Brock Lesnar's Booking Is Killing the Momentum of Braun Strowman, More Raw Stars

Brock Lesnar is once again missing from the WWE. This should come as no surprise to longtime fans that are accustomed to the Universal champion's frequent exits. Of course, that doesn't mean it's any easier to accept, especially considering the Superstars left behind can't seem to build any real momentum as a result.

Braun Strowman is one of those Superstars.

The Monster Among Men not only looked like an animal against Lesnar; he looked like the favorite to dethrone the Universal champion. Much of that perception had to do with the way Strowman manhandled Lesnar, which was something a New Era talent had never done before.

But Strowman's domination over Lesnar was also believable. Throwing The Beast Incarnate around the ring seemed like an easy task for Strowman, as he always looked extremely confident and supremely capable. 

It appeared as though Vince McMahon's company had finally found the man that could tame the beast.

But No Mercy came on September 24 and left with no title change. Lesnar disappeared and Strowman now has heat with The Shield. Once again, Lesnar had a one-and-done Universal title feud and the WWE continued to move on without him.

All of this sounds familiar to the WWE faithful.

That's because it happened most recently on July 9 at Great Balls of Fire. On that night, Lesnar defended his Universal Championship against Samoa Joe. Joe had looked great in the weeks leading up to that match, but when he and Lesnar finally went to war, Joe came up short.

In both cases, the WWE had a main event talent who seemed poised for great things. But in both cases, Lesnar left with the belt and then left the WWE.

It's not as if fans do not understand that Lesnar is the company's moneymaking prizefighter. The WWE faithful surely knows why Lesnar is used at the top and why he continues to beat even the most high-profile New Era Superstars.

Is Lesnar supposed to do the job every time he faces a next-generation talent?

But as guys are elevated through the ranks on Raw, they will inevitably get to the top, and that means Lesnar will be waiting. Fans know this, and while they don't want to see Lesnar continuously win, Joe and Strowman's lack of elevation to title contention would also have been an issue as well.

So what is the plan for The Beast Incarnate?

A showdown with Roman Reigns is likely imminent. The Big Dog is the top dog in the WWE now, and he's beaten nearly everyone put in front of him. He defeated Triple H. He retired The Undertaker. He beat John Cena. Reigns has done it all and only has one obstacle left.

Lesnar is that obstacle.

WrestleMania 34 is the place when that showdown will probably happen, and if so, Reigns will tame the beast. He will become the new Universal champion and cement his status as the undisputed top star in the WWE.

However, until that moment happens, the company seems to be playing keep-away. Reigns is back in The Shield, while Lesnar is once again a ghost. The Beast Incarnate could find himself back in the feud with Strowman at some point or the same could be true of Joe. Even Finn Balor could finally get his opportunity at Lesnar and the Universal title that he never lost.

But if that happens, then Balor will lose. He will be added to the list of main event Superstars that just couldn't get the job done. Kevin Owens is on that list. So is Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Bill Goldberg, The Undertaker, John Cena and Sheamus. Lesnar is the dragon that cannot be slain, and he only seems to get stronger over time.

How could any WWE Superstar ever hope to maintain momentum against a guy that will not stay down?

Fans know that Lesnar vs. Reigns is indeed inevitable. The two men are forces of nature that cannot inhabit the same place at the same time without trying to destroy each other. But the more that Lesnar works and remains invincible, the more that the WWE continues to spin its wheels.

The WWE won the Monday Night Wars against the WCW by initiating evolution on the roster. New stars were developed; veterans rediscovered their fire, and the company as a whole moved into the future. The same is true of the WWE now, except for Lesnar. Every New Era Superstar that runs into him and loses also loses his momentum.

There can be no forward progress for anyone as long as Lesnar's unbeatable booking continues. 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com