How Good Was Brock Lesnar Actually?
Is 'The Beast' one of WWE's best or completely overrated? Time to rank it.
The sun is finally setting on the nearly 25-year pro wrestling career of Brock Lesnar.
He's a former amateur wrestling champion, an ex-UFC Heavyweight Champ and was once the youngest WWE Champion of all time, but just how revered is Brock in the history of this company and pro wrestling at large?
This is a man who has had run-ins vs. everyone from Hulk Hogan to Cody Rhodes. He's stood across the ring from The Rock at his absolute zenith, and is currently paving the way for future great Oba Femi. On the surface, it feels as though there are no holes in Lesnar's armour, but is that really true? Is there something lacking from the skillset of one of the most decorated combat sports athletes of all-time?
That's what we are going to examine today as we go deep into the belly of 'The Beast'. The mayor of 'Suplex City' and "the 1 in 21-1" has had a glittering wrestling career, but this is an in-depth exposé which asks the burning question: Just how good was Brock Lesnar...actually?!
10. Presence/Look/Presentation
The craziest thing about Brock Lesnar? His presence is the dictionary definition of “undeniable”. The word “aura” is thrown around to describe any old nonsense in the modern era, but Lesnar exudes an intimidation factor that is almost entirely unique to him. When he first arrived, he looked like a monster, but WWE (and Paul Heyman in particular) wanted you to know that he was a legit badass away from the world of pro wrestling.
This was an NCAA Division 1 heavyweight wrestling champion. Pro wrestling matches are all about how much you can convince the audience to buy into what you’re selling. When Brock Lesnar is annihilating men who looked like they were chiseled from stone, you believe that he could actually do that. This only magnified when he went to the UFC and became their Heavyweight Champion, then returned to WWE wearing fight gloves in his matches; WWE has purposefully accentuated the public knowledge that Lesnar is a certified bad, bad man to its advantage.
As for Lesnar’s theme music, the opening noise is perfect for his arrival. It sounds like a death knell from hell, and gives an instant feeling that everyone’s safety is in imminent danger. The brute force of the music itself pairs perfectly with the way Lesnar bounces on the spot before his intimidating walk to the ring.
It’s as explosive as the man in question.
Heyman also has a very specific walk when he’s leading his 'Beast' to the ring too. When he was the 'Special Council' to the 'Tribal Chief' Roman Reigns, Heyman walked with humility and reverence for his client. When he leads Brock Lesnar into battle or a promo segment, he walks with a swagger, a street strut, and like his balls are 10lbs too heavy for his body. Heyman is a vital part of Lesnar’s entire presentation. He's his biggest cheerleader on every level, in real life and on screen.
As for Brock’s looks over the years, there’s been a justifiable approach of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Lesnar is arguably the toughest man to ever enter a wrestling ring. His bulging eyes, immense physique and legitimized toughness make Lesnar a walking main attraction, matched only by Andre The Giant and potentially Oba Femi in the future. The “techno viking”, cowboy hat-wearing look of his current (and perhaps final) run doesn’t quite have the intimidation factor of old, but that feels like a relative irrelevance to the bigger picture.
8.5/10