Brock Lesnar
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Brock Edward Lesnar (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born July 12, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a professional wrestler, with the exception of a brief free agency between 2020 and 2021, he has been signed to WWE Template:As of. Often regarded as one of the most prolific combat sport athletes in the world, Lesnar is the only person to have won the primary heavyweight championships of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar competed in collegiate wrestling for the University of Minnesota, winning the NCAA Division I national championship in 2000. He soon signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, renamed WWE in 2002), rising to industry prominence in mid-2002 by winning the WWE Championship at age 25, setting the record for the youngest performer to win the championship. In 2004, Lesnar departed WWE to join the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL), but was cut from the team during pre-season. He returned to wrestling and signed with NJPW in 2005 where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Lesnar later departed NJPW and continued to be promoted as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in the IGF before taking a hiatus from wrestling to pursue a career in mixed martial arts (MMA). Years later in 2012, he re-signed with WWE; his 504-day first reign with the WWE Universal Championship is the seventh-longest world championship reign in the promotion's history and he holds the record for most reigns as Universal Champion at three. He also won the Royal Rumble match twice (2003 and 2022), the Money in the Bank ladder match (2019), the King of the Ring tournament (2002), and has headlined several pay-per-view events, including WWE's flagship event WrestleMania five times (19, 31, 34, 36 – Night 2, and 38 – Night 2) and nine SummerSlams (2002, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022); in addition, he also ended The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak in 2014.
Lesnar began his MMA career for Hero's in 2007, and signed with the UFC in 2008. He quickly won the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but was sidelined with diverticulitis in 2009. On his return in 2010, Lesnar defeated Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin to unify the heavyweight championships and become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. After a couple of losses and further struggles with diverticulitis,<ref name="MMAWeekly.com">Template:Cite news</ref> Lesnar retired from MMA in 2011.<ref name="espn.go.com">Template:Cite news</ref> He returned at UFC 200 in 2016 to defeat Mark Hunt, but his victory was overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for a banned substance on UFC's anti-doping policy. He then retired from MMA for the second time in 2017. A box office sensation, he competed in some of the bestselling pay-per-view events in promotion history, including headlining UFC 91, UFC 100, UFC 116 and UFC 121. He also co-headlined UFC 200, briefly being the main headliner before that spot was given to Amanda Nunes vs. Miesha Tate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Early life
Brock Edward Lesnar<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was born in Webster, South Dakota, on July 12, 1977,<ref name="SlamBio"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="deathclutch">Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival by Brock Lesnar (Template:ISBN)</ref> the son of Stephanie and Richard Lesnar.<ref name="deathclutch" /> Even though his surname is Slovenian, he is of Polish descent,<ref>"Edward Lesnor, United States Census, 1930." FamilySearch. Retrieved October 15, 2015.</ref> and grew up on his parents' dairy farm in Webster.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He has two older brothers named Troy and Chad, and a younger sister named Brandi.<ref name="deathclutch"/> At the age of 17, he joined the Army National Guard and was assigned to an office job after his red–green colorblindness was deemed hazardous to his desire to work with explosives.<ref name="deathclutch"/><ref name="Brock Lesnar interview">Template:Cite news</ref> He was discharged after failing a computer typing test and later worked for a construction company.<ref name="deathclutch"/>
Amateur wrestling
Lesnar attended Webster High School, playing football<ref name="deathclutch"/> and competing in wrestling, placing third in the state championships his senior year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He then went to Bismarck State College where in 1997, his freshman year, he placed 5th in the 275 lb. division of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). In 1998, his sophomore year, he won the 275 lb championship.<ref name="SlamBio"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After two years at Bismarck State College, Lesnar transferred to the University of Minnesota on a wrestling scholarship, where he was roommates with future WWE colleague Shelton Benjamin, who was also his assistant coach.<ref name="deathclutch"/>
Lesnar won the 2000 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I heavyweight wrestling championship his senior year after being the runner-up to Stephen Neal the year prior. He finished his amateur career as a two-time NJCAA All-American, the 1998 NJCAA Heavyweight Champion, two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Conference Champion and the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion, with a record of 106–5 overall in four years of college.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Professional wrestling career
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World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (2000–2004)
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000–2002)
In 2000, Lesnar signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was assigned to its Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) territory. There, he met Paul Heyman, who would later become his on-screen manager.<ref name="PaulHeymanDVD1">Template:Cite AV media</ref> Under the direction of OVW booker Jim Cornette, Lesnar was paired with his former University of Minnesota teammate Shelton Benjamin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Competing as the Minnesota Stretching Crew, the duo held the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship three times.<ref name="OVW tag" /> Lesnar also took part in numerous dark matches in 2001 and early 2002 before being called up to the main roster.<ref name="SlamBio" />
Rise to prominence and departure (2002–2004)
Brock Lesnar made his televised WWE debut in March 2002, immediately portrayed as a dominant force under the guidance of Paul Heyman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After winning the King of the Ring tournament that June,<ref name="KOTR02">Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar earned a WWE Undisputed Championship opportunity and defeated The Rock at SummerSlam, becoming the youngest WWE Champion in history at age 25.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His win also marked one of the fastest ascents to the title, occurring just 126 days after his debut.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar's initial title reign included rivalries with The Undertaker, and Big Show. He retained the championship against The Undertaker via double disqualification at Unforgiven, and in a Hell in a Cell match at No Mercy,<ref name="pwi111">Template:Cite news</ref> but lost the title to Big Show at Survivor Series following interference from Heyman, in a storyline betrayal that marked Lesnar's first televised pinfall loss and his transition to a fan-favorite character.<ref name="pwi112">Template:Cite news</ref> At Royal Rumble in January 2003, Lesnar defeated Big Show to enter the Rumble match, which he won by last eliminating The Undertaker, earning a title shot at WrestleMania XIX.<ref name="pwi112" />
At WrestleMania, Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle to win the WWE Championship for a second time. During the match, Lesnar attempted a shooting star press, which resulted in a legitimate concussion. He defended the title against John Cena at Backlash, and against Big Show in a stretcher match at Judgment Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He faced Big Show again on an episode of SmackDown! in June, during which a superplex by Lesnar caused the ring to collapse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Angle returned later in the year, leading to a feud with Lesnar. The rivalry culminated at Vengeance, where Lesnar lost the WWE Championship to Angle in a triple threat match also involving Big Show. Lesnar turned heel shortly after, aligning himself with Vince McMahon.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> He failed to regain the title at SummerSlam,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but defeated Angle in a 60-minute iron man match on the September 18 episode of SmackDown!, winning five falls to four to reclaim the championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar's third WWE Championship reign included successful title defenses against challengers such as Chris Benoit<ref name="ringcollapse">Template:Cite web</ref> and The Undertaker, the latter in a Biker Chain match at No Mercy.<ref name="pwi114">Template:Cite news</ref> At Survivor Series, Lesnar captained a team in a traditional elimination tag team match against a team led by Kurt Angle, which Lesnar's team lost.<ref name="pwi114" />
