9. A Reluctant Brute

It may end up being a minor plot point, but SmackDown should dive into Rusev's refusal to compete.

The Bulgarian Brute explained his recent absence on Tuesday's SmackDown, saying he felt disrespected by the blue brand's authority figures. He said he wouldn't come back until he was offered a title match at Money in the Bank.

This cover story for Rusev's recovery from injury could be a good showcase of his character. He can appear in future videos in which he trash-talks SmackDown's higher-ups, proclaims his greatness and holds out on competing, much like a star NFL player during training camp.

WWE would not only be able to keep Rusev in fans' minds while he heals but also give SmackDown a unique subplot.

10. Stone Cold on The Architect

Steve Austin recently voiced a harsh evaluation of Seth Rollins that rang true. Stone Cold revealed his thoughts on The Architect during the latest edition of The Steve Austin Show (h/t Wrestling Inc for the transcription): 

"

When you say 'Seth Rollins' or if you want to say 'Seth Freakin' Rollins', I still don't have a sense of what or who this guy is. And so, that rests on Seth Rollins' shoulders, as an individual, as a performer, to define or create that as well as the WWE because I still don't get a sense of what kind of personality he is.

"

As exciting as he can be in the ring, Rollins' babyface character hasn't been fully developed. Austin is right about that. 

WWE would be wise to bring Austin into the locker room from time to time to let The Texas Rattlesnake rip into the talent, trying to light a fire under them by doling out blunt critiques like this one.

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