Breaking Down How WWE Must Book Brock Lesnar Ahead of WrestleMania 36

WWE did the borderline unthinkable over the weekend at the Royal Rumble. Not only did a fresh Superstar win the men's match in dominant fashion, that star—Drew McIntyre—is now on a collision course with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36. 

Now the trick is getting the whole thing right during the time between the Rumble and 'Mania on April 5. 

Easier said than done, though it's hard not to feel encouraged after Sunday's main event match. It not only told a story, but it was also edge-of-seat material throughout while cementing it as one of the best performances in years...all while setting up McIntyre as the next top dog of the company. 

Seriously: Lesnar was unstoppable, even when Kofi Kingston and friends teamed up on him, even when two big hosses in the form of Braun Strowman and Keith Lee were in the ring and tossing him around in almost effortless fashion. 

Lesnar only went over the top rope and into elimination territory once he was hit with a low blow by Ricochet, then Claymore'd into oblivion by McIntyre. 

And that right there is the key to The Beast Incarnate's booking for the brief break that takes up the time between now and WrestleMania. 

Not McIntyre...Ricochet. 

We already know McIntyre and Lesnar will have a few staredowns and the challenger will end up in multiple battles of words with Paul Heyman, if not getting his hands on the advocate while The Beast isn't around to protect him. 

But given the pump-up-new-talent nature of the Royal Rumble and general vibe of WWE, this little break is a good time for Lesnar to occupy his time with Ricochet and make him look like a million bucks. 

It's not like the WWE champion hasn't been willing to do this in the past. He's had unforgettable one-offs with guys like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan and Finn Balor. Ricochet could merely be the next in a long line of superb Lesnar matches that work to keep him fresh in the minds of fans as a force and put over up-and-coming talent. 

And if we're being honest, Ricochet needs the help. WWE has flirted with throwing him into the main event scene in the past, but his promo work just didn't cut it and his character...well, there wasn't much there. 

But this time is different. The One and Only looked good on the go-home episode of Raw in standing up to Lesnar, only to receive a low blow for his efforts. He reciprocated in the Rumble match and cost The Beast everything. That's fun character development for Ricochet away from his "aw, shucks good guy" status and shows he's willing to strike back when prodded. 

Even better, Lesnar has every motivation to get after him in the worst way. He got embarrassed after doing the embarrassing, and now he's going to want revenge. Given the contrast in styles, it makes for a fun match and an even better career moment for Ricochet, as everybody knows he can look good in the ring while taking the inevitable loss. 

That's not the only extent of Lesnar booking to theorize between now and 'Mania. WWE has to fill the Super Showdown card in Saudi Arabia on February 27, when fans will maybe get some weird rematch with Cain Velasquez or an encounter with a Tyson Fury-type. 

But there's also an Elimination Chamber event to fill on March 8 and that's prime big-feud territory. If Lesnar's going to be active in that one, Ricochet would make some sense. 

Otherwise, the booking doesn't have to detour too far from the usual stuff here. The Beast is hardly going to show up at every show between now and 'Mania. That's for the better, as it would get stale. But the usual give-and-take with McIntyre and a splash of another up-and-comer like Ricochet could keep things fresher than usual. 

The end payoff, through an optimistic lens, is the massive ascension of both McIntyre and Ricochet to occupy the very top of the card. That, in turn, could mean more meaningful, must-see episodes of Raw. 

That hopeful slant all hinges on the proper usage of Lesnar in this critical three-month stretch. So far, so good.