In late 2003, Lesnar began a cross-brand feud with Goldberg, who interrupted a backstage interview at Survivor Series.<ref name="pwi114" /> He later retained the WWE Championship against Hardcore Holly at Royal Rumble.<ref name="RR2004">Template:Cite web</ref> The rivalry with Goldberg escalated when Lesnar interfered in the Royal Rumble match, costing Goldberg a chance at victory.<ref name="pwi114" /> At No Way Out, Goldberg retaliated by attacking Lesnar during his title defense against Eddie Guerrero, leading to Lesnar's loss and the end of his championship reign.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Lesnar faced Goldberg at WrestleMania XX, with Stone Cold Steve Austin serving as special guest referee. The match was met with a hostile crowd response, as both men were widely reported to be leaving the company.<ref name="DrehsESPN">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="PowellWMXX">Template:Cite web</ref> Goldberg won the bout, and both he and Lesnar were given Stone Cold Stunners afterward.<ref name="PowellWMXX" /> Lesnar officially left WWE after WrestleMania, later citing burnout, injuries, creative dissatisfaction, and the travel schedule as reasons for his departure.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling / Inoki Genome Federation (2005–2007)
After leaving professional football, Lesnar returned to wrestling in 2005 by debuting in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). On October 8, he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his first bout, defeating Kazuyuki Fujita and Masahiro Chono in a three-way match at the Tokyo Dome.<ref name="IWGP title">Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar used the name The Verdict for his finishing move—previously known as the F-5—as a reference to ongoing legal disputes with WWE, who unsuccessfully sought to prevent him from competing in sports and entertainment elsewhere.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar defended the IWGP title against several opponents, including Shinsuke Nakamura at the January 4, 2006 Tokyo Dome event,<ref name="WWE-legal">Template:Cite web</ref> Akebono in March,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Giant Bernard in May.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, in July 2006, NJPW stripped Lesnar of the championship, citing visa issues that prevented him from returning to defend it. Despite this, Lesnar retained physical possession of the belt for nearly a year.<ref name="NJPW title">Template:Cite web</ref>
On June 29, 2007, Lesnar lost the IWGP title to TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle at the debut event of the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF).<ref name="NJPW title" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This marked Lesnar's final professional wrestling match until his return to WWE in 2012.
Return to WWE (2012–present)
Return and ending The Streak (2012–2014)
Lesnar returned to WWE on the April 2, 2012, episode of Raw, confronting John Cena and reestablishing himself as a villainous figure.<ref name="Raw040212">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was presented as a destructive force brought in to "legitimize" WWE, leading to a match against Cena at Extreme Rules, where Lesnar was defeated despite dominating much of the contest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Shortly afterward, Lesnar entered a storyline dispute with WWE COO Triple H over contractual demands, leading to a physical altercation that resulted in a kayfabe arm injury to Triple H.<ref name="afterwards">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Raw4-30">Template:Cite web</ref> Paul Heyman returned as Lesnar's legal representative, escalating the angle with a lawsuit and Lesnar's declared departure.<ref name="afterwards" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The feud culminated at SummerSlam, where Lesnar defeated Triple H by submission.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following night on Raw, it was announced that Lesnar had seemingly quit WWE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He returned on the January 28, 2013, episode of Raw, attacking WWE chairman Vince McMahon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> resulting in a scripted pelvic injury.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A confrontation with Triple H reignited their rivalry,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> leading to a match at WrestleMania 29, where Lesnar was defeated in a No Holds Barred match with Triple H's career at stake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The feud concluded at Extreme Rules, where Lesnar won their final encounter inside a steel cage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In mid-2013, Lesnar began a feud with CM Punk after attacking him on the June 17 episode of Raw,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> following tension between Punk and Paul Heyman. After Heyman turned on Punk at Money in the Bank,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the rivalry escalated, leading to a no disqualification match at SummerSlam, where Lesnar defeated Punk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar returned on the December 30 episode of Raw, positioning himself as a contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After attacking Mark Henry and engaging in a brief feud with Big Show,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which ended in a dominant win at the Royal Rumble,<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Lesnar was granted an open contract for a match at WrestleMania XXX. On the February 24 episode of Raw, The Undertaker returned and accepted the challenge, setting up their match for the event.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At WrestleMania on April 6, Lesnar defeated The Undertaker, ending his 21–0 undefeated streak. The result received widespread media attention and is often cited as one of the most shocking moments in WWE history.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2014–2015)
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At SummerSlam on August 17, Lesnar defeated John Cena to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in dominant fashion, delivering sixteen suplexes and two F-5s with little offense from Cena.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> In their rematch at Night of Champions, Lesnar retained the title after Seth Rollins interfered, causing a disqualification.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> Rollins later aligned with The Authority and was added to Lesnar and Cena's title match at the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2015,<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> which Lesnar won.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar's next challenger was Roman Reigns, who won the Royal Rumble match to earn a title shot at WrestleMania 31.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During their match at the WrestleMania main event, Lesnar dominated early and famously uttered "Suplex City, bitch!", which evolved into a popular catchphrase. Midway through the bout, Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, turning it into a triple threat. Rollins pinned Reigns to win the title.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following night on Raw, Lesnar attempted to invoke his rematch clause but attacked announcers and a cameraman after being denied, leading to a storyline suspension.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar returned on the June 15 episode of Raw and was named the number one contender for Rollins's title at Battleground.<ref name="Raw6152015">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On July 4, he appeared at WWE's The Beast in the East special in Tokyo, defeating Kofi Kingston.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At Battleground, Lesnar appeared poised to win the title before The Undertaker interfered, resulting in a disqualification and continuing their unresolved feud.<ref name="MITB">Template:Cite web</ref>
Suplex City (2015–2016)
The following night on Raw, The Undertaker explained that he had attacked Lesnar not for ending his WrestleMania streak, but rather for Lesnar allowing Heyman to constantly taunt him about it, which led to the two brawling throughout the arena and a WrestleMania rematch being scheduled for SummerSlam on August 23,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where The Undertaker controversially defeated Lesnar. The timekeeper rang the bell as The Undertaker had supposedly submitted to Lesnar's Kimura lock, though the referee had not seen any submission. In the ensuing confusion, The Undertaker hit Lesnar with a low blow and applied his Hell's Gate submission hold, in which Lesnar passed out.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following night on Raw, Lesnar and Heyman challenged The Undertaker to an immediate rematch, only to be confronted by Bo Dallas (who mocked Lesnar about his defeat); Lesnar responded with five German suplexes and an F-5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
At Hell in a Cell on October 25, Lesnar defeated The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match after a low blow and F-5 onto the exposed ring floor, ending their feud.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The match was later voted "Match of the Year" during the 2015 Slammy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On the January 11, 2016, episode of Raw, Lesnar returned, attacking The New Day, The League of Nations (Sheamus, King Barrett, Rusev and Alberto Del Rio) and Kevin Owens, before performing an F-5 on Roman Reigns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following week on Raw, he brawled with Reigns until they were attacked by The Wyatt Family.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Royal Rumble on January 24, Lesnar was the 23rd entrant, eliminating Jack Swagger and The Wyatt Family minus Bray Wyatt before being eliminated by the Wyatt Family members he had eliminated first. He later defeated Wyatt and Luke Harper in a two-on-one handicap at the Road Block pay-per-view event.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
