The WWE Universe may not agree on much these days, but most believe that Raw and SmackDown programming is more enjoyable when Brock Lesnar is lurking.

Whether he is portraying a physically imposing heel wreaking havoc on the roster or a cowboy-inspired good guy who decimates every heel in his vicinity, The Beast is one of the most believable Superstars in history and a steadying force for WWE.

The company needs Lesnar back on television as soon as possible, but bringing him back in the right spot and at the right time will be instrumental in the success of his next run.

Here are the best- and worst-case scenarios for The Beast's first WWE appearance of 2023.

Best-Case Scenario: Royal Rumble

One of the main reasons the Royal Rumble has become such an iconic event are the surprise entrants. Who better to enter early and get the crowd excited than an unannounced Lesnar?

When Lesnar has entered previous Royal Rumble matches, the WWE Universe in attendance snaps to attention. When The Beast puts work in related to a world title, he doesn't waste time.

After allowing several popular performers to enter the match and hit a few moves and create a memory or two, Lesnar's music should play, and fear should come across the face of every Superstar in the ring.

After utterly decimating between five-to-seven wrestlers, Drew McIntyre should enter the ring, rehashing a moment created in the 2020 Royal Rumble when The Scottish Psychopath used assistance from Ricochet to eliminate The Beast.

With McIntyre looking for a marquee match at WrestleMania 39 and Lesnar undoubtedly waiting for his moment to return to WWE programming, the two coming together once again would allow them to recapture the magic they had at WrestleMania 36, this time in front of a live crowd.

McIntyre could finally earn the coronation he so richly deserves.

Worst-Case Scenario: WrestleMania 39 vs. Roman Reigns

While stealing the show at the Royal Rumble and getting a top-tier match at the April Premium Live Event would be the best-case scenario, the worst possible booking decision for The Beast would be to have him fight Roman Reigns…again.

The company said the two men would never fight again, but in a week in which Vince McMahon has returned to WWE, it's never been clearer that you should never say never in wrestling. If The Rock is unable to perform at WrestleMania 39, look for WWE Creative to lean on a proven mainstream draw in Lesnar.

Lesnar is one of the only true draws in wrestling, proving during his time in the UFC that he was able to bring in over a million pay-per-view buys. If The Rock is busy or doesn't want to work with his cousin due to disagreements over the booking, the company's backup plan could be to add Lesnar back to the main event scene.

The only saving grace in this situation would be to have Reigns lose his world title to Battle Royal winner Cody Rhodes on Night 1 of WrestleMania 39. With no opponent announced and the Tribal Chief down and out after his loss, the surprise return of Lesnar would at least get a temporary reaction from the fans in attendance.

Even then, the WWE Universe doesn't want to see Lesnar vs. Reigns again and will revolt against it again. There are many options for The Beast, but none should include Reigns.

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