Today, we’re going to take a look at possibilities for Brock Lesnar’s opponent at WM XIX. If you have been hiding in a bomb shelter without a television lately, let me inform you. Kurt Angle’s out for WrestleMania, so the Match to End All Matches has been cancelled. Kurt requires neck surgery which will take him out for a year. In this event, I have decided that the best thing for this week’s STW would be to offer my opinions on some possible opponents for Brock Lesnar.

Chris Benoit: This seems to be the popular choice for a match with Brock, but I disagree. While Benoit is a great wrestler, and a program between him and Brock would be decent to say the least…it’s just not quite WrestleMania material. The program between Kurt and Benoit was great, because Kurt was only so much bigger than Benoit. Their styles meshed well, but their sizes complimented each other as well. Brock would make Benoit look like a kid in the ring. It just wouldn’t generate the same heat as Brock/Angle. Another problem is the heat for a program like this, and for Benoit in general. The marks don’t really pay all that much attention to Benoit, at least not “WrestleMania Main Event” attention. The smarks are high enough on him that they don’t want to see him continue his “Jobber to the Technical Stars” role he seems to be in currently. Neither group of fans would be pleased unless there was a BUILDUP for the match, and frankly, there’s not enough time left for that.

Nathan Jones This sounds like the ideal main event for, say, SummerSlam. Once Taker and Jones part ways, Jones makes the inevitable heel turn…pitting him against Lesnar on a supercard would pull a good buyrate for sure! However, it’s much too soon, and Jones is in a promising program with Undertaker right now. Keep this one in mind for the future, though.

Rhyno The Man-Beast vs. the Next Big Thing? Of course. Rhyno came back to help the good guys, but we haven’t really developed on that storyline. He beat up Matt Hardy, and that’s really all we know. Rhyno’s gimmick could easily accommodate heeling in a program against super-babyface Lesnar. The Gore vs. the F5 is a money-matchup, filled with intensity that would leave the tv audience and the live crowd ecstatic when it’s all over. Rhyno and Lesnar would be a good matchup.

Team Angle, 2 on 1: In a gimmick match, such as submission only, or Brock must pin BOTH men to win…this could be a great re-hash of his back-to-back battle with the members of Team Angle 2 weeks ago on SmackDown. This match could be set up on SmackDown this week after Angle drops the title to Brock, and it could be hyped up the next couple weeks by Stephanie or Paul adding stipulations to stack the match one way or the other.

Scott Steiner: Yes, he’s Raw. Yes, he’s not the worker he once was. However, a war of words back and forth between SmackDown and Raw could lead to a big falling out at the Pay Per View, and the two facing each other in a No DQ match. The battle of the biggest big men in WWE, no rules and a winner must be declared…working off the legitimate intensity of Steiner and the excellent perceived intensity of Lesnar, we could have a real time-bomb on our hands here…just waiting to explode at WrestleMania. Great idea for a match.

Goldberg: No. No. No. Go away, Goldie. No.

Rob Van Dam: This is my choice. Another Raw talent, but a way-over talent, nonetheless. Rob works the “mutual respect” angle well enough with Kane, and he could take it to the next level with Brock. Due to the unorthodox ringwork that both have, and their uncanny ability to get over with the crowd just by personality, they could tear the roof off the place. It could be set up as an interpromotional face vs. face match, just because these two wanted to face each other. RVD’s laid back style and Brock’s intense presence would mesh well in and out of the ring leading up to the match, and having Brock visit Raw for a chat with RVD, and vice versa, would provide a welcomed new interest in both shows. The match would be an excellent highlight to an already star-filled show, and considering WWE’s many problems (injuries, ratings, etc…), their best bet is to let it go and give the fans exactly what they want. ... I.... I... aw screw it.

AS A REMINDER, I’LL BE BROADCASTING LIVE DURING WRESTLEMANIA XIX, AND IT’S FREE… http://www.fancast.com !!!


Credits:
Alan Edwards, Alan Edwards, and Alan Edwards. alanpugh@sbcglobal.net to get in touch. As always, keep your shoulders off the mat, and keep reaching for the ropes…transmission complete…

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