Brock Lesnar's Hunt Begins Again

Here comes the pain. Again. Brock Lesnar is being advertised for a WWE return in late June to Indiana and later in Chicago. The Beast Incarnate has not been seen on TV since the night after WrestleMania, when he went all "Hulk smash" on Raw.

But now his return is imminent, so let the speculation begin.

We're all expecting that, right? Every WWE writer from one corner of the globe to the other will be talking about what Lesnar will do when he comes back and what it will mean to the business. Yours truly will surely be part of that discussion; I wrote this, didn't I?

Lesnar's absence has been a good thing and there can be no denying that. The main event scene may have been a bit thin in the months since he left but it's opened the door for other guys to step up and have an opportunity.

Of course by "other guys" I mean Roman Reigns. Reigns has seen some serious growth without Lesnar around and the truth is, he needed it desperately. The man once believed to be the heir apparent to John Cena lost that title and a lot more in the weeks before and after Mania.

He went from being the guy with a ton of potential to being the guy no one wanted to see anywhere near the championship. It was a case of too much too soon for Reigns, as WWE's campaign to get him over was constant, it was persistent and it was forced.

None of that reflected on Reigns of course, he was doing all he could to get over. But he did suffer through it as the crowd turned on him, thus indirectly causing Lesnar to turn babyface.

However, no Lesnar meant no pressure for Reigns. Roman could get back to working hard, playing his role and building his career. It was a slow and steady pace, one that took some time and some effort but in the end, it worked.

Reigns looks better than ever and finally looks comfortable in his own skin. Now that he's back on track, there's room for the guy that inadvertently stole his thunder at WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar.

So what will The Beast do when he gets back? If you said "maul Seth Rollins," move to the head of the class. It's the rematch that fans want to see, the one the company is likely counting on to sell some tickets. An angry Lesnar is a popular Lesnar, one that destroys everything in his path and stops at nothing to get what he wants.

Lesnar's absence was good in the short term but now that he's on the way back, WWE can begin planning long term. If Rollins manages to keep the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Lesnar through the rest of 2015, then WrestleMania 32 will surely be the night when he finally faces the music.

The Beast is on the prowl, Seth. Tick-tock, tick-tock.