10 Wrestling Matches So Brutal They Hurt To Watch
5. Brock Lesnar Vs. John Cena (WWE Extreme Rules 2012)
Straight away, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar from WWE's Extreme Rules 2012 pay-per-view stood out from the rest of the pack. By 2012, WWE had fully embraced the idea of a PG product, and there was a cartoon-like level of violence in some matches. It was light and rarely too dangerous looking.
Lesnar's return to the fold changed all of that, because he borrowed heavily from his UFC career to make it look like he was really battering Cena's head and body with his strikes. Somewhat shockingly, he was - at least for the most part - and Cena bloodied quickly. To the benefit of proceedings, the match wasn't stopped.
Absolutely everything Brock Lesnar did during this bout came across as painful and decidedly real. His punches, kicks, slams and submission holds all looked credible, and it's fair to assume that Cena and he had some bruises and cuts the following morning.
The saccharine nature of WWE programming around this time only helps the match stand out. If people watch the whole pay-per-view, they will be captivated by the brutality on hand by the time the main event rolls around. At times, it looks like a real fight.