WWE Is on Track to Nail Brock Lesnar's Torch-Passing Moment with Drew McIntyre

Has there been a single flaw in Drew McIntyre's ascension to being a Superstar worthy of standing toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar and main-eventing WrestleMania?

Easy answer: Nope.

In an almost unbelievable fashion considering WWE's ability to mess up a good thing, the storyline hasn't lost a shred of steam since the Scot surprisingly stormed into January's Royal Rumble, took out Lesnar and went on to win it.

While the entire push may be delayed by the growing chances WWE chooses to postpone or cancel WrestleMania 36 amid coronavirus concerns, the promotion plans to push forward for the time being.

WWE is so often about "moments" to the point they feel manufactured. It's a misguided idea that has regularly shoved aside organic movements and seen it limp into mistakes.

But not here. There was a danger the Royal Rumble was just another moment. McIntyre, with a small assist from Ricochet (who's on a one-way flight to burial city now), eliminated Lesnar after The Beast Incarnate dominated the match beforehand. The live crowd was behind him and his eventual win, quieting some of the ho-hum nature of his 50-50 booking before the big night.

Instead of that being a singular moment, though, WWE has almost effortlessly turned this into a movement.

McIntyre has looked incredible at every stop since. Whether it's promos, podcasts or live-television work, he's been wrestling's hottest commodity no matter what he's doing.

For instance, he played the game with Lesnar, countered an attempted cheap shot and then brutalized his future opponent in front of everyone, even holding aloft the title in the process:

Perfect. McIntyre doesn't need to say a ton when he's sparring with one of the most dangerous wrestling legends to grace a ring. That he's standing tall is nothing short of a great thing.

But this story—and the challenger—are so over that The Scottish Psychopath is getting rabid responses for doing something as mundane as smashing Erick Rowan's stupid fake spider:

There isn't much of a reality wherein WWE can forsake this thing and keep the belt on Lesnar. When push came to shove, he got the belt and squashed the beloved Kofi Kingston as SmackDown moved to Fox in October. This is a small measure of salvation for the fans who back their guy against the guy who is perceived as chosen by the company and suits.

While there are still bound to be some fun interactions between the two before the 'Mania showdown on April 5—and Lesnar is sure to secure some revenge—McIntyre is winning the most important encounter of all. This is one of those times when one of the most predictable outcomes on a card can feel ridiculously good and be greatly entertaining.

And rest assured, the big hoss fight here is going to impress. The Scot looks every bit as imposing as he needs to in order to be taken as a credible threat to Lesnar. And with the way The Beast is already selling for him, the two might just end up putting on one of the best performances of the night.

Who better to get the torch from Lesnar too? McIntyre's story has had unstoppable appeal for a long time. We're talking about a supposed pick by Vince McMahon who got sent down to the jobber zone, left WWE and went on to turn around his life and career to the point the company couldn't resist bringing him back.

McIntyre taking down Lesnar doesn't let WWE wash its hands of doing Kingston dirty. It doesn't let the promotion escape many of its past blunders. And it doesn't forgive the fact that Bray Wyatt had to drop a belt to Goldberg in a sloppy match in Saudi Arabia as a means to get Roman Reigns over again.

But it's a start. It's a sign to fans that perhaps the company is finally ready to build Superstars. It at least provides a counterweight to the part-timer-riddled other men's title match featuring Goldberg. It's something.

In a testament to the work McIntyre is putting in, it sure looks like he won't have any problems running shows on his lonesome once he has the title. This doesn't reek of a Seth Rollins situation that saw flat crowds left unimpressed with several of his feuds and fail to get behind him.

Barring a straight catastrophe, McIntyre's inheritance of the torch from Lesnar should go off without a hitch. More importantly, the aftermath is encouraging, both for what it means in the short term and what it could signify for the future.