Ranking Brock Lesnar's Greatest WWE Matches Since 2012 Return

Blood dripped from Brock Lesnar's brow during many of his best WWE in-ring efforts since storming back to the squared circle in 2012.

Brutality has been The Beast Incarnate's specialty as seen in bouts against John Cena, Undertaker and CM Punk. Whether inside the Hell in a Cell or in the chaos of a Triple Threat match, Lesnar has often made the most of his sporadic appearances, smashing, suplexing and sneering his way to WWE drama.

But what has been Paul Heyman's fearsome predator's opus thus far?

Lesnar's best matches following his return to WWE in 2012 are ranked here. The excitement of the in-ring action, the story told between the ropes, and the spectacle and moments of each bout determined what landed where.

Honorable Mention

• Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker (SummerSlam 2015)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose (WrestleMania 32)

At SummerSlam, Lesnar and Undertaker produced a hard-hitting, better-than-expected collision.

Their chemistry was excellent, reminiscent of their 2002 feud. The two men sitting up and laughing at each other mid-fight created quite the memorable image.

The ending, though, was confusing and anticlimactic.

The timekeeper appeared to ring the bell early, and the referee soon argued with him. Hardly the best way to end a wrestling match.

A.V. Club columnist Kyle Fowle hit the nail on the head when he wrote: "The false finish sucks the life out of an already exhausted crowd, and does a disservice to both Brock and the Undertaker."

Ambrose and Lesnar could have been a classic, but the Street Fight never took full advantage of a strong build. 

Their clash offered an intriguing juxtaposition, a display of Lesnar's power and Ambrose's fearlessness. There were some fun spots with weapons, including a pile of steel chairs. It never kicked into the high gear that it could have, allowing other Lesnar battles to surpass it here.

7. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (SummerSlam 2014)

Most great matches feature a number of back-and-forth exchanges and momentum trades hands throughout the battle, but Cena vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam 2014 broke the rules.

In a shocker for the ages, The Beast Incarnate dominated from moment one. Lesnar hurled Cena around the ring, leading him on several trips to Suplex City. Like no one else had before, he devoured Cena whole for the world to see.

The surprising way this turned out alone gave the bout major dramatic value.

This was a far better, more thrilling version of what WWE tried to do with Goldberg and Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016. It was a one-sided spectacle and a showcase of just how fearsome Lesnar is.

The action that unfolded between the ropes, though, can't compare with what Lesnar produced opposite Punk, Seth Rollins and others. This was a two-chord song; Lesnar's best bouts have been symphonies.

6. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose (Fastlane 2016)

A spot on the WrestleMania 32 marquee awaited the winner when Lesnar faced two-thirds of what was once The Shield.

The Beast Incarnate battled Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose in an adrenaline-rich Triple Threat bout for the right to face Triple H for the WWE title at The Show of Shows. This wasn't nearly as good as the three-way clash from Royal Rumble 2015, but it was surely a thrill ride. 

Ambrose and Reigns were both allies and enemies in the bout. They double-teamed Lesnar before going after each other. 

Slamming the big man through a table and then flipping the broken piece of furniture atop him made for quite the lasting image.

Lesnar was fun to watch here, suplexing both men at one time and slugging with Reigns. We have seen Heyman's monster deliver more memorable stories, however. His rivalries with Punk and Undertaker, for example, resonated more.

5. Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker (Hell in a Cell)

Blood fell as Lesnar outlasted Undertaker in the Hell in a Cell, in what proved to be a fitting climax to their feud.

A true slobberknocker saw both men clobber each other. They smashed each other with chairs. Lesnar rattled The Deadman with punches. Undertaker left Lesnar reeling as two titans tested each other like no one else had.

Lesnar tearing up the ring itself as he looked to down his enemy was plenty powerful, too.

In an era where Hell in a Cell matches are often not violent enough to suit their surroundings, Lesnar and Undertaker hearkened back to a more savage time. That allowed them to compose the best of their recent matches together, but Lesnar thrived even more against men like Cena.

4. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (Extreme Rules 2012)

Lesnar's opening salvo upon his 2012 return came against Cena.

Before The Beast Incarnate's first match of that run, a strong build unfolded that saw Lesnar leave Cena's nose bloodied. Intensity from the lead-in carried over to the match itself.

Two powerhouses collided in a battle that featured a chain wrapped around a fist, the ring steps becoming weapons and Lesnar tumbling out of the ring in a scary misstep. The physicality and power moves proved to be a great foundation for the Extreme Rules main event.

The result took away from the enjoyment of all the action somewhat, though. It was such an odd decision for Lesnar to lose his first match. That hurt his mystique, while his best recent efforts added to his mythos, even in defeat at times.

3. Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk (SummerSlam 2013)

Heyman stood at the center of a work of compelling drama. 

The advocate abandoned Punk in violent, heartless fashion. The anti-hero's hunger for revenge sent him into the lion's den with Lesnar.

The Best versus The Beast proved to be a tremendous story, one of obsession getting the better of Punk, one where Lesnar played the loyal attack dog. 

In the ring, the action hummed. 

Punk tried to outquick Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate overpowered his foe. At one point, he crushed Punk under a broken piece of the announce table and stomped him into the ground.

Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net wrote of it: "A phenomenal match with some awesome near-falls. It's exactly what it should have been."

It's not Lesnar vs. Punk's flaws that kept it out of the top two spots, but instead two instant classics outdoing it in terms of energy and moments.

2. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena (Royal Rumble 2015)

A powerhouse, an apex predator and a crafty opportunist produced a Triple Threat match for the ages en route to WrestleMania 31.

Lesnar, Rollins and Cena worked beautifully together. The action was hard-hitting and high-octane. And there were a number of eye-catching violent moments.

The Beast Incarnate suplexed J&J Security simultaneously. Rollins drove Lesnar through a table with a huge diving elbow. Cena and Lesnar clobbered each other outside the ring.

Geno Mrosko waxed poetic about the bout for Cageside Seats. "My heart was pounding when this match finally drew to a close. A masterpiece," he wrote.

The electricity that ran through this bout has to put it in the conversation for Lesnar's best bout following his 2012 comeback. A swerve that no fan will forget and more brutal offense allowed another match to inch past it here, though.

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 31)

Before Lesnar vs. Reigns morphed into a Triple Threat match with Rollins, it was a heavyweight prize fight and a kaiju movie rolled into one.

Lesnar and Reigns delivered a bloody slugfest. They charged up a crowd intent on booing The Big Dog. Reigns laughed as he took Lesnar's best shots, urging him to keep hammering away at him.

And then Rollins charged in to shake up the bout and make history.

He became the first man to ever cash in his Money in the Bank contract mid-match. That move proved brilliant as the match made Reigns look like a star without committing to him yet, it elevated Rollins and softened the blow for Lesnar.

Rollins climbing into Lesnar's lair to steal his world championship was a seminal WrestleMania moment following one of the best matches the event has ever seen. It will take the stars aligning just right for any match Lesnar is a part of here on out to top it.