10 Genius Ways WWE Wrestlers Survived “Go Away” Heat

10. Brock Lesnar

In 2012, Brock Lesnar returned to the WWE after an eight-year hiatus and ended The Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak, destroyed John Cena and became the ultimate Final Boss of the company’s roster.

However, over the next eight years, Lesnar’s ‘The Beast’ gimmick truly ran its course. It wasn’t helped by the fact that he found himself repeatedly doing the same things. When Brock wasn’t clashing with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, SummerSlam and The Greatest Royal Rumble then he was taking the WWE Title back off of members of The New Day who had fought valiantly for the opportunity.

Going out and putting over Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36 was a worthy endpoint and Lesnar has since admitted that at that moment he had planned to retire.

In his absence, Brock’s right hand man Paul Heyman aligned himself with Roman which allowed the Beast to surprisingly shift to a babyface. In August 2021, Lesnar returned with a beard, ponytail and cowboy hat to shock, confusion and amusement.

The once straight-laced, no BS monster was suddenly a smirking farm boy. As 'The Beast', Brock was a selfish titan who threw his weight around. As ‘Cowboy Brock’, there grew an element of wicked fun.

Brock was yet again clashing with Reigns on his return (twice) which could’ve very easily sunk like a stone, and yet the totally surprising gimmick changes for both worked wonders for re-investing audiences and refreshing the rivalry.