According to NoDQ.com, Brock Lesnar is in the early plans to challenge whoever holds the WWE Universal Championship at the 2017 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The report says the title match is "pivotal to establish RAW's biggest feuds heading into WrestleMania 33 in Orlando." With this news coming out, Lesnar is expected to beat Randy Orton in their inter-promotional match at Summerslam. There is a good chance Lesnar will not be appearing on television until it is time to build for the pay-per-view.
No stranger to championships.
Should Lesnar get the match at the Royal Rumble, it would be his first since Battleground 2015 against then-champion Seth Rollins. Lesnar had Rollins beat in a glorified squash match before The Undertaker interfered to set up their Wrestlemania rematch. Prior to that, the former "Next Big Thing" reigned as WWE World Heavyweight Champion until Wrestlemania 31, though he only made only two title defenses due to his limited schedule.
As of late, Lesnar has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. After defeating Mark Hunt in his return match in UFC, Lesnar reportedly failed two drug tests on June 28 and an in-competition test at UFC 200. Lesnar's first hearing for the failed tests takes place on August 23rd. The Nevada State Athletic Commission will hear the case. Despite failing the tests, Lesnar was not punished by WWE for violating their Wellness Policy, rubbing many people backstage the wrong way.
Who will Lesnar face?
Right now, nobody even knows what the Universal title looks like. Familiar Lesnar rival Rollins and Finn Bálor will face one another at Summerslam to determine who will be the inaugural champion. Only time will tell if the winner of Rollins/Balor holds the championship until the Royal Rumble. RAW has plenty of star power in Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Roman Reigns. Those three men stand out as realistic Lesnar opponents at the Royal Rumble. Despite the controversy, Lesnar still brings a box office appeal that WWE might be counting on again in January.