Projecting When Brock Lesnar Will Return to WWE Raw or SmackDown

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One of the biggest stars in WWE history is former champion Brock Lesnar, but fans haven't seen The Beast Incarnate since he lost his WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36.

The WWE Universe has been waiting for the return of Lesnar, but every time the stage appears to be set for a triumphant appearance, he is nowhere to be seen.

Whether it's a return to Raw to drive up ratings and fix a show that is clearly broken or showing up on SmackDown to handle Roman Reigns and take back his advocate, Paul Heyman, there are ample opportunities to get the most out of Lesnar.

Here is when The Beast will make his return to WWE programming.

Best Return Options on Raw

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Regardless of which show Lesnar returns to, he is one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport and should be going after world championships. On Raw, that road goes through two men: Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley.

While they have their own feud, adding Lesnar to the mix would make for a new and interesting program. With the two men fighting in singles matches on several different occasions already, The Beast should return at WrestleMania Backlash on May 16 and make his presence felt.

With The Hurt Business working with T-Bar and Mace to take down McIntyre, Lesnar should return to even the odds. The WWE Universe will be left wondering whether the former UFC star is actually a face now, but his run of helping the Scot will be short-lived.

Lesnar still owes McIntyre for beating him at WrestleMania 36 and Lashley can't keep The Beast's name out of his mouth, making the possibility of a Triple Threat not just an entertaining match but also a storyline fans can get behind.

Raw has been terrible to watch on a week-to-week basis, so bringing back Lesnar would spike the ratings and make the product more palatable.

Best Return Options on SmackDown

Lesnar returning to the red brand would be entertaining, but his most interesting options would be on SmackDown. With Reigns holding gold and running the blue brand with Heyman, the program writes itself.

The Tribal Chief has been the most dominant Superstar on the main roster since his return last year, but his affiliation with Lesnar's former advocate, Heyman, will have Reigns in The Beast's crosshairs when he returns.

For now, the universal champion is doing well working with some of the best in-ring workers on SmackDown, including Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Edge. Eventually, he will need a marquee bought to prove his worth.

Lesnar should return on the road to SummerSlam and brutalize Reigns like no other Superstar has during his heel run. The Beast should also confiscate Heyman, forcing The Head of the Table to lean more on his family to win the battle.

Not only would having Lesnar and Reigns square off for the Universal Championship make for a marquee SummerSlam main event, but it would also provide Fox with a mainstream star it can advertise for Friday nights.

Lesnar is the ratings boost SmackDown and Fox need.

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