At Fastlane on February 21, Lesnar lost a triple threat match for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship opportunity at WrestleMania 32, where Reigns pinned Dean Ambrose.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following night on Raw, Lesnar attacked Ambrose in the parking lot as he was arriving at the arena. A No Holds Barred Street Fight match was set between them at WrestleMania 32 on April 3,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which Lesnar won.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On the July 7 episode of SmackDown, Lesnar was revealed as the returning Randy Orton's opponent for SummerSlam.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two days later on July 9, WWE allowed Lesnar to have a one-off fight for UFC 200. Lesnar failed two of his drug tests for this fight but was not suspended by WWE because he is not a full-time performer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft, Lesnar was the #5 draft pick for the Raw brand.<ref name="2016WWEdraft">Template:Cite web</ref> Reports claimed that he would have been #1 had he not failed his UFC drug tests.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Orton was drafted to SmackDown, thus making their match an interbrand match, while WWE billed their face-off as a match fifteen years in the making.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Along with Heyman, Lesnar made his return to Raw on August 1 (his first appearance on WWE programming since WrestleMania 32), but during his segment Orton appeared and attacked Lesnar with an RKO.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar then attacked Orton during his match the following night on SmackDown Live, performing an F-5 on Orton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At SummerSlam on August 21, Lesnar defeated Orton by technical knockout, leaving Orton with a forehead wound which required ten staples.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He then hit SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon with an F-5.<ref name="SSlam2016">Template:Cite web</ref> The end made many people believe Lesnar had gone off script due to the severity of Orton's head wound,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> out of which Vince McMahon confirmed that the ending was planned.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar was later storyline fined $500 for delivering an F-5 to Shane McMahon and his assault on Orton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On the October 10 episode of Raw, Heyman, on Lesnar's behalf, challenged Goldberg to a fight after the pair had been feuding for several months through social media and during promotional work for the WWE 2K17 video game, which featured Lesnar as the cover star and Goldberg as the pre-order bonus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Heyman stated that Goldberg was the one blemish on Lesnar's WWE career, as Goldberg had defeated Lesnar at WrestleMania XX in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the October 17 episode of Raw, Goldberg returned to WWE after a twelve-year absence and accepted Lesnar's request for a fight with their match later scheduled for Survivor Series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the final Raw before Survivor Series, Lesnar and Goldberg had a confrontation for the first time in twelve years, resulting in a brawl with security after Heyman insulted Goldberg's family.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 20 at Survivor Series, Lesnar quickly lost to Goldberg in 1 minute and 26 seconds,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> marking the first time in three years that Lesnar was pinned.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Year-long Universal Championship reign (2017–2018)
At the 2017 Royal Rumble match on January 29, Lesnar was quickly eliminated by Goldberg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following that, he challenged Goldberg to a match at WrestleMania 33.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After Goldberg won the WWE Universal Championship at Fastlane on March 5, their bout was made a title match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 2 at WrestleMania, Lesnar defeated Goldberg to win the Universal Championship, marking his fifth world title win in WWE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After several weeks of feuding, Lesnar's first title defense came at the inaugural Great Balls of Fire event on July 9, 2017, where he successfully retained against Samoa Joe, before defeating him a second time for the title at a house show.
On the July 31 episode of Raw, Lesnar was scheduled to defend his title in a fatal four-way match at SummerSlam against Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. Lesnar and Heyman stated that both would leave WWE should Lesnar lose the championship in the match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At SummerSlam on August 20, Lesnar retained the title by pinning Reigns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next night on Raw, Lesnar was attacked by Strowman. The subsequent title match at No Mercy on September 24 was won by Lesnar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar then defeated WWE Champion AJ Styles in an interbrand champion vs. champion non-title match at Survivor Series on November 19. His next title defense was scheduled for the Royal Rumble on January 28, 2018, where he successfully defended the title in a triple threat match against Strowman and Kane. Lesnar then re-ignited his feud with Roman Reigns, who won the Elimination Chamber match at Elimination Chamber on February 25 to become the number one contender to Lesnar's title at WrestleMania 34.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At WrestleMania on April 8, Lesnar pinned Reigns to retain the title in the main event.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rumors arose that Lesnar would leave WWE and rejoin the UFC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 9, Lesnar re-signed with WWE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view on April 27, he again defeated Reigns in a steel cage when Reigns speared Lesnar through the cage wall. As Lesnar escaped the cage first, he was declared the winner.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After the Greatest Royal Rumble, Lesnar was absent from WWE television for nearly three months. At Extreme Rules on July 15, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle threatened to strip Lesnar of the Universal Championship if he did not show up to Raw the following night.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following night on Raw, Heyman agreed that Lesnar would defend his title at SummerSlam; Reigns became the number one contender later that same night.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the July 30 episode of Raw, Lesnar was at the arena but refused to appear in the ring. Angle threatened to fire Heyman if he could not persuade Lesnar to come to the ring. Throughout the broadcast, Heyman's attempts were unsuccessful. At the end of the show, after Angle had fired him, Lesnar appeared to attack Angle and choke Heyman.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two weeks later, the dissension between Lesnar and Heyman was revealed to be just a ruse when Lesnar returning on the August 13 episode of Raw to attack Reigns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At SummerSlam on August 19, Strowman was at ringside ready to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on the winner. Lesnar incapacitated Strowman, allowing Reigns to capitalize on the distracted Lesnar and win the Universal Championship, ending Lesnar's title reign at 504 days. As of 2018, the reign was the sixth-longest world championship reign in WWE history and the longest since 1988.<ref name="SSlam2018">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="UniversalTitleRecord">Template:Cite web</ref>
World championship reigns and first retirement (2018–2020)
Lesnar returned at Hell in a Cell on September 16, interrupting the Hell in a Cell match between defending Universal Champion Reigns and Braun Strowman, kicking in the door and attacking both men, thus rendering the match a no-contest and costing Strowman his Money in the Bank cash-in match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next night on Raw, Acting General Manager Baron Corbin scheduled Reigns to defend the Universal Championship in a triple threat match against Lesnar and Strowman at Crown Jewel on November 2.<ref name="Raw09172018">Template:Cite web</ref> After Reigns relinquished the title due to a legitimate leukemia relapse, the match was changed to a singles match between Lesnar and Strowman for the vacant title.<ref name="Raw10222018">Template:Cite web</ref> At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Strowman in three minutes to become the first two-time Universal Champion, thanks to a pre-match attack from Corbin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After his title win, Lesnar was scheduled to face WWE Champion AJ Styles at Survivor Series in another champion vs. champion non-title match. Five days before, Styles lost the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan on SmackDown. At Survivor Series on November 18, Lesnar overcame a late rally from Bryan to defeat him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar then successfully defended the title against Finn Bálor via submission at the Royal Rumble on January 27, 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next night on Raw, Lesnar attacked 2019 Royal Rumble match winner Seth Rollins with six F-5s, setting up a title match for WrestleMania 35.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At WrestleMania on April 7, Lesnar attacked Rollins before the match. Rollins then attacked Lesnar with a low blow while the referee was down and pinned Lesnar, ending his second reign as Universal Champion at 156 days.<ref name="WM35">Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar won the Money in the Bank ladder match at the namesake event on May 19, which he entered as a surprise participant towards the end of the match.