Hot Take: Heel Roman Reigns Means WWE Isn't Desperate for Brock Lesnar Right Now

It's easy to think WWE needs Brock Lesnar right now. 

But that idea stems from conventional circumstances. And there isn't much conventional about WWE right now. Lesnar might move the ratings needle, but just how much is hard to say right now since live audiences aren't there to react to him. 

And Roman Reigns as one of the top heels in the company all of a sudden isn't conventional either.

That's why the recent uproar about Lesnar suddenly being a free agent isn't a massive ordeal. According to WrestleVotes, Lesnar is indeed a free agent, but that could change whenever WWE decides it needs him back. 

But it doesn't—thanks to Reigns. 

Does Reigns get to turn heel in a normal year? Maybe not. But there's suddenly a new monster final-boss character with Reigns, the former Shield member and good guy who seemed destined to go the John Cena route and remain the same thing for the next decade or more. 

"Refreshing" is the right word. Fans have never seen this, and its indisputable Reigns will be at the top of every card. He's it. He's the show. 

And this new dynamic means feuds fans have never seen before. Remember some of those shockingly enjoyable Lesnar one-offs with AJ Styles, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe, to name a few? Now Reigns can loop through a similar cycle, albeit in extended feuds. 

Suddenly, Reigns working with Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt doesn't feel so been-there-done-that. His slamming into Styles or Daniel Bryan would work some magic. 

And keep in mind he's a full-timer, unlike Lesnar. He's in a prime position to retain monster status even if he's losing or putting over the next wave of good-guy Superstars. Think Big E's solo run or the eventual rise of Matt Riddle. 

Given how tremendous Drew McIntyre's run as top champion on Raw has been, it's pretty clear the main-event scene doesn't need Lesnar right now. And rest assured the Beast Incarnate is only coming back for a main-event spot with a title on the line, unless Vince McMahon and Co. manage to pull off something wild like a Brock vs. The Rock scenario for a WrestleMania feud. 

Keep in mind the context of McIntyre's title run, too. WWE's likely going to hold off on Brock's rematch there because McIntyre never got his special 'Mania moment in front of a live crowd. Until we see fans return to stadiums at full capacity, WWE might hold off on letting the current champ get that emphatic, special rematch win over Lesnar. 

That leaves Lesnar in a bit of a purgatory, which would explain why there wasn't even a hint of him at SummerSlam, the second-biggest show of the year besides 'Mania. 

Consider this hasn't even mentioned Paul Heyman, suddenly the partner in crime alongside Reigns. The former (?) advocate of Lesnar himself now has himself another top monster and champion to headline shows. 

It seems inevitable this direction for Heyman loops in Lesnar at some point, likely in an adversarial manner. 

But the question is simple: Why waste that now? 

Reigns can have many, many longer feuds with some of the aforementioned names while we're in a bit of a dead zone for the WWE calendar. If and when Lesnar returns via the Heyman connection, it's going to be around a 'Mania, if at all. And given the question mark that is attendance at events, that doesn't necessarily mean the next WrestleMania or even Royal Rumble, either. 

And the funny thing? This sort of flexibility and not needing to rely on part-time veterans is part of the reason fans have clamored for Reigns to go heel for so long. It needs to be done well, of course, but just like that, the guy WWE has wanted to push at the top for so long will do so with impunity, and the company doesn't need to desperately reach into the semi-retired pool for help at big events. 

A Roman Reigns era is starting in earnest, and it's refreshing that Lesnar's absence has been a footnote, not a major talking point. It's a development WWE desperately needed and finally arrived at and could rightfully prosper for making happen.