SummerSlam 2002 May Predict Response to Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns
By Josh Raibick
Brock Lesnar’s match against The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 may be the template for Lesnar-Reigns this year. Photo Source: WWE.com
It does not feel like it, but it has been 16 years since Brock Lesnar and The Rock faced off at WWE SummerSlam 2002. When reviewing the build of the feud, match, and aftermath from that event, it is interesting to see how Brock Lesnar’s WWE career is about to come full circle.
The build to Lesnar vs. Rock at SummerSlam was the story of two unimaginable forces set for a collision course. On one hand there was The Rock, who was one of the key characters during the most popular era in wrestling history, The Attitude Era. On the other hand, there was the young, hungry lion, a beast in Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar destroyed all competition en route to becoming the 2002 King of the Ring winner and number one contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship. The Rock captured the WWE Undisputed Championship at Vengeance in a triple threat match, which set these two up for a marquee clash at the biggest event of the summer: SummerSlam.
Lesnar’s list of 2002 opponents up to this point was impressive, with a handicap match versus the Hardy Boyz, back to back pay per view wins against Rob Van Dam, and a dismantling of Hulk Hogan. Yet, none of these superstars were competing at the level of The Rock at the time, and because of that it made the SummerSlam main event for the WWE Undisputed Championship that much more compelling.
That does not mean that lead up to this showdown was perfect. A big issue entering the event concerned internet reports that The Rock would be leaving WWE following his match with Lesnar. This, in turn, created another problem: SummerSlam that year would be in front of a hostile New York crowd at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.