Brock Lesnar: 15 Greatest Moments in His WWE Career

Brock Lesnar was, quite literally, one of the biggest things to happen in WWE's long and storied history.

One of, if not the fastest rising superstar in WWE history, "The Next Big Thing" Brock Lesnar was a force to be reckoned with.  Never has a superstar been so dominant from the moment he arrived until the moment he left.

Though his entire WWE career stretched only two years, he is still remembered as one of the most athletic, dominant and powerful superstars in WWE history.

This article takes a look at 15 of the greatest moments of Brock Lesnar's WWE career.  

Whether it was one of his top matches, a turning point in his career or just something that kept him in the minds of fans, there's no doubt Lesnar holds a special place in WWE history.

Let me know what your favorite moments are by sounding off in the comments below or by following me on Twitter (@TheOneTC)

Brock Lesnar Signed to Exclusive SmackDown Contract

After Brock Lesnar won his first undisputed WWE Championship, then-acting Raw general manager Eric Bischoff assumed that "The Next Big Thing" would be defending his title on both Raw and SmackDown, as previous champions had done. 

Unbeknownst to Bischoff, Brock Lesnar had signed an exclusive contract to SmackDown, which left Raw without a WWE champion and belt.  

Bischoff later brought back the old WCW World Heavyweight Championship and created the current WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

This ushered in a new concept for WWE—having two separate shows with two separate championships.

Though the brand split had occurred months earlier, and the secondary titles had become brand-exclusive, this was the first time in WWE history there would be two top champions, with one on each show.

Brock Lesnar in WWE '12

Brock Lesnar was, without a doubt, one of the biggest superstars of the Attitude Era.  But most younger fans don't know who he is, unless of course they also watch and follow UFC.

With the inclusion of Lesnar in the new WWE '12 video game, Brock Lesnar has been introduced to a new generation of fans.

Just like keeping the memories of late superstars such as Eddie Guerrero or Road Warrior Hawk alive through their exposure to young fans in WWE video games, some of the greatest moments of the Attitude Era may now be relived again.

Face Turn at 2002 Survivor Series

At Survivor Series, Brock Lesnar faced Big Show against Paul Heyman's wishes.  Heyman was in the mindset that Lesnar could not defeat Big Show.  

So when it came down to the match, Heyman did what he could to not look like an idiot.

After a booming F5, Lesnar went for the pin and the victory, only to have Heyman pull the referee out of the ring.  This eventually cost Lesnar the match and handed him his first pinfall loss.

Though the match itself wasn't one of Lesnar's greatest moments, the Heyman betrayal painted Lesnar in good light with the fans.  

This allowed him to continue to feud with Big Show and set up a great feud with Kurt Angle.

Lesnar vs. Big Show at 2003 Royal Rumble

Before he could compete in the 2003 Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar had to win his way into the 30-man match.

At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, the second match of the night was a qualification match between Lesnar and Big Show, with the winner gaining entry into the Royal Rumble match.

The match saw many big slams, including several belly-to belly-suplexes, German suplexes and even a spot where Big Show threw Lesnar over the top rope to ringside.  

Heyman also tried to get involved, almost becoming the victim of an F5, but escaped with Big Show's help.

In the end, Lesnar was able to thwart Heyman and deliver an F5 to Big Show for the win, qualifying himself for the Royal Rumble Match later in the night.

Two Title Defenses in 6 Days

Just six days after his Hell in a Cell battle with The Undertaker at No Mercy, Brock Lesnar teamed with manager Paul Heyman to take on Edge in a handicap match with the WWE Championship on the line.

Edge could have pinned either Lesnar or Heyman and won the WWE Championship, but Heyman was able to avoid Edge and keep the WWE Championship in his superstar's hands.

After an attack with a steel chair, Lesnar hit an F5 on Edge and retained his WWE title for the second time in six days.

Last Match and Departure at WrestleMania XX

Though this match could easily be considered the worst match in Lesnar's career, and one of the worst matches in WWE history, it's the underlying reason behind it for Lesnar that makes it one of the greatest moments of his WWE career.

Brock Lesnar left WWE on his own terms to pursue a potential career in the NFL.  Though that career choice never panned out, Lesnar continued trying to find the right fit for him, eventually landing in UFC.

Though he was once one of the biggest names in WWE, he has gained even more notoriety as one of the most dominant UFC heavyweight champions in history.

The fact he didn't get stuck in WWE for a length of time he wouldn't have been happy with—and that he was able to go out after having a short, yet entirely successful career—makes this one of the greatest moments of his career.

Heel Turn

After Kurt Angle defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Vengeance in 2003, the two men seemed to become allies.  

However, it was all a major setup schemed by Lesnar and Mr. McMahon.

During a steel cage match between Mr. McMahon and Lesnar, with Kurt Angle as the special guest referee, Lesnar turned and attacked Angle and turned heel in the process.

This set up some of the best matches, and what I believe was the best feud of Lesnar's career, against Kurt Angle.

