Brock Lesnar leaves professional wrestling as one of the most dominant—and divisive—performers the industry has ever seen.
23 years on from his first WWE Championship win at SummerSlam, The Beast competed in his final match at The Biggest Party of the Summer when he lost to Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell. The following Tuesday, Lesnar appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and announced that at 49 years old it was time to call time on his in-ring career.
For better or worse, it will be highly unlikely that there will be another career like Lesnar’s. From suplexes to scandals, championships to controversies, Lesnar’s career will always be a historic one.
Brock Lesnar: The Next Big Thing
After finding victory in the NCAA Division I Championships, Lesnar was signed by WWE and reported to developmental territory OVW. There he would be part of the legendary class of 2002, which also saw multi-time World Champions John Cena and Randy Orton among the students. Lesnar was the first name in the class to make an impact on the main roster, destroying the likes of Maven and Al Snow on the first Raw after WrestleMania 18.
Lesnar didn’t simply look different—he wrestled differently. A legitimate NCAA champion who moved with astonishing speed for someone nearly 300 pounds, he combined amateur wrestling, explosive athleticism and raw power in a way WWE audiences had rarely seen. As pro wrestling has often been mocked for being staged fights, Lesnar looked like someone who could genuinely defeat most in a legitimate fight, a point he would prove later when he made the jump to MMA.
While Lesnar excelled physically, speaking was never his greatest strength. Eventually, that weakness became one of his greatest strengths as Lesnar was paired up with his long-time advocate, Paul Heyman. With Heyman declaring Lesnar “The Next Big Thing”, it wasn’t long before Lesnar found himself at the top of the mountain. Heyman’s promos allowed Lesnar to remain silent and intimidating. Rather than exposing his weaknesses as a speaker, WWE turned them into part of his mystique.
Steamrolling through the King of the Ring tournament, Lesnar went on to defeat The Rock at SummerSlam to win the first of 10 World Titles. Unlike others who went years before even getting an opportunity at the gold, Lesnar climbed to the top of the mountain in just a few months, defeating arguably the biggest star at the time to achieve the victory. Few wrestlers before or since have reached the top so quickly, making Lesnar’s rookie year one of the most remarkable ascents in WWE history.
Lesnar’s rapid ascent demonstrated that WWE was willing to build its future around extraordinary talent immediately, rather than forcing every newcomer through years of gradual progression.
The Rise And Fall Of The Beast
From SummerSlam 2002 to WrestleMania 20, Lesnar remained one of the biggest stars in the company and feuded with legendary names. Multiple victories over The Undertaker followed before suffering a rare loss to The Big Show at Survivor Series. With Lesnar needing time off to recover from a rib injury, The Beast made his return the following year to win the Royal Rumble in what was his first entry in the match. Setting the stage for a WrestleMania 19 main event showdown with Kurt Angle, this was the first time Lesnar faced someone who had a similar skill level in amateur wrestling. Although Lesnar’s F5 was devastating in its own right, there was one other move in his repertoire that was busted out for the biggest show of the year. Diving off the top rope, Lesnar attempted a shooting star press, an impressive move for any wrestler, never mind one that weighed close to 300 pounds. Unfortunately, Lesnar overshot the move and landed on his head. Miraculously avoiding a broken neck and potential paralysis, Lesnar went on to win the match and round out his rookie year with another WWE Championship reign.
The next year saw Lesnar continue to be dominant on SmackDown, sometimes in more uncomfortable ways than fans were used to. One of the most uncomfortable angles saw Lesnar brutalise one-legged wrestler Zach Gowen, leaving him a bloody mess as his mother watched on in horror at what took place. This further established Lesnar as not just a physical wrestler, but a terrifying monster! Lesnar wouldn’t just beat opponents; he would make a statement that others would be afraid to challenge him for fear of repercussions.
In early 2004, Lesnar crossed paths with another powerhouse that also had a major victory over The Rock: Goldberg. With Lesnar disrespecting the WCW legend, The Beast dumped Goldberg out of the Royal Rumble that year despite not being in the match. Goldberg would get his revenge in a way that cost Lesnar the WWE Championship.
No Way Out 2004 was the night where Eddie Guerrero won the WWE Championship for the first and only time in his career. It appeared that Lesnar would pick up the win, but a spear by Goldberg turned the tide for Latino Heat to allow him to hit the frog splash and secure the biggest victory of his career. The win was one of the most emotional of the year, but the fact that Lesnar was the opponent made Guerrero’s win that much sweeter. Lesnar was the seemingly unbeatable final boss and the perfect foil for perennial underdog Guerrero, making the win that much more emphatic. While Guerrero had his WrestleMania match set as champion, Lesnar challenged Goldberg to a match at WrestleMania 20, which the veteran accepted.
Unfortunately, this was not the match that anyone wanted to see. Goldberg’s contract was set to expire the next night and Lesnar was also set to leave. With The Beast burned out from travel and looking to make it big in the NFL, wrestling looked to be behind him.
The dream match turned into a nightmare as the New York fans found out about both men’s upcoming departure. Despite the fact that Steve Austin was the referee, the match was booed out of the building even before the match began. Both men refused any major physicality, and Goldberg eventually won. Austin stunned both men after the match, and Lesnar flipped off the crowd. While others have said that WWE was their dream and they love the fans, Lesnar made it clear that this was not his number one priority.
Although his first WWE run ended in disappointment, it would not define Brock Lesnar’s legacy. Eight years later, he returned as something entirely different—not a full-time wrestler, but an attraction whose dominance, controversies and unprecedented contract would reshape WWE once again.
Part 2 coming soon.
Featured image: WWE
