10 Wrestlers Who Became WWE Champion The Quickest
2. Brock Lesnar (126 Days)
If there’s one man who can challenge Kurt Angle for the most exciting rookie year in WWE history, it’s Brock Lesnar. Debuting in March 2002, The Next Big Thing hopped the barricade alongside Paul Heyman to destroy a match between Al Snow, Maven, and Spike Dudley. He made Raw his home, and after wrecking both Hardy Boyz in a quick rivalry, he became the 2002 King of the Ring.
Lesnar earned his shot at the WWE Undisputed Championship by pinning Rob Van Dam in the finals, and after a brief feud with Hulk Hogan, Lesnar was set to meet The Rock at SummerSlam. He defeated The People’s Champ to become the second fastest wrestler to ever become world champion since debuting, and at 25 years old, he broke The Rock’s own record as the youngest WWE Champion in history.
Brock has since established his reputation as one of the most dominant wrestlers of all-time, WWE’s biggest special attraction, and a true force of nature. It all began with his early run, and while he was out of the company by 2004, he’d return in 2012 to eventually cement his legacy with a 200+ day run as WWE Champion.
Lesnar’s title reign represented a changing of the guard. Stone Cold and The Rock were on their way out, and athletes like Lesnar would be charged with leading WWE forward. The fact that he’s still considered one of WWE’s most important performers speaks volumes of his impact, despite his long hiatus from the business.