I guess we should have seen this coming. I suppose we all just had more hope.
Dave Meltzer reported on his Wrestling Observer Live podcast that Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H is the plan for WrestleMania 29. For those scoring at home, the rumored Lesnar vs. Undertaker or Lesnar vs. The Rock matches are no more, instead we are getting a SummerSlam rematch.
Obviously, this is still a rumor and Meltzer made sure to mention it was only in the plans, but I cannot help but be extremely disappointed by this development.
Lesnar’s latest stint in the WWE has been littered with creative and philosophical missteps, but this rumored WrestleMania match may be the worst.
Instead of creating a dynamic, once in a lifetime matchup at WrestleMania, the “Year of Lesnar” will wrap up with a shrug, a rematch I’m not sure anyone (especially not mainstream fans) really cares to see.
The rumored idea of Lesnar vs. Undertaker had great dynamics.
Lesnar signed a one-year contract. WrestleMania presumably would be his last show and the one thing he has never done in WWE is defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania. It is a perfect way to send off Lesnar and have him lose on his way out. Undertaker, an avid MMA fan, has had a previous run in with Lesnar while he was in UFC, so there is already a built-in dynamic.
You even have similar move sets and a submission standoff between Lesnar’s Kimura and Taker’s Gogoplata. I have even seen hypothetical finishes and submissions transitions discussed on message boards. It is hard to deny that people were excited for this potential matchup.
Nope. Instead, Triple H gets the chance to send off Lesnar (unless he signs a new contract) and frankly, I am worried at the outcome. Triple H is not going to lose again to Lesnar, especially not at WrestleMania (this loss would be his third in a row).
If Lesnar is on the way out, then I absolutely get it. That is what you do in this business, but why waste a huge victory on Triple H? If this is Lesnar’s send off, what point does a Triple H victory serve?
From a quality standpoint, I am also extremely worried about the match since their SummerSlam match was not anything special. Do not get me wrong, it was not terrible by any means, but now we’re talking about the biggest show of the year. It was perfectly fine as a main event of a show on the level of a SummerSlam, but I just cannot fathom people being interested in a WrestleMania rematch. The crowd reaction alone at SummerSlam in Los Angeles showed the general apathy towards the feud.
Simply put, I would love to see a fresh, intriguing matchup for Lesnar on the way out. Lesnar vs. Undertaker was that fresh matchup. Now, it appears we are going to have to live with Lesnar vs. Triple H rematch and the only way I can really react is with a large shrug.
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