5. Brock Lesnar Defeats The Rock - SummerSlam 2002
2002 was a strange time to be a WWF fan. Not only did the company completely re-brand as World Wrestling Entertainment, but there was also a sea change afoot in terms of the roster. The 'Brand Extension' mixed things up nicely, but it was clear that the promotion could no longer solely rely on the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock and Steve Austin to headline. For that very reason, WWE were looking to introduce some new stars to the picture. John Cena, Batista and Randy Orton all made their in-ring debuts on the main roster that year, but none of those men could hold a candle to Brock Lesnar. Introduced the night after WrestleMania X-8, Lesnar was given a mega-push to the top of the card. Winning the King Of The Ring in June ensured him a crack at The Rock's WWE Title come August and SummerSlam. On the Summer Pay-Per-View, Brock smashed Rocky and grabbed gold for the first time. The match wasn't that long, only going around 16 minutes, but it perfectly suited the agenda. The Rock was spending more and more time in Hollywood, so WWE needed to take care of business. Lesnar was deemed the future, and it was important he went over strong.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
