The highly-anticipated WWE debut of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez is set to take place at Crown Jewel. The company has wasted no time in pushing him, giving him a WWE Championship match straight away.
Not only does he get to go one-on-one with one of his former UFC rivals, he also has a shot at WWE's top prize without ever having had an official match. While it would be very refreshing to see someone totally new be given a push, Lesnar has only just won the title himself, which would create a very short title run. Within this article, we will present some reasons why each man should win the title.
10 Cain Velasquez: He's A Talented Wrestler
Many fans might not know this, but Cain Velasquez has already had his wrestling debut for AAA, and he surpassed all expectations.
He was so good that both AEW and WWE were both immediately trying everything in their power to sign him to a contract. As he clearly has the necessary skills, he wouldn't look at all out of place as a champion.
9 Brock Lesnar: It Would Be A Short Run
Brock Lesnar only won the WWE Championship a couple of weeks ago, at the debut of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. Therefore, if he drops the title already at Crown Jewel, it would create a very unremarkable title run for him.
That is something that doesn't normally happen for the Beast, with WWE often giving him lengthy runs with the championship, which is why he is considered to be a top main event talent that is taken seriously. While sometimes short title reigns can be effective for a long-term storyline, that doesn't feel like what WWE is planning here.
8 Cain Velasquez: Keeping His Momentum
WWE has booked themselves into a corner with this match, by having the WWE Championship on the line. Having Brock Lesnar win makes sense, but if Cain Velasquez loses on his debut it doesn't look great.
The company wants everyone to take Velasquez seriously as a main event threat, hence why he has been booked in this match. The minute he loses a debut match, however, the WWE Universe will start to question that. Losing a debut match clean isn't a good look for anybody and it isn't something that happens often, so that's one reason why WWE might consider putting the title on him.
7 Brock Lesnar: Potential New Day Feud
When it was announced that Brock Lesnar would be facing Kofi Kingston on the debut of SmackDown on FOX, everyone expected the Beast to become champion, while holding some hope that Kofi could pull out a surprise.
Sadly, that didn't happen and the New Day member didn't even get a real match, simply being squashed by one F5 to drop the title. Because of Cain's debut, the company has moved the focus onto him and not taken the opportunity to flesh out a proper feud between New Day and Brock Lesnar. If he retains, that is a great story that could be built straight away.
6 Cain Velasquez: He Is Lesnar's Kryptonite
WWE has been smart to address the history that Cain Velasquez has with Brock Lesnar from their days in UFC. Velasquez didn't just beat Lesnar, he destroyed him inside the octagon.
Velasquez has been booked as Lesnar's kryptonite, the man who the Beast simply cannot cope with. It's a similar concept to WWE's treatment of his feud with Goldberg, which worked out to perfection. However, as with the Goldberg feud, for fans to truly believe that he is someone Lesnar fears, Velasquez needs to get the victory at Crown Jewel.
5 Brock Lesnar: Velasquez Is Rumored To Be Joining Raw
While this hasn't been officially confirmed yet, there are whispers that when Crown Jewel is said and done, Cain Velasquez will actually be joining the Raw brand.
If that is the case, that would help him easily bounce back from a possible defeat to Brock Lesnar and would make it pointless for him to become WWE Champion, as Raw doesn't need two major titles. If Cain goes to the red brand, then keeping the title on Lesnar is the right decision, as it would at least give people on SmackDown something to fight over.
4 Cain Velasquez: Creates A New Star
While Cain Velasquez is a well-known name in the MMA world, in professional wrestling he needs to work his way up the ladder. What better way to introduce yourself than by beating the Beast for the WWE Championship?
WWE is constantly looking to create new main event talent and big stars who can sell out shows and be seen as a draw. The only way to do that is by giving wrestlers big victories against other top tier stars. If Velasquez beats Lesnar at Crown Jewel, he will instantly be taken seriously in the world of WWE. That will help for future shows, when he is competing against others.
3 Brock Lesnar: FOX Wants A Major Name
There is a reason Brock Lesnar main evented the first-ever episode of SmackDown on FOX, and there is a reason WWE put the title on him in the first place: it is all down to the new network.
WWE wants to have a big name to pull in viewers for FOX in order to make the move a success. Because the network wants to present wrestling as a more legitimate sport, making Lesnar that man is a sensible choice. Obviously, with his legitimate sporting background in amateur wrestling, football and MMA, Lesnar is the way to go. He is a very marketable name, hence why he may end up keeping the title.
2 Cain Velasquez: Taking It Off Lesnar
While Cain Velasquez hasn't been getting huge reactions from the WWE Universe, that doesn't mean that fans won't be hoping he doesn't win when it comes to the Crown Jewel title match.
The main reason for that is because many don't want to see Brock Lesnar have yet another long run as WWE Champion (where the title isn't on television for long periods of time, rendering it pointless). Fans want a champion who will appear each week. While we don't know the schedule for Velasquez just yet, he will hopefully be around more than Lesnar.
1 Brock Lesnar: Lack Of Reaction For Cain
So far, it is fair to say that the reaction for Cain Velasquez has been incredibly underwhelming, with the fans not really seeming to care about his UFC past or the fact he is a major name in the combat sports world.
When he first debuted in WWE, a lot of people actually thought it was Rey Mysterio's son, and since then his appearances have just fallen very flat. His recent interaction with Shelton Benjamin got no real response from the live crowd. WWE only puts the title on a wrestler who can draw a reaction, whether that be as a babyface or as a heel, and at the moment it seems that Velasquez may have failed to make that connection.