Lesnar Not Booked For MITB, RAW Ratings Drop Big for Post Backlash show.

[cero2k]

Source: f4wonline.com

-- It appears that Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship reign will extend into the summer.

Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio last night that Lesnar won't be on WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view, which will take place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on June 17th. After Money in the Bank, WWE's next two PPVs are Extreme Rules in Pittsburgh on July 15th and SummerSlam in Brooklyn on August 19th.

Lesnar signed a new deal with WWE after retaining the Universal title against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34, but the length of that contract -- aside from it being short-term -- isn't yet known.

When Lesnar will be making his next appearance isn't known either. He most recently defeated Reigns in a steel cage match at the Greatest Royal Rumble, with it ending in controversy as Reigns speared him through the side of the cage.

One men's ladder match and one women's ladder match have been announced for Money in the Bank, featuring wrestlers from both Raw and SmackDown in the same match.

-- Raw ratings last night fell 12 percent even though the episode was coming off a PPV, doing 2.68 million viewers, a shockingly low number that would be among the lowest in modern history.

The number is far below what the shows have been doing and there was no television competition that would explain that level of a drop, although the NBA playoffs did a strong number. Ratings normally increase after PPVs, but Backlash was considered among the worst PPVs in company history. Still, there is no history of terrible shows leading to weaker ratings one day later.

The key was that the audience started very low, and then dropped slightly from there. It wasn't so much a huge turnoff during the show as much as 348,000 viewers that were there for hour one last week, were not there this week.

Raw was fifth for the night on cable, with the NBA game head-to-head doing 5.90 million viewers, which is a big number, as last week's NBA game did 4.69 million viewers.

There were no great tune-out numbers from hour two to hour three as usual in any of the key demos.

The three hours were:

8 p.m. 2.79 million viewers
9 p.m. 2.73 million viewers
10 p.m. 2.55 million viewers

[cero2k]

Lesnar is quietly gonna break Punk's record, and while it's not the same title, WWE will have the proper wording for it

[Big Red Machine]

Source: f4wonline.com

-- It appears that Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship reign will extend into the summer.

Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio last night that Lesnar won't be on WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view, which will take place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on June 17th. After Money in the Bank, WWE's next two PPVs are Extreme Rules in Pittsburgh on July 15th and SummerSlam in Brooklyn on August 19th.

Will this hell never end?

[Bob-O]

SEEEERIOUSLY!?

I swear to God they're just trying to get us to hate Lesnar more than Reigns at this point...


...and FOR WHAT!? Why do this? Why do they feel like they don't need a championship on their flagship brand?

Tinfoil Hat Time: I think they did the math and saw an opportunity to top Punk's reign and talked Brock into an extension out of childish spite.

[KILLdozer]

Two ppvs in a row without the champion or a title match.

[Big Red Machine]

SEEEERIOUSLY!?

I swear to God they're just trying to get us to hate Lesnar more than Reigns at this point...


...and FOR WHAT!? Why do this? Why do they feel like they don't need a championship on their flagship brand?

Tinfoil Hat Time: I think they did the math and saw an opportunity to top Punk's reign and talked Brock into an extension out of childish spite.

Nah. It's that MITB has two Ladder Matches on it so people won't notice the title not being there. The Punk thing is just a happy coincidence for them.

[cero2k]

it's not even the same title, but they can again start saying 'Longest World Championship Reign of the Modern Era' and whatever other specific things they need.

And arguably, MITB doesn't need a title match if there's (rumor has it) 3 MITB ladder matches and Styles vs Nakamura in a Low Blow In a Pole Match

[Big Red Machine]

it's not even the same title, but they can again start saying 'Longest World Championship Reign of the Modern Era' and whatever other specific things they need.

And arguably, MITB doesn't need a title match if there's (rumor has it) 3 MITB ladder matches and Styles vs Nakamura in a Low Blow In a Pole Match

3 MITB matches?

[cero2k]

it's not even the same title, but they can again start saying 'Longest World Championship Reign of the Modern Era' and whatever other specific things they need.

And arguably, MITB doesn't need a title match if there's (rumor has it) 3 MITB ladder matches and Styles vs Nakamura in a Low Blow In a Pole Match

3 MITB matches?

Rumor is that the tag teams taped a bunch of promos saying they want to win the 'tag team MITB' match. but they didn't used them on monday, so it's not confirmed yet.

They are ' ' this close to having a feast or fired briefcase

[KILLdozer]

it's not even the same title, but they can again start saying 'Longest World Championship Reign of the Modern Era' and whatever other specific things they need.

And arguably, MITB doesn't need a title match if there's (rumor has it) 3 MITB ladder matches and Styles vs Nakamura in a Low Blow In a Pole Match

3 MITB matches?

Rumor is that the tag teams taped a bunch of promos saying they want to win the 'tag team MITB' match. but they didn't used them on monday, so it's not confirmed yet.

They are ' ' this close to having a feast or fired briefcase

Wouldn't that be extremely funny to hear them constantly highlight the ramifications of for four weeks? Lol.

[Big Red Machine]

it's not even the same title, but they can again start saying 'Longest World Championship Reign of the Modern Era' and whatever other specific things they need.

And arguably, MITB doesn't need a title match if there's (rumor has it) 3 MITB ladder matches and Styles vs Nakamura in a Low Blow In a Pole Match

3 MITB matches?

Rumor is that the tag teams taped a bunch of promos saying they want to win the 'tag team MITB' match. but they didn't used them on monday, so it's not confirmed yet.

They are ' ' this close to having a feast or fired briefcase

Ascension cut a promo on Raw like all of the other promos and didn't mention anything about a tag team MITB.

[cero2k]

Ascension cut a promo on Raw like all of the other promos and didn't mention anything about a tag team MITB.

maybe the scrapped the idea

[KILLdozer]

It's just all ridiculous though lol. I'm not really even mad nor disgusted as others, "As Told By Bob-O..." (YEAH!"), just why is there not a weekly wet of television feuds going on based around the Universal title? Who does that and who has EVER done that? You need the main title and you must have it, end of and bar none. Roman Reigns mentioning this fact here and there over and over isn't cutting it nor is it enough.

To add to everything else, we already know he won't be there, so there's definitely NOT gonna be any "wins mitb and cashes in later that same night to immediately become universal champion." That night...

[cero2k]

To add to everything else, we already know he won't be there, so there's definitely NOT gonna be any "wins mitb and cashes in later that same night to immediately become universal champion." That night...

which is a good thing, no one should cut in between Styles and Nakamura, and Lesnar if anything else, shouldn't lose the title via MITB. They may do it with the women tho

[KILLdozer]

Mitb is probably THE ONLY WAY they'll let Lesnar lose the title at this point though lol.

[Bob-O]

I'd love it if somebody like Owens won it and "cashed in" the next night on Raw...

"I'm cashing in, right now. Where's he at? Looks like he forfeited! Where's my belt!?"

I love "Real Champ" vs "Fake Champ" angles... I feel like we haven't had one in a while.

[cero2k]

I love "Real Champ" vs "Fake Champ" angles... I feel like we haven't had one in a while.

go watch Pentagon Jr and Austin Aries feud on Impact