2003 Royal Rumble Win

Though he had already competed in a qualifying match earlier in the night, Brock Lesnar made the most of the Royal Rumble match, setting up his future in WWE.

Entering the match at the No. 29 position, Lesnar tossed four superstars over the top rope, including his last opponent and No. 30 entrant, The Undertaker.

With his victory at the Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar then began his feud with WWE Champion Kurt Angle and set up one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time.

Ring Collapse

One of Brock Lesnar's most memorable moments, and one that is still showed on WWE programming to this day, is the epic finish to his SmackDown match with Big Show.

At the end of the match, Lesnar set Big Show up on the top rope and lifted him for a superplex.  When the two behemoths hit the mat, the ring collapsed, sending the fans into an uproar.

Though the same thing happened not too long ago with Big Show and Mark Henry, nothing will ever top the original shock of seeing the ring collapse under the weight of two of the biggest men to ever set foot in a WWE ring.

2002 King of the Ring Victory

In 2002, it was announced that the winner of the King of the Ring tournament, to be held throughout June, would receive an undisputed WWE title shot at SummerSlam.

While there were may great performances throughout the 16-man tournament, nobody could stop the sheer power and force of Brock Lesnar.

After defeating Bubba Ray Dudley and Booker T in the first two rounds, Lesnar was set to face Test in the semifinals at the King of the Ring PPV.  

He easily defeated Test and was set to face Rob Van Dam, who had already defeated Eddie Guerrero, X-Pac and Chris Jericho.

In the final matchup, Brock faced his toughest opponent yet, who used his speed and agility to counter Lesnar's brute strength.  

At one point, Paul Heyman almost cost Lesnar the match by attacking RVD, only to have him fall on top of the downed Lesnar for a two-count.  

However, Lesnar powered out as RVD went to the top rope for an attack, caught him in midair and delivered an F5 for the victory.

Lesnar vs Angle: 60-Minute Iron Man Match

In what is widely considered to be the best match to ever take place on an episode of SmackDown, WWE champion Kurt Angle faced off against his persistent challenger and nemesis, Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar gained the upper hand in this 60-minute Iron Man match, going up 5-2 after scoring points for pinfall victories, count-outs and even a submission victory where he made Kurt Angle tap out to the ankle lock.

Kurt Angle made a valiant effort to come back from such a deficit, but in the end, Lesnar held on and become a WWE champion for the third time. 

Debut: Monday Night Raw, March 18, 2002

The night after WrestleMania X8, Brock Lesnar made his WWE debut.

During a hardcore match between Maven, Al Snow and Spike Dudley, Lesnar made his way through the crowd and into the ring.  

He promptly made his strength known by delivering a spine buster to Al Snow, an F5 to Maven and three consecutive power bombs to Spike Dudley.

Being accompanied by Paul Heyman, who directed Lesnar around the ring to attack the other superstars, brought even more attention to the situation.

I don't think we'll ever see a debut like this ever again.

Lesnar vs. Undertaker: Hell in a Cell Match, 2002 No Mercy

Brock Lesnar was at the top of his heel game when he faced off with The Undertaker at No Mercy in what was one of the greatest Hell in a Cell matches of all time.

After breaking The Undertaker's hand with a propane tank, Lesnar had unknowingly given the dead man an extra weapon for their hellacious match.  

Even with Paul Heyman's pleads to Mr. McMahon, the cast was allowed to be used as a weapon.

With the help of Heyman's belt, Lesnar ripped apart The Undertaker's cast and attempted to re-break his hand.  Though The Undertaker fought back, attempting a tombstone piledriver, Lesnar was able to reverse it and hit his F5 finisher for the win.

In the end, both men, and Heyman, were beaten and bloody, but Lesnar proved he could stand toe-to-toe and emerge victorious against The Undertaker inside the Devil's Playground.

First WWE Championship Win: 2002 SummerSlam

At the 2002 SummerSlam, only 160 days after he made his dominant debut the night after WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar went toe-to-toe with one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time, The Rock.

Cementing his name in WWE history at the age of 25, Lesnar delivered a devastating F5 to The People's Champ and won his first ever WWE Championship.  

The back-and-forth exchange between Lesnar and The Rock kept the crowd electrified throughout the entire match, especially at the end when both men attempted finishers.  

But it was Lesnar who walked out with the undisputed WWE Championship.

At the age of 25 years and 44 days, Brock Lesnar became the youngest WWE champion in history—a record that still stands to this day.

Return?

Since Brock Lesnar reached the top of the UFC, there has been speculation as to if and when he would ever return to WWE, either as a wrestler, manager, special guest referee or just as a guest host.

Whether Lesnar will ever return to WWE while he is under a UFC contract is yet to be seen.  The same goes for if he would ever return to the ring after he hangs up the gloves.  

But one thing is for certain—if Lesnar returns to WWE, even for one night, it will be another memorable mark in his career.