Brock Lesnar is returning to SmackDown on the Oct. 4 FOX premiere to face Kofi Kingston for his WWE Championship.
Brock Lesnar’s run on Smackdown in the early 2000’s showcased Lesnar as one of the most dominant in-ring wrestlers in WWE. Lesnar mowed through some of the greatest performers of all time.
Now, Brock Lesnar can pick and choose his spots. His match quality is vastly different than the Brock Lesnar of the early 2000s. Lesnar’s current run has been remarkable for its successes, not necessarily his in-ring matches.
During his first run on SmackDown, he was a great in-ring professional wrestler. In 2019, Brock has understood how to work smarter and not harder. It can be debated which style is more pleasing to fans, but for now, let’s take a look at five of Lesnar’s best moments from his first run on SmackDown.
The Undertaker endorses Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker have been linked in some of the biggest moments in WWE history. They had a phenomenal feud in 2002 that helped to establish Lesnar as a main event level star. It can be argued that their first Hell in a Cell match at No Mercy was the best of their two Hell in a Cell matches.
The endorsement from The Undertaker came after their Hell in a Cell match at No Mercy 2002. Undertaker stated that he had seen the best, fought the best, and beaten the best. He then stated that Brock was the best. That promo from a character with the emotional equity to the fans like The Undertaker solidified Brock Lesnar.
The mutual respect shown between both men gave Brock credibility. It was a culmination of a feud that portrayed Lesnar as a remorseless monster.
The Undertaker was not known as a character to verbally endorse many wrestlers in WWE. When The Undertaker said Brock was the better man, it instantly made him a main event player.
Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar: 60 Minute Iron Man Match
Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle helped defined SmackDown in the early 2000s. They were the rare combination of accomplished amateur wrestlers and charisma that was off the charts. Their rivalry produced countless classic matches.
In September 2003, the two would faced off in a 60-minute Iron Man Match. These matches are different from an endurance standpoint and pose the challenge to keep fans engaged for 60 minutes.
They put on a match that still holds up 16 years later. Lesnar showcased his ability to not only be a once in a lifetime athlete, but also an amazing in-ring wrestler. Fans viewed Lesnar as a dominate monster in previous feuds. His feud with Angle showed Lesnar was every bit the in ring machine as he was a once in a generation talent.
What made this match great was Lesnar showed a rare vulnerability. Angle pushed Lesnar and kept the fans behind him by attempting to injure Lesnar. This match was won by Lesnar after he refused to tap out at the end.
Chris Benoit vs. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar was in the midst of a new reign with the WWE Championship when he faced Chris Benoit. Due to the events that led to Chris Benoit’s death, this match has been understandably erased from the history books, but there was a time that when a wrestler needed to gain credibility, WWE would have him wrestle Chris Benoit. This was due to the respect that Benoit had with fans at the time.
Benoit lacked the charisma of Brock Lesnar, but he made up for that in physical intensity. When either wrestler showed up, fans knew it would be a physical match. Benoit was a submission specialist and Lesnar had shown his ability to be a great mat wrestler.
This was a television match, but the feud could have main evented any WWE Pay-Per-View.
One of the more interesting developments from that match was that Brock defeated Benoit with a submission hold. Brock’s finishing move was traditionally an F-5. This match ended when Brock placed Benoit in a submission move forcing Benoit to tap out.
This match showed new wrinkles to the Brock Lesnar character. In defeat, Chris Benoit added credibility to the character of Brock Lesnar.
Rock and Brock: The Staredown
The Rock was the first main event wrestler to help make Brock Lesnar a star. Brock and Rock had a classic match at one of the greatest SummerSlam events ever. Before that monumental collision took place, the seeds for that feud were planted on an episode of SmackDown.
Rock was in the midst of a great match against Chris Benoit when Brock Lesnar would come down to the ring. The two gladiators did not say a word to another. The silent staredown said more than either man could or needed to.
Rock showed fans with his eyes that he took Brock seriously. Brock also showed that he was not intimidated by The People’s Champion. The visual of The Rock in the Crippler Crossface struggling to not tap out while locking eyes with Brock Lesnar was impactful. Brock stared down Rock like he was waiting for Rock to tap out in the middle of the ring. The intimidation factor was needed to make Brock appear legitimate.
This feud separated Brock from “just another new monster bad guy” to “future main event player”. Rock knew what to do to make Brock the star he was destined to be. The stare down was the first step to propelling Brock to the WWE Championship.
Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. Brock Lesnar
In 2002, Hollywood Hulk Hogan was in the midst of a career resurgence. His name still carried weight within the wrestling industry. Simply put, Hulk Hogan rarely lost. When he did lose, it was always with a caveat that kept Hogan strong.
Enter Brock Lesnar.
When Lesnar and Hulk Hogan squared off, this match signified the rise of Brock Lesnar. Lesnar laughed as he overpowered Hogan with brute strength. Nothing that Hulk did affected Lesnar.
Lesnar was an unbreakable block of granite that the great Hulk Hogan couldn’t chip away at. This was part of the rise of Brock Lesnar that made his first run on SmackDown legendary.
Two of the most defining moments were as Hogan went for his patented leg drop that put down a who’s who, Lesnar kicked out with a force that jolted Hogan to his feet. When Lesnar defeated Hulk Hogan, he attacked Hogan with a chair until he bled. Lesnar would then smear the blood of Hogan across his chest symbolizing a big game hunter who celebrated his latest kill.
Lesnar’s vicious streak grew with each match. The question would linger, if Brock Lesnar could make the immortal Hulk Hogan look like a rag doll, who could stop Lesnar?