In what many might call a surprising finish, WWE didn't go with the crowd favorite and chose for Bobby Lashley to defeat Drew McIntyre and retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 37. Not only did Lashley win, but he made McIntyre pass out at the hands of the Hurt Lock finisher.
This was the opening bout the of the pay-per-view and many figured it was pegged as such to kick things off in a major way at the Showcase of the Immortals. The assumption was that part of that plan might have been the challenger winning back his WWE Championship in front of the 25K fans. They were clearly behind him and ready to cheer as the show opened following a weather delay.
Instead, WWE went another direction.
It was a physical bout to kick off the pay-per-view. On many occasions, it appeared Drew had Lashley beat, especially after delivering three Future Shock DDTs. But, MVP posed useful during the match as he distracted McIntyre just long enough for the champion to gain the upper hand again and lock in his finisher. The official had little choice but to call for the bell when McIntyre couldn't get out of the hold and seemed unresponsive.
First Surprise Of The Night
Considering most people had McIntyre pegged to win the title, it's a bit intriguing that WWE didn't go for the feel-good moment. Instead, it appears the company has big plans for Lashley.
Where this will leave Drew McIntyre is unclear. For a year, he was the top of the mountain on Raw and a few key losses in the last couple months might known him down a peg on the totem pole.
Could Brock Lesnar be part of a future gameplan for WWE? It would make sense if Lashley is still the champ.