Opinion

Who Should Face Brock Lesnar at the WWE Royal Rumble?

Published

8 years ago

November 30, 2017

WWE Paul Heyman Brock Lesnar Universal Championship

The reigning, defending, undisputed, contract-by-date universal champion Brock Lesnar… does not seem to have a viable opponent for the upcoming Royal Rumble. After mowing through Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe and Goldberg, there are only a handful of RAW stars who can go toe to toe with the beast incarnate. However, only one will be able to do the honor of losing to Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.

The Candidates

It may seem like ages ago, but earlier this year at the Extreme Rules PPV there was a fatal 5-way match to determine the number one contender for the universal title at Great Balls of Fire. The five competitors were Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and Finn Balor. Thankfully, Joe came out with a huge victory and got to show his tenacity against the beast in the PPV match that followed.

However, WWE’s plan from there as I recall was to have Lesnar face each of the other four competitors of the bout throughout the year; the match with Reigns being at WrestleMania. So far we’ve seen none of those stars gain a title match from the beast besides Samoa Joe. The remaining competitors all could have been contenders back then, but WWE has been slowly weeding them out.

WWE Bray Wyatt

It is difficult to imagine Bray Wyatt challenging for the title these days on account of his horrendous booking and undeniably insane loss streak, but back at Extreme Rules he was a favorite to win the 5-way and challenge Lesnar. Since then he’s been subject to Sister Abigail nonsense and midcard obscurity.

Seth Rollins has no concern for the universal title as of now because of his tag title venture with Dean Ambrose. Samoa Joe already had his match, and Finn Balor is not seen as a top guy by WWE management. So that heap of contenders really slipped through the cracks in the past few months didn’t it? Instead, the deserving Braun Strowman got to tangle with Lesnar.

The Solutions

Since the above candidates are not favorable in WWE’s eyes, they will have to look for other stars or tweak one of the above to fight Brock Lesnar in a losing effort for the title. Part of me finds this useless and a waste of time, but another part of me has two solutions to this dilemma. One creates a huge opportunity for someone on the RAW roster, while the other is a fun idea that’s never been done before in WWE.

Solution 1: The Underdogs

Who should fight Brock Lesnar? Legitimately anyone, that’s who. I think WWE should host either a battle royal or a tournament to decide Lesnar’s challenger. The only catch is, I want the winner to be someone unexpected. My favorite options at the moment are Bray Wyatt or Jason Jordan. That’s right, I want one of those guys to have a high profile universal title match with Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Either of those stars could benefit from this match in different ways. Bringing the beast to his limit through mind games and evil tactics could be what Bray Wyatt needs to be seen as a legitimate player in WWE again, while a well fought contest with Lesnar for Jason Jordan could be a huge career boost.

WWE Roman Reigns Jason Jordan

By losing to Lesnar, this could also be a turning point for Jason Jordan. By giving the match to Jason, you automatically have Kurt Angle inserted by default. The history between Angle and Lesnar could lead to a good build, and Jordan could lose the match based on some misunderstanding with Angle at ringside, therefore setting up a Jordan heel turn and a father-son match at WrestleMania. If Brock Lesnar has no legitimate opponent, the least WWE can do is use him as a tool to help further a storyline/career of an upcoming star (Jordan) or a star who needs a wake up call (Wyatt).

Solution 2: A Beast in the Rumble

No challengers for Brock? Fine. Then another idea would be to insert him into the Royal Rumble match. NJPW already toys with something similar to this idea for the G1 Climax, but say WWE sets the stipulation that if Lesnar enters and wins the rumble he can chose his own opponent or not even compete at WrestleMania.

If there is absolutely nobody that WWE feels comfortable throwing Lesnar in the ring with, then all the more reason to make him a frightening force in the Royal Rumble match. He will no doubt have a great run in the rumble even if he gets thrown out, and better yet the one who throws him out could go on to win. Also if Brock wins, Paul Heyman would be able to pick who he thinks would be the greatest challenge for his client, which would be extremely entertaining to view.

The Verdict

Brock Lesnar needs to be a useful tool at the Royal Rumble. If WWE is scrambling to find what to do with him, the solution is to throw him some underdog so that they can grab some of the limelight, or to put him in the actual Royal Rumble match. Whatever it is, Lesnar needs to be used to push forward one or more storylines down the road to WrestleMania.

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

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Classic POD is WAR

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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1