Brock Lesnar Has Cemented His Legacy with Current WWE Run

Over the past year, Brock Lesnar has established himself as one of the most dominant WWE Superstars of all time.

He's conquered the Undertaker's streak, disassembled John Cena and managed to rack up the longest WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign since CM Punk's 434 days with the belt around his waist. He's a bona fide legend—but ahead of his return, that wasn't the case.

After a meteoric rise to the upper echelons of WWE, Lesnar left the company less than two years after making his debut. In that time, he had picked up wins over the Rock, Kurt Angle and the Undertaker among others and won the world title three times.

However, those accomplishments weren't of much use to WWE, with Lesnar competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling and, later, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The company had bet the farm on the athlete being the "Next Big Thing," and they paid the price after his sudden departure.

Credit: WWE.com

With Lesnar proving to be a major draw elsewhere, he was rarely mentioned on WWE television. His farcical last match for the company—the infamous WrestleMania XX bout against Goldberg, who was also set to move on—meant that many fans had lost interest in the Beast Incarnate.

Of course, the Beast came back. A frustrating loss to John Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 seemed to set the tone for a new working relationship. Lesnar was made to look like an unstoppable force for much of the bout, but in the end, it was Cena who chalked up a win for the history books.

It's important to remember that Lesnar's current run with WWE is, at this point, significantly longer than his first. The two halves of his WWE tenure are defined by feats that no other competitor can match—and they will be made indelible at WrestleMania.

When Roman Reigns defeats Lesnar, the Juggernaut will be the man that felled the One in 21-1. For that reason, Lesnar's achievements won't be swept under the rug, even if he does return to mixed martial arts, because they're imperative to the legitimacy of Reigns.

Credit: WWE.com

Roman's conquering of the Conqueror will be something that we hear about incessantly for years to come, building the legend of Reigns—but perpetuating the reputation of Lesnar at the same time. The Beast will be inextricably tied to Reigns, and because of that, his legacy will endure.

WWE has a reputation for revising its own history. If a wrestler parts with the company on bad terms, they're liable to be erased entirely—that is, until the relationship is mended and there's potential for a glorious return.

Lesnar won't have that problem. His achievements can't be removed from the history books because doing so would undermine the accomplishments of the heir apparent Roman Reigns.

While it seems like the Beast Incarnate's second WWE run might soon come to an end, it certainly won't be forgotten.