<ref name="MITB2019">Template:Cite web</ref> After failing an attempt to cash-in on Rollins at Super ShowDown on June 7, Lesnar successfully cashed in his contract to win the Universal Championship from Rollins at Extreme Rules on July 14.<ref name="ER2019">Template:Cite web</ref> At SummerSlam on August 11, Lesnar lost the title back to Rollins, ending his third title reign at 28 days.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar and Heyman returned on the September 17 episode of SmackDown to challenge Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship. Kingston accepted and Lesnar proceeded to F-5 him.<ref name="SmackDown09172019">Template:Cite web</ref> On [[WWE SmackDown's 20th Anniversary|SmackDownTemplate:'s 20th Anniversary]] on October 4, Lesnar quickly defeated Kingston in about eight seconds to win his fifth WWE Championship;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> this was Lesnar's first match on SmackDown in 15 years. After his victory, Lesnar was attacked by former UFC opponent Cain Velasquez, making his WWE debut.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar was then scheduled to defend the WWE Championship against Velasquez at Crown Jewel on October 31.<ref name="LesnarVelasquezStrowmanFury">Template:Cite web</ref> During the 2019 draft, Lesnar was drafted to SmackDown.<ref name="Raw10142019">Template:Cite web</ref> At the Crown Jewel event, Lesnar defeated Velasquez in under five minutes via submission with the Kimura Lock. After the match, Rey Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair.<ref name="CrownJewel2019">Template:Cite web</ref> On the November 1 episode of SmackDown, Lesnar and Heyman quit the brand in order to go after Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw, thus transferring to Raw with the WWE Championship.<ref name="SmackDown11012019">Template:Cite web</ref> This led to Mysterio challenging Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series on November 24, which was made official<ref name="Raw11042019">Template:Cite web</ref> as a No Holds Barred match,<ref name="Raw11192019">Template:Cite web</ref> where Lesnar retained, despite Mysterio's son, Dominik's attempt to aid Mysterio during the match.<ref name="SSeries2019">Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar returned on the January 6, 2020, episode of Raw to declare that no one deserved an opportunity at the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble, so instead he would enter the Royal Rumble match as entrant number one.<ref name="Raw01062020">Template:Cite web</ref> At the Royal Rumble on January 26, Lesnar eliminated the first thirteen competitors he faced, tying the record for most eliminations in a Royal Rumble match, before being eliminated by Drew McIntyre, who won the match.<ref name="RR2020">Template:Cite web</ref> After retaining the championship against Ricochet at Super ShowDown on February 27,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar ultimately lost the WWE Championship to McIntyre in the main event of WrestleMania 36 Part 2 (which was taped on March 25–26 and aired on April 5).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was his final appearance until 2021 – it was later reported by several sources that Lesnar was not under contract with WWE after the match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar confirmed in March 2022 that he had initially retired from professional wrestling after WrestleMania 36, until deciding to return in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Second return and various feuds (2021–2023)
Lesnar, now sporting a cowboy/farmer look with a beard and ponytail, returned as a face at SummerSlam<ref name="SSlam2021">Template:Cite web</ref> and faced Reigns for the WWE Universal title at Crown Jewel, which Lesnar lost.<ref name="CrownJewel2021">Template:Cite web</ref> On the December 3 episode of SmackDown, it was announced that Lesnar would once again face Reigns for the title, this time at the Day 1 event,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> but the match was canceled after Reigns contracted COVID-19, and Lesnar was instead added to Raw's WWE Championship match at the event, winning the title.<ref name="Day1">Template:Cite web</ref>
His title reign ended 29 days later at Royal Rumble, losing it to Lashley. However, Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match.<ref name="RR2022">Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar regained the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber and challenged Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 38 in a title unification Winner Takes All match.<ref name="EC2022">Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar lost the match at the event.<ref name="WM38N2">Template:Cite web</ref> On the June 17 episode of SmackDown, Lesnar once again returned, renewing his rivalry with Reigns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar faced Reigns in a Last Man Standing match for the title at SummerSlam, where Lesnar failed to beat Reigns for the title, ending their feud.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After Lesnar returned in October 2022, he feuded with Bobby Lashley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar defeated Lashley at Crown Jewel,<ref name="CJ2022">Template:Cite web</ref> and caused Lashley to lose his United States Championship on Raw Is XXX.<ref name="RawIsXXX">Template:Cite news</ref> At Elimination Chamber on February 18, Lesnar lost to Lashley by disqualification after he hit Lashley with a low blow and attacked both the referee and Lashley, ending their feud.<ref name="EC2023">Template:Cite web</ref> At WrestleMania 39, he defeated Omos.<ref name="WM39N2">Template:Cite web</ref> After WrestleMania, Lesnar turned heel and feuded with Cody Rhodes.<ref name="Raw04032023">Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar would lose against Rhodes at Backlash,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> defeated Rhodes at Night of Champions by submission,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and lost to Rhodes again at SummerSlam to end their feud.<ref name="SSlam2023">Template:Cite web</ref>
Vince McMahon scandal and hiatus (2024–2025)
Template:Main According to several reports, Lesnar was scheduled to make his return to WWE at the 2024 Royal Rumble event as a participant in the Royal Rumble match. During the match, he would have been eliminated by Dominik Mysterio, as part of the build to a match against Mysterio at Elimination Chamber: Perth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, a lawsuit was filed a few days before the Royal Rumble by Janel Grant, a former employee at WWE global headquarters between 2019 and 2022. Grant alleged that WWE co-founder Vince McMahon had coerced her into a sexual relationship and, along with WWE executive John Laurinaitis and an unnamed WWE wrestler "who was also a former UFC fighter", sexually trafficked her and repeatedly sexually assaulted her in 2020 and 2021. The unnamed talent was identified by The Wall Street Journal as Lesnar;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Grant explicitly named Lesnar as the UFC/WWE talent in question when she amended her complaint in January 2025.<ref name="expanded_lawsuit">Template:Cite web</ref> As a result of the lawsuit, he was removed from the Royal Rumble and replaced by Bron Breakker.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was later reported that he was removed from WWE's creative plans ahead of their WrestleMania XL event, despite originally being planned to have a match against WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther at the event.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February, he was removed from the WWE SuperCard video game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He would also be removed from the cover of WWE 2K24Template:'s "40 Years of WrestleMania" edition, as well as the playable roster, only being accessible through the game's Showcase Mode.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was also removed from the introduction video of WWE's weekly programming, with LA Knight replacing him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Return from hiatus (2025–present)
After a two-year absence, on the second night of SummerSlam on August 3, 2025, and despite the Grant lawsuit remaining active, Lesnar made a surprise return after the main event, attacking John Cena with an F-5, following Cena's loss to Cody Rhodes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In his return match, he would defeat Cena at Wrestlepalooza on September 20.<ref name="Wrestlepalooza2025">Template:Cite web</ref>
Professional wrestling style and persona
Since Lesnar's debut, he was portrayed as a powerhouse athlete. He is often called by his nickname "The Beast Incarnate" or simply "The Beast". During his initial run when he was consistently main-eventing, WWE was in what is labeled by the company and fans as the "Ruthless Aggression Era". His go-to finishing maneuver for his entire career has been a fireman's carry facebuster<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> known as the F-5 (or The Verdict when he wrestled outside of WWE).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="blea_Broc">Template:Cite webTemplate:Unreliable source?</ref> After his return in 2012, Lesnar focused on an MMA-oriented gimmick, sporting MMA gloves during his matches and adding the Kimura lock as a submission hold.<ref name="prow_PROW">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar is also known for performing several suplexes (especially German suplexes) on his rivals, with these often being described as the opponent being taken to "Suplex City",<ref name="spor_WWEN">Template:Cite webTemplate:Unreliable source?</ref> named after an ad-lib Lesnar delivered to Roman Reigns during their WrestleMania 31 match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar has been managed by Paul Heyman for the majority of his WWE career with Heyman being Lesnar's mouthpiece for storylines and feuds.
