10 Wrestlers Who Were Great By 25

After finishing up at the University of Minnesota, the 23 year old Brock Lesnar signed a highly lucrative developmental contract with the WWF. Debuting in OVW with college roommate Shelton Benjamin, Lesnar quickly impressed audiences with his freakish athleticism and knack for the shooting star press (a knack that sadly did not follow him to the main roster).

One of WWF’s most hyped up newbies, Lesnar began performing in well received dark matches in 2001 before his main roster debut in 2002. Billed as The Next Big Thing, Lesnar took WWE by storm almost immediately and set the record for youngest WWE champion in history (25) when he crushed The Rock at SummerSlam 2002.

As fast as he was strong and with a mastery of technical, brawling and powerhouse styles, Lesnar took to the ring like a fish to water. With his dominant victories over Hulk Hogan, The Rock and The Undertaker, WWE had made very clear who their next lead star was to be in the wake of Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin (who had been booked to lose to Lesnar on RAW before leaving) departing.