Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman WWE No Mercy 2017 Match Preview and Pick

The Beast will be unleashed Sunday night at No Mercy as Brock Lesnar defends his Universal Championship against the greatest threat to his title yet, the ruthless and unforgiving Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman.

The match, arguably the most anticipated of the card, is the modern-day equivalent of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

After five months of dominating Raw's top stars, Lesnar has found himself physically dominated by Strowman, whose stock has risen higher than ever in this post-WrestleMania 33 WWE.

Can he cap off his incredible ascent to the top of the red brand with another overpowering performance against the mayor of Suplex City, or will Lesnar fell the giant that is Strowman with another smashmouth performance?

The Background

At SummerSlam on August 20, Lesnar defended his title in a Fatal 4-Way match against Strowman, Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns in what would quickly become a genuine Match of the Year candidate. 

During the match, Strowman hoisted The Beast Incarnate over his shoulder and delivered a powerslam through the announce table that left Lesnar unconscious and in need of medical attention. That was not enough, though. The bearded behemoth flipped the other table over on his prone opponent, leaving Lesnar's involvement in the rest of the match in doubt.

As history tells us, the champion exploded back into the match, obliterating the opposition and pinning Reigns following an F-5 to retain his place atop the red brand.

Just 24 hours later, Strowman followed up the disappointing defeat with another decimation of The Beast Incarnate. He leveled Lesnar with a powerslam that once again demonstrated his dominance over the baddest man in professional wrestling.

On September 11, Lesnar returned to Raw and once again found himself on the receiving end of the No. 1 contender's unforgiving onslaught.

This time, Lesnar was left stunned by the tenacity of his No Mercy opponent. Grabbing him in a go-behind, he launched Strowman with a German suplex, his go-to offensive weapon. The Monster Among Men no-sold the move, standing up and staring down the champion as if nothing had happened.

A chokeslam and third powerslam left The Beast lying in a heap of battered flesh and bone.

Just six days before the monumental clash over the top prize on the Raw brand, Lesnar and Strowman appeared via satellite for their final verbal confrontation.

Yes, Strowman promised destruction. Paul Heyman spoke on behalf of his client, offended that Lesnar had not been at the center of the hype. The champion, though, stared emotionlessly into the camera.

Through the camera, even.

As if he was looking into the soul of his opponent.

Then he cut Heyman off.

Lesnar thanked Strowman for backing him into the corner, claiming that is when he is at his best. He leaned closer to the camera and issued a warning to Strowman. "Suplex City, b---h," he said before leaving. It was a vacation he had promised several rivals over the course of his stint at the top of WWE.

It was a vacation he had never failed to deliver.

Strowman, having proved unaffected by the nasty suplexes that had felled so many other Superstars, looked unaffected as Lesnar stepped away from the promo.

The Match

Lesnar vs. Strowman will be the most physical WWE main event since The Beast Incarnate defended against Samoa Joe at Great Balls of Fire, and it will realistically eclipse that bout.

The smashmouth style of the superheavyweights will breed a physically demanding match. It is unlikely to last as long as the SummerSlam Fatal 4-Way, nor does it have to. Fans do not demand a wrestling clinic out of workers like Lesnar and Strowman. Instead, they demand a spectacle of violence, and they should get it inside the hallowed halls of Staples Center.

The same Staples Center that featured one of the bloodiest matches in WWE history in Eddie Guerrero vs. John Bradshaw Layfield at Judgment Day 2004.

While fans are not necessarily accustomed to matches that go that far in today's family-friendly WWE, do not be surprised if some blood is spilled in the squared circle when Lesnar attempts to overcome his toughest test to date.

A match full of strikes, slams and suplexes, it will provide fans with that marquee battle for supremacy in which two big men beat the everloving hell out of each other for both championship glory and personal pride.

Prediction

There are fans who understandably want Strowman to dethrone Lesnar and return the Universal Championship to Raw on a more consistent base. After all, The Beast Incarnate makes infrequent appearances on Monday nights, leaving Raw without a goal for its top stars to fight over.

The endgame, though, is clearly a showdown between Lesnar and Reigns at WrestleMania. To get there, Brock must retain his title at No Mercy.

He will.

Strowman will be heavily protected, and he will turn in another extraordinary performance, as he always does.

But he will suffer the same fate as every other Raw headliner before him: an F-5.

Winner: Brock Lesnar