Throughout the second half of the 2010s, Lesnar began to receive an increasing amount of criticism for his character and performances. Many reporters thought his Suplex City character "jumped the shark" and his matches had "become formulaic".<ref name="foxs_5Rea">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="roll_WWE'">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He was largely criticized due to his absences from television during his time as Universal Champion. It was pointed out that he had the longest world championship reign since Hulk Hogan, but only defended the title 13 times, all on pay-per-views, with Tim Fiorvanti from ESPN commenting that he had "removed the top title on Monday Night Raw from circulation".<ref name="espn_It's">Template:Cite web</ref> The short length of his matches was also criticized by journalists and fans.<ref name="cbss_WWEf">Template:Cite web</ref> Former WWE Champion Bob Backlund criticized the fact that Lesnar used mostly suplexes during his matches, saying "it gets old to do the same thing over and over and over again".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Professional football career
Template:Infobox gridiron football biography Following his match at WrestleMania XX in March 2004, Brock Lesnar left WWE to pursue a career in professional football, despite not having played the sport since high school.<ref name="start NFL">Template:Cite web</ref> WWE publicly acknowledged his departure, stating that Lesnar had decided to pause his wrestling career to attempt a tryout for the National Football League (NFL), and wished him success.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar later explained in interviews that, while he had enjoyed his time in WWE, he had become disillusioned with the lifestyle and wanted to explore football before it was too late. Emphasizing his competitive drive, he stated that the decision was not a publicity stunt, but a serious personal goal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He participated in the NFL Scouting Combine and drew attention for his athleticism, but his progress was briefly derailed in April 2004 when he was injured in a motorcycle accident, suffering multiple injuries including a broken jaw and hand.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite the setback, several NFL teams expressed interest, and Lesnar worked out for the Minnesota Vikings in June.<ref name="kffl">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He signed with the team in late July and appeared in several preseason games as a defensive tackle before being released in August.<ref name="kffl" /><ref name="NFL cut">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Vikings offered Lesnar a spot in NFL Europa to further develop his skills, but he declined the opportunity, citing a desire to remain in the United States with his family.<ref name="NFL cut" /> During his time with the Vikings, several official football trading cards featuring Lesnar were released.<ref name="Cards">Template:Cite web</ref>
Mixed martial arts career
Hero's (2007)
On April 29, 2006, after the final match of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas, Lesnar stated his intent to join K-1's mixed martial arts league, Hero's. He trained with Minnesota Martial Arts Academy under Greg Nelson and Minnesota assistant head wrestling coach Marty Morgan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar signed the deal in August.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His first fight was scheduled against Hong-man Choi of South Korea on June 2, 2007, at the Dynamite!! USA show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to the match, Choi was replaced by Min-soo Kim. Lesnar submitted Kim with strikes in 1:09 of the first round to win his first official MMA match.<ref name="MMA1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Ultimate Fighting Championship (2008–2011)
Debut and UFC Heavyweight Champion
During UFC 77 on October 20, Lesnar joined Ultimate Fighting Championship with a one-fight contract.<ref name="411mania.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=mmaf22>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 2, 2008, Lesnar made his debut with the promotion at UFC 81 against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir.<ref name="UFC 81">Template:Cite web</ref> Due to his large hands,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar was wearing 4XL gloves for the fight, making him the second man in Nevada's combat sports history to wear such gloves, after Hong-man Choi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar secured an early takedown and began landing numerous punches, but was docked a point, after a punch hit Mir on the back of the head. He scored another takedown and continued landing ground and pound, before Mir secured a kneebar and forced a submission at 1:30 of the first round.<ref name="UFC 81"/>
Despite losing on his debut, he was offered a new contract and at UFC 82 on March 1, former UFC Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Famer Mark Coleman was announced to fight Lesnar at UFC 87.<ref name=mmaf22 /><ref name="UFC">Template:Cite web</ref> Coleman withdrew from the fight due to an injury and was replaced by Heath Herring.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the first round Lesnar scored an early knockdown and went on to dominate the fight winning via unanimous decision by 30–26 on all three judges' scorecards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar then faced Randy Couture for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 91 on November 15.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He denied Couture's takedown attempts and outstruck him on the feet, eventually knocking him down and landing ground and pound until he was awarded the technical knockout and UFC Heavyweight Championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 27 at UFC 92, Mir defeated Antônio Nogueira for the Interim Heavyweight Championship and was to face Lesnar for the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 98. Immediately after winning the Interim Heavyweight title, Mir found Lesnar in the crowd and shouted, "You've got my belt". Due to a knee injury to Mir, the title unification match with Lesnar that was originally slated to be the UFC 98 main event was postponed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar instead fought Mir at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009. Mir attempted to grab ahold of Lesnar's leg early in the fight but was denied and Lesnar held top position landing punches for the rest of the round. In the second round, the two traded blows but Mir hurt Lesnar with a knee and a punch, leading him to take Mir down and land heavy ground and pound winning the fight via technical knockout. During his post-match celebration, Lesnar flipped off the crowd who had been booing him. Lesnar also made a disparaging comment about the pay-per-view's primary sponsor Bud Light, claiming they "won't pay me nothinTemplate:' " and promoted Coors Light instead. Lesnar later apologized for his remarks at the post-fight press conference, where he held a bottle of Bud Light and endorsed their product.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On July 1, it was reported that the winner of the Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez fight at UFC 104 would face Lesnar, but the match was scrapped and Lesnar was scheduled to defend the title against Carwin at UFC 106 on November 21.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On October 2, Lesnar pulled out of his Carwin bout due to an illness. UFC President Dana White said Lesnar had been ill for three weeks, claiming he had never been this sick in his life and that it would take him a while to recover, therefore his fight with Carwin was rescheduled for UFC 108 on January 2, 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar initially sought treatment in Canada, but later told reporters that he had received "Third World treatment" at a hospital in Brandon, Manitoba and that seeking better treatment in the United States saved his life. Lesnar went on to criticize Canadian health care further and stated that he shared his experience to speak "on the behalf of the doctors in the United States that don't want health care reform to happen".<ref name="STARTRIBUNE.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
