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ASK THE SPECIALISTS - Roundtable Debate: Would Brock Lesnar have been #1 over John Cena?

Aug 21, 2014 - 3:43:28 PM
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The "Ask the Specialists" Roundtable is the latest spin-off from the "Ask the Torch" feature. CSI led to CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, which is where you'll find the Specialists tackling a daily topic submitted by PWTorch readers to askpwtorch@gmail.com.

Ask the Specialists Roundtable #54

- Question from Jeff in Michigan: If Brock Lesnar stayed with WWE for his entire athletic career, could he have been the no. 1 guy now with John Cena trailing him?

- "Mr. PPV" Nathan Kyght responds: Very hard to say. Speculating is just that, but Brock certainly had the notoriety and the backing of the WWE brass before he left to pursue other ventures. Still, John Cena wasn't exactly on the fast track to the top before Stephanie McMahon heard him free-styling. There are so many variables that anyone getting to the top of the card for a sustained period of time is a long shot.

- "Falls Count Anywhere" Tony Donofrio (@TonyDonofrio) responds: There’s a pretty good chance that John Cena would’ve been the #2 guy behind Brock Lesnar had Lesnar stuck around. This is pure speculation, but you also have to remember that when Lesnar left, the brand extension was very strong and WWE, for the most part, kept Raw wrestlers away from Smackdown wrestlers. It’s not inconceivable to think that Lesnar would’ve ended up on Raw and Cena would’ve stayed on Smackdown (like he did for a few years) and that both would’ve eventually clashed for a big-time feud.

With that said, there’s a possibility that wrestling fans would’ve grown tired of the feud after a few times it came back around - much like fans are sick of seeing Cena feud with Randy Orton - once the brand extension deteriorated. You could almost substitute Brock for Batista in the following: after Cena was drafted to Raw and Batista was sent to Smackdown, the two didn’t really touch and hardly interacted until the feud where Batista took his first leave from WWE to take on MMA and acting. In an alternate universe, you may have seen that type of timeline for Lesnar and Cena instead of Batista and Cena.

- "Mr. TV" Justin James (@Justin_M_James) responds: No, because Brock is not the complete package. His feuds only get well-hyped via video packages that cover up his poor promos. Putting him together with Paul Heyman every week for the last ten years is a nightmare. And he never would be happy committing to the schedule and outside commitments like Cena does.

- "Common Fan" Jimmy Eaton (@TheCommonFan) responds: It's very possible, Jeff. I still think Cena as a babyface would be the #1 guy. It's tough to play the what-if game, but I think having a guy doing all the Make-A-Wish that Cena does would have put him over the edge. Lesnar could have definitely been the top heel, but he doesn't seem like the type of person to put in the constant, 24/7 time Cena does. Now, if you're asking if Lesnar had that same drive? Even more possible he could've been the face of WWE. Thanks for the question, Jeff!

- "Showstopper" Shawn Valentino responds: Thanks for your question, Jeff. That presents an interesting scenario. Brock was a star from the second he showed up in WWE, and it was obvious that he would be a major force for years. He was a world-class worker from his first year in the ring. Additionally, he was starting to really develop his promo skills the few months before he left to try out for the NFL. He definitely could have been one of the top guys for the past decade.

At the same time, WWE likes their top star to be a friendly, multimedia presence. Lesnar likes to keep to himself and prefers a quiet life. He did not like the WWE schedule to begin with, so it is unlikely he would want to make frequent appearances as the face of the company. Cena fills that role perfectly with his tireless promotion. He is the perfect corporate representative for WWE and has deserved his spot as the main star. I cannot imagine Brock having the desire to fulfill the responsibilities that are required of the centerpiece. I think he would have been a main-eventer if he stayed, but Cena would still be the top guy.

***

[ FYI: The specialists consist of a mix of current PWTorch contributors providing their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Justin James, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, Nathan Kyght, Tony Donofrio, and Mike Roe. ]


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