Is a Brock Lesnar WWE SummerSlam Fatal 4-Way Win Inevitable?

As the Universal Championship scene grows crowded with monsters and gladiators ahead of WWE SummerSlam, a major decision concerning Brock Lesnar looms.

Should The Beast Incarnate walk out of that Aug. 20 blockbuster pay-per-view with the crown still atop his head? Or is the better move to take advantage of the soaring momentum that Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe have built?

Dethroning Lesnar at this point would be a bold move that would change one of his foes' careers forever.

It's not a move WWE fans should count on, though. Lesnar exits on a tier all his own. The excellence of other men isn't guaranteed to force WWE to rethink that.

The company will have options aplenty should it want to tell the story of The Beast Incarnate's fall. 

It's becoming clearer that there won't be a singular No. 1 contender for the Universal Title. All signs point to a Fatal 4-Way match for the championship.

On Monday's Raw, Reigns and Joe were supposed to decide who would take on Lesnar at SummerSlam. But Strowman charged in before a victor could emerge. The Monster Among Men mauled both bruisers, leaving ruin in his wake.

With no winner, the top contender spot remains undecided.

Joe will undoubtedly demand the title shot anyway. He said before the bout he felt the No. 1 Contender's match was an "unnecessary exercise."

Reigns has long believed himself worthy of that spot. Strowman's victory over Reigns at Great Balls of Fire gives him a hell of an argument that he should be Lesnar's challenge. 

That chaos surrounding the championship picture is poised to lead to all three men taking on The Beast Incarnate.

FightBooth PW is among those foreseeing a four-way clash:

That part is the safe bet. A slobberknocker featuring a quartet of predators looks inevitable at this point.

Joe, Strowman or Reigns snatching the gold from Lesnar's paws is the long shot.

WWE has simply booked Lesnar differently than other stars. He's treated like an immortal among men.

Lesnar defeated Undertaker at WrestleMania after The Deadman refused to fall 21 straight times at the event. Lesnar overpowered and embarrassed John Cena at SummerSlam 2014, something you simply don't see. The Conqueror left Randy Orton a bloody mess two years later.

Credit: WWE.com

He's likely to add Joe, Reigns and Strowman to his list as he charges toward the WrestleMania 34 main event.

SummerSlam will mark only his second defense of the universal title. As invested as WWE has been in Lesnar, it's hard to imagine the company cutting this run short. The more probable scenario is that he survives a battle for the ages in August.

That would allow him to look even more monstrous afterward, to come off as an unstoppable champion. It would keep whatever money match WWE has in mind for Lesnar at the top of the WrestleMania card intact. 

And that's disappointing considering how white-hot Strowman and Joe have been this year.

The Monster Among Men has established himself as the most compelling part of Raw each week. His destructive ways, from flipping over an ambulance to treating luchadors like lawn darts, have made him the star of the show.

The New Age Insiders podcast noted that he feels like the titleholder even without the actual prize in hand:

Leading up to his match against Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire, Joe looked every bit like a marquee star. He was vicious and enthralling, a goon from the mob merged with a grizzly bear. 

Even more so than during his NXT Championship, The Destroyer looked rejuvenated by the heat of the spotlight. 

He and Strowman have produced some of the best action in the ring all year. Strowman's battles with Reigns have been smashmouth works of art. Joe, meanwhile, flourished opposite Lesnar and looked tremendous en route to victory at the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules.

Joe's latest piece of excellence came on Monday night. Before Strowman's arrival, he and Reigns were killing it in there.

Kyle Fowle of the A.V. Club wrote, "Joe and Reigns have been built so beautifully as contenders that the match stands alone as a brutal, compelling, exciting fight to determine the #1 contender."

Crowning Strowman at SummerSlam would be an emphatic means to welcome the New Era. It would be a full-hearted investment in a new star. The big man has the ability to be the company's centerpiece, and blasting his way past Lesnar, Reigns and Joe would be a hell of a way to move in that direction.

Like Joe, he could be a workhorse champion. As a steady purveyor of memorable violence on Monday nights, he would be a cornerstone who was around far more often than the part-timer Lesnar.

Lesnar, meanwhile, is an attraction with or without the gold. He doesn't need the title. His legacy is secure.

But that may not be enough to convince WWE to script a SummerSlam loss for him. The Beast Incarnate will remain the heavy favorite no matter what kind of behemoths share the ring with him this August.