On November 4, it was confirmed that Lesnar had mononucleosis and that his bout with Carwin would have to wait a bit longer and the fight for Lesnar's heavyweight championship was canceled.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 14 at the UFC 105 post-fight conference, White stated, "[Lesnar]'s not well and he's not going to be getting well anytime soon" and that an interim title match might need to be set up.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to mononucleosis, it was revealed that he had developed a serious case of diverticulitis, an intestinal disorder, which required surgery.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After further diagnosis, Lesnar underwent surgery on November 16 to close a perforation in his intestine that had been leaking fecal matter into his abdomen, causing pain, abscesses and overtaxing his immune system to the point that he contracted mononucleosis. From the level of damage to Lesnar's system, the surgeon estimated that the intestinal condition had been ongoing for around a year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In January 2010, Lesnar revealed on ESPN's SportsCenter that he was scheduled to make a return to the UFC in the summer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A match between Mir and Carwin took place on March 27 at UFC 111 to determine the Interim Heavyweight Champion and Lesnar's next opponent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Carwin defeated Mir via knockout in the first round, becoming the new Interim Champion. After the fight, Lesnar came into the ring and stated, "It was a good fight but he's wearing a belt that's a make-believe belt. I've got the real championship belt".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar faced Carwin at UFC 116 on July 3, to unify the heavyweight titles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Early in the first round, Carwin knocked Lesnar down with heavy punches, and continued landing ground and pound throughout the round, opening a cut on Lesnar's eye. In the next round, Carwin was noticeably fatigued and Lesnar scored a takedown, attained full mount, then move into side-control and finish the fight with an arm-triangle choke. With the victory, Lesnar became the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion, earning his first Submission of the Night and giving Carwin his first loss. The win also tied a UFC record for most consecutive successful UFC Heavyweight Championship defenses.
Title loss and first retirement
Lesnar's next defense was against undefeated top contender Cain Velasquez on October 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California at UFC 121.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dana White announced via SportsNation that the UFC would bring back UFC Primetime to hype the fight.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the first round, Lesnar scored a takedown and land some heavy knees but eventually succumbed to Velasquez's superior striking and was finished by technical knockout late in the round.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar was advertised as a coach of The Ultimate Fighter Season 13, opposite Junior dos Santos,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with the two expected to fight on June 11 at UFC 131,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but he was struck with another bout of diverticulitis and had to withdraw from the fight on May 12.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was replaced by Shane Carwin, who ended up losing against dos Santos.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lesnar underwent surgery on May 27 to help battle his problems with diverticulitis. White said that he had a 12-inch piece of his colon removed.<ref name="MMAWeekly.com"/>
In its May 2011 issue, ESPNTemplate:'s magazine published a story listing the highest-paid athlete based on base salary and earnings for the most recent calendar year or most recent season in 30 sports. Lesnar topped the list for MMA at $5.3 million, which included his reported bout salaries and estimated pay-per-view bonuses.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the summer of 2011, Lesnar announced that he was returning to action, stating, "I feel like a new man. Healthy. Strong. I feel like I used to feel".<ref name="mmaweekly1">Template:Cite news</ref> His return match was scheduled to be at UFC 141 on December 30 in Las Vegas against former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lesnar attempted to takedown Overeem but was unable and ate heavy body shots to his surgically repaired stomach, eventually being finished with a liver kick and punches.<ref name=Wagenheim2>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=ESPNMMA1>Template:Cite news</ref> Lesnar then retired from MMA, mentioning his struggles with diverticulitis and saying "tonight was the last time you'll see me in the octagon".<ref name=Wagenheim2/><ref name=ESPNMMA1/>
Speculation about a return to MMA lasted until March 24, 2015, when Lesnar revealed in an interview on SportsCenter that he had re-signed with WWE and officially closed the door on a return to MMA, even though he was offered a deal "ten times more" than what he had made previously in his MMA career. He further elaborated that, while he was training for months for a return to the UFC, he felt "physically great but something was lacking mentally".<ref name="AP15">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar added that "[he's] an older caveman now, so [he] makes smarter caveman decisions" and that he chose to sign with WWE instead of returning to MMA because he could "work part-time with full-time pay".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Return to the UFC (2016–2018)
Fight against Mark Hunt
Though Lesnar said he was "closing the door on MMA" in March 2015,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> UFC announced on June 4, 2016, that he would return at UFC 200 on July 9.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> WWE confirmed it had granted Lesnar "a one-off opportunity" to compete at UFC 200 before he returned to the company for SummerSlam on August 21.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar dominated the first and third rounds, battering Hunt with ground and pound in the third to secure the unanimous decision win. He also was paid a UFC record $2.5 million purse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This record was broken at UFC 202 by Conor McGregor, who was also the previous holder.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Suspension and second retirement
On July 15, 2016, Lesnar was notified of a potential anti-doping policy violation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stemming from an undisclosed banned substance in an out-of-competition sample collected on June 28.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On July 19, a second test sample taken in-competition on July 9 was revealed as positive for the same banned substance discovered in the previous out-of-competition sample.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 23, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) confirmed that Lesnar had twice been tested positive for clomiphene and was suspended.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 15, it was confirmed that Lesnar was fined $250,000 and suspended from competition for one year by the NSAC. He would be eligible to return in July 2017. As a result of the suspension, the result of his fight with Mark Hunt was overturned to a no contest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of January 2019, Lesnar has yet to pay the fine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On February 14, 2017, it was reported that Lesnar had notified UFC he was retiring from MMA for the second time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On July 7, 2018, Lesnar stormed the cage after the main event fight at UFC 226 and challenged the new UFC Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Cormier.<ref name =UFCreturn>Template:Cite news</ref> On July 8, USADA confirmed that Lesnar had begun the process to get back into their drug-testing pool.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> UFC officials were reportedly targeting a bout between Lesnar and Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but Dana White claimed Lesnar told him he was "done" with MMA and the bout ultimately did not occur.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2020, White said he could organize a fight between Lesnar and Jon Jones if both men wanted it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same month, Bellator president Scott Coker expressed interest in booking Lesnar to fight Fedor Emelianenko.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesnar did not respond to either man's comments, and once again confirmed in March 2022 that he would stay retired.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other media
