Bringing Back Brock Lesnar

michael dworkis wonders if bringing back the pain will be handled well…

YES! YES! YES!

Wait, sorry, wrong chant.

Then again, that was the chant from the sold-out Miami crowd just one night after WrestleMania, as John Cena asked The Rock to come to the ring to close Monday Night Raw. Instead, we heard music not heard since March 14th, 2004 at WrestleMania XX. The theme of one Brock Lesnar. I was at WrestleMania XX, and there were no cheers for Brock, only boos since just a few weeks earlier made public he was leaving to try his hand at football.

As most of you know, that did not work out too well for him, and Brock Lesnar faded from sight and shortly after, out of mind. Eventually he made his way into UFC, and made headlines at becoming their champion. The once-forgotten wrestling superstar once again was in the spotlight. However, like all good things, even his UFC career came to an end.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, rumors of a return to WWE were abound and fans did not know if this was another too good to be true event. On that Monday night, the fans erupted as Cena was interrupted by the return of the man once known as “The Next Big Thing” as the behemoth stepped into the ring, shook hands with Cena, and then to the enjoyment of the WWE Universe, flattened John Cena with the F5 Tornado Slam.

Are we glad to see Brock back, or do we just enjoy watching Cena get beaten up? Although the latter is likely true, seeing Brock back in the ring does symbolize that maybe change is in the works.

For many longtime fans this is WWE bringing back someone who put asses in seats and was a huge draw during his initial run. He plowed through everyone put in his path, and if his matches against Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit do not remind you of damn good wrestling in the early part of this millennium, then you are missing a huge part of wrestling history. For the newer fans who have only heard the name Brock Lesnar by reading the internet, they have yet to see the power unleashed by a true athlete. These fans only heard but never seen what Brock did. He was among those who changed WWE and led into an era where technical wrestling and anticipating the “tap-out” was incredibly exciting.

Take stars like Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho, Ryback (formerly Skip Sheffield), Lord Tensai (A-Train), Alberto del Rio, Sheamus, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, and Jack Swagger. All these athletes are veteran mat-technicians who all have amazing abilities. Add Brock to that mix. WWE has felt a little repetitive lately, and just like in the early part of the millennium, the technical and submission style of wrestling dominated WWE television.

Is bringing back Lesnar a good idea? What if it turns out to be a major letdown? What if he takes his shirt off in his first match and instead of the beefed brick wall of muscle, all we get is an out-of-shape has-been? What if Brock is only a pale shadow of what he once was? Consider this. WWE has Chris Jericho. They just brought back A-Train under the name Lord Tensai, and the presence of The Rock is still being felt. Will Brock simply be a one-time deal, or is this part of a bigger plan?

One thing is for sure, at the upcoming Extreme Rules, if Brock falls to Cena, then the WWE universe will regret welcoming Brock back. There is no doubt that the perception is he is a monster waiting to once again become unhinged. If that perception fails, and WWE portrays Cena as overcoming the odds to defeat the big man, then hopefully WWE has a backup plan to counter the rage which will no doubt be felt should the once “Next Big Thing” become the “Worst Comeback Ever.”