Brock Lesnar: Analysing the Booking of a Beast in WWE

Since returning to WWE in 2012, Brock Lesnar’s booking has been polarising to say the least. Overall though, has his dominance been a worthwhile approach?

As the referee’s hand counted three, confusion came across the Allstate Arena. It had been brilliant at times, bloody and brutal at others but for all its bluster, Brock Lesnar’s WWE return had begun in rather bizarre fashion. John Cena pinning any man shouldn’t be a surprise but considering the buzz surrounding Brock’s big return, Cena’s triumph here felt questionable at best. Lesnar was refreshing nonetheless, bringing a level of sheer physicality and at times, insanity that made everything almost dangerously believable. His aura was undeniable but with the match ending in a loss, had an opportunity already been missed?

Those questions would only continue, too, as Lesnar then entered a back and forth trilogy with Triple H. Though he’d come out a 2-1 victor, Brock lost the pair’s WrestleMania match which, again, caused some concern. Lesnar’s UFC run may not have ended as he’d have hoped, but he had still reached the top of that sport which on its own, suggested that this creative direction wasn’t an optimal one. With his pedigree and legitimacy, surely Lesnar shouldn’t have been 2-2 in his WWE return but the truth was, he still had to re-earn trust amongst those paying his wage.

Historically, Vince McMahon has always been quick to rebuild bridges provided it made financial sense. Re-earning his trust on the other hand, that’s always a different matter, it’s simply human nature. Lesnar’s initial WWE run was a unique one, especially by ‘modern’ standards.  Lesnar went straight to the top, quickly vanquishing The Rock to win WWE gold. A Royal Rumble victory followed and with it a WrestleMania main event triumph. One year following that coronation win though, and Lesnar was already gone. It’s unlikely that pro wrestling will ever see a rising star like Lesnar again, for good or bad.

The circumstances surrounding his famed departure are forever engrained in wrestling fans’ minds. Considering the scale of his star, I’d imagine it left an impact on Vince and company too. However, after a year of doing business as he’d been asked to, Lesnar was seemingly a part of the WWE family again….or as much as he ever would be at least. Nevertheless, following his feud with Triple H, Lesnar entered a program with CM Punk and in arguably his finest performance since returning, got a memorable win at SummerSlam.

After that, a brief conflict opposite both Mark Henry and Big Show begun Brock’s 2014. Though it seemed slightly low-key at the time, this would be the prelude to Lesnar’s now infamous WrestleMania clash against The Undertaker. Creatively, this would be the beginning of a shift that’s been evident in the years since. As we now all know, Lesnar unforgettably ended the streak and in 3 seconds, etched his name in history whilst erasing those recent losses from most fans’ memories.

That moment had catapulted Brock to a whole new level and with it, WWE were almost cornered as far as direction. Lesnar had done the unthinkable and his drawing potential now needed to be maximized, something that would come to fruition at SummerSlam 2014. Facing John Cena for the first time since that aforementioned 2012 match, Lesnar challenged his old foe for the WWE Title. In one of the most unique PPV main events in recent memory, Lesnar shockingly dominated Cena and won clean, once again becoming champion.

The decision-making behind that title change was interesting for a variety of reasons. When Cena conquered Lesnar two years prior, many viewed it as an immediate misstep, instead citing the opportunity to make Brock something truly different. A character not confined to the modern rules of trading wins or better yet, battling within a known formula. Lesnar represented the chance to be a different element altogether and with his already established name value, it seemed like a risk worth taking. This title change highlighted a huge step in that direction too, even if it took them longer than some expected.

In just over four months, Lesnar had been rapidly re-established as a man on his own level. Though he’d lost just a few matches ago, Lesnar now looked unbeatable within the WWE landscape and was breaking new ground as far as match layout and structure. Cena had been on top of wrestling for a decade but he’d never been handled like that, barely scoring offence in what was basically an extended squash. All in the SummerSlam main event no less. Brock maintained his grip on the belt through to 2015 too and then successfully defended it against Cena and Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble 2015.

Though it seemed to be the original plan, Roman Reigns surprisingly wouldn’t slay ‘The Beast’ at WrestleMania 31. Instead, Rollins interrupted Reigns’s main event with Lesnar, cashing in his Money in the Bank and winning the title. Prior to Seth’s involvement, Roman and Brock had put on an intense affair and with that finish, Lesnar’s unmatched aura still remained. More than that though, it also allowed for a slight babyface shift as Brock chased Rollins for his title until a dramatic Undertaker return re-directed him.

After some creative booking allowed for a two match program, Lesnar concluded the Undertaker rivalry inside Hell in a Cell before altering his focus to the Royal Rumble match. However, this latest incarnation of Lesnar had begun to grate on some….even if only a loud minority. The truth was, this more dominant presentation had taken away the need for any real back and forth and with that, some match quality had seemingly been lost. Those critiques would only strengthen after WrestleMania 32 too, with an underwhelming affair opposite Dean Ambrose really drawing the ire of some.

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A one-fight UFC return followed before Lesnar came back to face Randy Orton at SummerSlam. With a TKO finish, that Orton match would also seemingly split the masses, but it didn’t matter much as Brock’s career would then take an unexpected turn. In a bizarre video game crossover, Bill Goldberg would return to face Lesnar in a rematch of their WrestleMania disaster 12 years prior. What looked like an ill-conceived one-off would then shock the wrestling world as Goldberg run through Brock in under two minutes, becoming the first man to pin him in multiple years.

That result would further a trend in which Goldberg simply had Lesnar’s number and it culminated in the sprint of all sprints at WrestleMania 33. With a unique vulnerability that hadn’t been seen in quite some time, Lesnar was revitalised by Goldberg’s return and left WrestleMania as Universal champion. Once again as RAW’s headline champion, Lesnar would defend his title against fresh opponents to mixed results. A program with Samoa Joe seemed to gel whilst clashes with Braun Strowman didn’t work so smoothly (relatively speaking of course).

Nonetheless at Survivor Series 2017, Lesnar would take on AJ Styles in an all-champion affair that would prove Brock’s retained worth. For all of Styles undeniable brilliance, Lesnar reminded people of what he could still very much do as together they put on a modern WWE classic. Now set to rematch Roman Reigns at the upcoming WrestleMania 34, Lesnar now look to top that effort as he once again attempts to step up when it matters most…especially considering that the clock may be ticking on his polarising pro wrestling career.

Next: WWE Raw Power Rankings, Mar. 12

Though frustrating at times, Brock Lesnar’s WWE return has brought some genuine moments worth cherishing. I think in some ways, the flaws surrounding Brock’s 2012-13 booking have likely been over remedied at times but in the same way, its helped emphasis the man’s overall attraction and appeal. Brock Lesnar has brought an incredibly unique dynamic in this run and in a WWE world of parity, that’s been an exciting addition. It has had its issues don’t get me wrong but with the right opponent, Lesnar has still maintained his very special ability to enthral audiences on the biggest stage. Thankfully, history suggests that Reigns is a man very much capable of playing Lesnar’s dance partner. Considering that, I’d expect another physical and enduring encounter at WrestleMania 34.