In 2003, WWE Home Video released a DVD chronicling Lesnar's career entitled Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain. It was re-released in 2012 as a three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray collector's edition to tie in with Lesnar's WWE return. It was also expanded to include new matches and interviews. In 2016, a new home video was released on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as a collector's edition, called Brock Lesnar: Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat. and includes accomplishments from his second run in WWE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar was featured on the covers of Flex and Muscle & Fitness magazine in 2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Minneapolis' City Pages in 2008.<ref name="city pages">Template:Cite web</ref> He is the cover athlete for the WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, UFC Undisputed 2010 and WWE 2K17 video games.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2009, Lesnar signed an endorsement deal with Dymatize Nutrition. A CD containing footage of Lesnar training was included with Dymatize's "Xpand" product.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar co-wrote an autobiography with Paul Heyman, titled Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival, which was published by William Morrow and Company in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In a 2013 post on his blog, Attack on Titan author Hajime Isayama revealed that he drew inspiration from Lesnar for the character of the Armored Titan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Template:Quote box Lesnar married fellow WWE performer Rena Greek, better known as Sable, on May 6, 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They relocated in 2014 to Canada, where they reside on a farm in Maryfield, Saskatchewan.<ref>Brock Lesnar to represent Saskatchewan at UFC 200. Retrieved June 7, 2016.</ref> Together, they have two sons named Turk (born 2009) and Duke (born 2010), both of whom play ice hockey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With his former fiancée, Nicole McClain, Lesnar also has twins who were born in 2002: a daughter named Mya Lynn, who competes in track and field,<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> and a son named Luke, who also plays ice hockey.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is also the stepfather of Greek's daughter with her first husband.<ref name="deathclutch"/>
Lesnar is an intensely private individual who has expressed his disdain for the media; he rarely participates in interviews and avoids questions pertaining to his private life.<ref name="Iole"/> He is a supporter of the Republican Party<ref name="STARTRIBUNE.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a member of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He made an appearance at the NRA's annual meeting in May 2011 to discuss his passion for hunting and his role as a spokesman for the Fusion Ammunition company.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is a fan of the Winnipeg Jets ice hockey team<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> and the Saskatchewan Roughriders Canadian football team.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> In 2016, Lesnar acquired Canadian citizenship, after representing the country in his latter UFC matches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar developed addictions to alcohol and painkillers during his first run in WWE, later claiming that he would drink a bottle of vodka per day and take hundreds of Vicodin pills per month to manage the pain caused by wear and tear on his body.<ref name="deathclutch"/> He cited the incident in which he botched a shooting star press at WrestleMania XIX and landed on the top of his head as a primary source of pain.<ref name="deathclutch"/> As a result of the addiction and mental exhaustion, he says that he cannot remember the entire two years that made up his first WWE tenure.<ref name="deathclutch"/><ref>Lesnar discussed this on an E:60 episode which aired on October 21, 2008.</ref>
Legal issues
In January 2001, Lesnar was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, for suspicion of possessing large amounts of illegal substances. The charges were dropped when it was discovered that the substances were legal hormones. His lawyer described it as a "vitamin type of thing".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lesnar had previously signed a non-compete clause in order to be released from his contract with WWE, which prohibited him from working for any other professional wrestling companies before June 2010. He challenged this ruling in court.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> WWE responded with a counterclaim after Lesnar breached the agreement by appearing at a New Japan Pro-Wrestling show in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2005, the two sides dropped their claims and entered negotiations to renew their relationship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> WWE had offered Lesnar a contract, but on August 2, their official website reported that Lesnar had withdrawn from any involvement with the company.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The lawsuit began to enter settlement talks on September 21, but did not get solved.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 14, 2006, Judge Christopher Droney stated that unless WWE gave him a good argument between then and the 25th, he would rule in favor of Lesnar, giving him a summary judgment. This would have enabled Lesnar to work anywhere immediately.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> WWE was later granted a deadline postponement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 24, both parties reached a settlement. On June 12, a federal judge dismissed the case at the request of both legal parties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 15, 2011, Lesnar was charged with hunting infractions on a trip to Alberta on November 19, 2010. Two charges were dropped, but Lesnar pleaded guilty to the charge of improper tagging of an animal. He was fined $1,725 and given a six-month hunting suspension.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | True Giants | Himself | Film debut |
| Foxcatcher | Wrestler | Cameo Uncredited | |
| 2016 | Countdown | Himself | Uncredited |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2008 | E:60 | Himself | October 21 |
| 2009–2010 | Rome Is Burning | 3 episodes | |
| 2010 | UFC Primetime | Episode: Lesnar vs. Velasquez | |
| 2011 | ESPN Friday Night Fights | January 14 | |
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | March 28 (season 3, episode 49) | ||
| 2012 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | February 21 (season 20, episode 93) | |
| 2016 | Mike & Mike | August 18 | |
| SportsCenter | February 16 (season 38, episode 47) | ||
| UFC Ultimate Insider | July 3 (Season 5, Episode 520) | ||
Video games
| WWE video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 2002 | WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth | Video game debut Cover athlete (NTSC version) | |
| 2003 | WWE Crush Hour | ||
| WWE WrestleMania XIX | |||
| WWE Raw 2 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | Cover athlete | ||
| 2011 | WWE '12 | ||
| 2012 | WWE '13 | ||
| 2013 | WWE 2K14 | ||
| 2014 | WWE 2K15 | Motion capture (Next-gen & PC) | |
| 2015 | WWE 2K16 | Motion capture (Next-gen & PC) | |
| 2016 | WWE 2K17 | Motion capture (Next-gen & PC) Cover athlete | |
| 2017 | WWE 2K18 | Motion capture | |
| 2018 | WWE 2K19 | Motion capture | |
| 2019 | WWE 2K20 | Motion capture | |
| 2020 | WWE 2K Battlegrounds | ||
| 2022 | WWE 2K22 | ||
| 2023 | WWE 2K23 | ||
| 2024 | WWE 2K24 | Wrestlemania Showcase only | |
| 2025 | WWE 2K25 | DLC | |
| Madden NFL Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 2005 | Madden NFL 06 | First appearance in a non-wrestling video game, appears as a defensive tackle free agent with a 69 overall rating | |
| UFC Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 2009 | UFC 2009 Undisputed | ||
| 2010 | UFC Undisputed 2010 | Cover athlete | |
| 2012 | UFC Undisputed 3 | ||
| 2014 | EA Sports UFC | DLC | |
| 2020 | EA Sports UFC 4 | DLC | |
Mixed martial arts record
Template:MMArecordbox Template:MMA record start |- |Template:NocontestNC |align=center|Template:Nowrap |Mark Hunt |NC (overturned by NSAC) |UFC 200 |Template:Dts |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |Template:Small |- |Template:No2Loss |align=center|5–3 |Alistair Overeem |TKO (kick to the body and punches) |UFC 141 |Template:Dts |align=center|1 |align=center|2:26 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Template:No2Loss |align=center|5–2 |Cain Velasquez |TKO (punches) |UFC 121 |Template:Dts |align=center|1 |align=center|4:12 |Anaheim, California, United States |Template:Small |- |Template:Yes2Win |align=center|5–1 |Shane Carwin |Submission (arm-triangle choke) |UFC 116 |Template:Dts |align=center|2 |align=center|2:19 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |Template:Small |- |Template:Yes2Win |align=center|4–1 |Frank Mir |TKO (punches) |UFC 100 |Template:Dts |align=center|2 |align=center|1:48 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |Template:Small |- |Template:Yes2Win |align=center|3–1 |Randy Couture |TKO (punches) |UFC 91 |Template:Dts |align=center|2 |align=center|3:07 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |Template:Small |- |Template:Yes2Win |align=center|2–1 |Heath Herring |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 87 |Template:Dts |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | |- |Template:No2Loss |align=center|1–1 |Frank Mir |Submission (kneebar) |UFC 81 |Template:Dts |align=center|1 |align=center|1:30 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |Template:Small |- |Template:Yes2Win |align=center|1–0 |Min-Soo Kim |TKO (submission to punches) |Dynamite!! USA |Template:Dts |align=center|1 |align=center|1:09 |Los Angeles, California, United States | Template:End
Pay-per-view bouts
Mixed martial arts
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dynamite!! USA | Lesnar vs. Min-soo | June 2, 2007 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | 35,000 |
| 2. | UFC 81 | Mir vs. Lesnar (co) | February 2, 2008 | Mandalay Bay Events Center | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 650,000 |
| 3. | UFC 87 | Lesnar vs. Herring (co) | August 9, 2008 | Target Center | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | 625,000 |
| 4. | UFC 91 | Couture vs. Lesnar | November 15, 2008 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 1,010,000 |
| 5. | UFC 100 | Lesnar vs. Mir 2 | July 11, 2009 | Mandalay Bay Events Center | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 1,600,000 |
| 6. | UFC 116 | Lesnar vs. Carwin | July 3, 2010 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 1,160,000 |
| 7. | UFC 121 | Lesnar vs. Velasquez | October 23, 2010 | Honda Center | Anaheim, California, U.S. | 1,050,000 |
| 8. | UFC 141 | Lesnar vs. Overeem | December 30, 2011 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 750,000 |
| 9. | UFC 200 | Lesnar vs. Hunt (co) | July 9, 2016 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 1,009,000 |
| Total sales | 7,889,000 | |||||
Championships and accomplishments
Collegiate wrestling
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NCAA Division I All-American (1999, 2000)
- NCAA Division I Heavyweight National Runner-Up (1999)
- NCAA Division I Heavyweight Champion (2000)
- Big Ten Conference Champion (1999, 2000)
- National Junior College Athletic Association
- NJCAA All-American (1997, 1998)
- NJCAA Heavyweight Champion (1998)
- North Dakota State University Bison Tournament Champion (1997–1999)<ref name="bison tournament">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Bismarck State College
- Bismarck Athletics Hall of Fame (2005)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Two successful title defenses
- Submission of the Night (One time) Template:Small<ref name=brockbonus>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Fewest MMA bouts to become a UFC champion (4)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- UFC.com Awards
- 2008: Newcomer of the Year,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ranked #7 Fighter of the Year<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> & Ranked #8 Upset of the Year Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2010: Ranked #4 Fight of the Year Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Inside Fights
- Biggest Draw (2008)<ref name=WON2008>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Rookie of the Year (2008)<ref name=WON2008/>
- Sherdog Awards
- Beatdown of the Year (2009)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Sports Illustrated
- Top Newcomer of the Year (2008)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- World MMA Awards
- Breakthrough Fighter of the Year (2009)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Box Office Draw (2008–2010)<ref name=WON2010/>
- MMA Most Valuable Fighter (2008–2010)<ref name=WON2010>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Professional wrestling
- Guinness World Records
- World record: Youngest person to win the WWE Championship (aged 25 years, 44 days)<ref>Youngest person to win the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Championship | Guinness World Records (posted prior to December 15, 2014, retrieved 9 February 2015) The youngest wrestler to win the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Championship is Brock Lesnar (USA) aged 25 years and 44 days on August 25, 2002.</ref>
- Inoki Genome Federation
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="IWGP title">Template:Cite web</ref>
- New York Post
- Best OMG Moment (2022) Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Shelton Benjamin<ref name="OVW tag">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Feud of the Year (2003) Template:Small<ref name="PWI Awards">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Feud of the Year (2015) Template:Small<ref name="PWI Awards"/>
- Match of the Year (2003) vs. Kurt Angle in an Iron Man match on SmackDown! on September 16<ref name="PWI Awards"/>
- Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2018)<ref name="PWI Awards" />
- Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2002)<ref name="PWI Awards"/>
- Wrestler of the Year (2002, 2014)<ref name="PWI Awards"/>
- Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2003<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Rolling Stone
- Most Unavoidable Face Turn (2015)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Brawler (2003)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Best Wrestling Maneuver (2002) F-5
- Feud of the Year (2003) vs. Kurt Angle<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most Improved Wrestler (2002, 2003)<ref name="WON improved">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Best Box Office Draw of the Decade (2010s)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)<ref name=2015HallofFame>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- WWE/World Wrestling Entertainment/Federation
- WWE Championship (7 timesTemplate:Efn)
- WWE Universal Championship (3 times)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- King of the Ring (2002)<ref name="KOTR02">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Men's Money in the Bank (2019)
- Royal Rumble (2003, 2022)<ref name="RR03">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Slammy Award (5 times)
- Hashtag of the Year (2015) – Template:Small<ref name="2015Slammy">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Match of the Year (2015) – Template:Small<ref name="2015Slammy"/>
- Rivalry of the Year (2015) – Template:Small<ref name="2015Slammy"/>
- "Tell Me You Didn't Just Say That" Moment of the Year (2015) – Template:Small<ref name="2015Slammy"/>
- The OMG Shocking Moment of the Year (2014) – Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- WWE Year-End Award for Hottest Rivalry (2018) – Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notes
References
External links
- Template:Twitter
- Template:Professional wrestling profiles
- Template:IMDb name
- Template:Sherdog
- Template:UFC
Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control Template:Good article
- Pages with broken file links
- 1977 births
- 21st-century male professional wrestlers
- 21st-century American professional wrestlers
- Living people
- American emigrants to Canada
- American expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- American football defensive tackles
- American male mixed martial artists
- American male professional wrestlers
- American male sport wrestlers
- American people of Polish descent
- American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- American sportspeople in doping cases
- Bismarck State College alumni
- Canadian male mixed martial artists
- Canadian catch wrestlers
- Canadian male professional wrestlers
- Canadian male sport wrestlers
- Canadian people of Polish descent
- Canadian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- Doping cases in mixed martial arts
- American expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan
- Heavyweight mixed martial artists
- IWGP Heavyweight champions
- Military personnel from South Dakota
- Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestlers
- Minnesota Republicans
- Minnesota Vikings players
- Mixed martial artists from Minnesota
- Mixed martial artists from South Dakota
- Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing
- Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling
- Money in the Bank winners
- Naturalized citizens of Canada
- People from Maple Plain, Minnesota
- People from Webster, South Dakota
- Players of American football from Minneapolis
- Players of American football from South Dakota
- Professional wrestlers from Minnesota
- Professional wrestlers from Saskatchewan
- Professional wrestlers from South Dakota
- Professional wrestlers who competed in MMA
- Royal Rumble match winners
- Sportspeople from Regina, Saskatchewan
- Sportspeople from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area
- Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
- Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
- United States Army soldiers
- WWE Champions
- WWE Universal Champions
- King of the Ring tournament winners
- OVW Tag Team Champions