Brock Lesnar Deep Dive

[cactus]

Tell me I'm not mental for liking that Lesnar/Velasquez Saudi blood money spectacle please. 

Brock Lesnar vs Finn Balor (WWE Royal Rumble - 1/27/2019)
This is your standard Lesnar vs smaller guy fare. Balor doesn't quite have the talents of a Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles, but all his stuff looks great and he brought a lot of fire. This was by far the most I've felt emotionally invested in a Balor match. After Balor gets an early advantage, Brock cuts him off after catching him and suplexing him and continues to dominate him with overhead belly-to-belly throws. Balor sends Lesnar into the corner of the announce table stomach first and this limits Lesnar from being able to suplex Balor. Lesnar sells his ribs by grimacing and staggering all over the place, and Balor manages to eventually pick up steam and is able to hit his finish. Lesnar powering out of the pin and getting a Kimura locked in deep was a great finish. Balor had no chance, but these guys made me believe for one second that he might actually pin Lesnar clean as a whistle. ★★★★¼

Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (WWE Wrestlemania - 4/7/2019)
After being pissed at not being in the main event slot, Heyman rushes down to the ring and demands that his client's match goes on first. Lesnar attacks Rollins before the match even starts. He hits an F5 on the outside and launches Rollins over the announce desks. Lesnar continues to work over Rollins when he throws him into the ring as the match starts, but a low blow behind the referee's back and three stomps is enough for Rollins to pick up the win in a little over two and a half minutes of actual bell time. Rollins having to resort to using a low blow to win is a small touch that gives them enough of a reason to do a rematch at some point down the line. Lesnar's performance here was formulaic, with him only hitting a few suplexes, an F5, and not much more else. Rollins looked great as a babyface, something that would quickly disappear quickly into his reign. This was a smart way to kick off Wrestlemania with a bang and wake the crowd up. The fans would be burned out when the actual main event started over four hours later, so these guys definitely got the better deal. ★★★

Brock Lesnar vs Ali vs Andrade vs Baron Corbin vs Drew McIntyre vs Finn Balor vs Randy Orton vs Ricochet (Money In The Bank Ladder) (WWE Money In The Bank - 5/19/2019)
I won't cover this match in full as Lesnar is in this for literally a minute. After over 15 minutes of action, Lesnar enters the match as the surprise eighth entrant just as Ali is about to get the briefcase. He rushes to the ring and knocks Ali from the ladder and grabs the briefcase. I love that he takes a few seconds to taunt the fans before he takes the briefcase. Ali looked like an idiot here as he just stood at the top of the ladder as Lesnar's music hits and waits for him to come into the ring. I didn't mind Lesnar winning as it came across as a huge shock, even if the MITB concept was beyond played out by this point. 

Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (WWE Extreme Rules - 7/14/2019)
Paul Heyman said that Lesnar would be cashing in his MITB tonight, but no one can tell if he's bluffing or not. After Rollins wins his match, Lesnar rushes to the ring. He lands a couple of German suplexes on Rollins before he cashes in his briefcase. An F5 and 16 seconds later, we have a new Universal champion. As far as MITB cash-ins go, this was unremarkable. This was a lazy way to set up for a Rollins/Lesnar rematch. 

Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (WWE Summerslam - 8/11/2019)
Rollins is coming into this with taped-up ribs and that's what Lesnar focuses his attack on. Lesnar picking up Rollins by the tape on his ribs and spinning him around like a toy made for a scary visual. Rollins countering out of Lesnar's German suplex by backflipping was not only impressive physically, but it added a layer to the story as Rollins showed everyone that he can block Lesnar from doing one of his most dangerous moves. Rollins' inconsistent selling really hurt this. His idea of selling his hurt ribs is just to do all the stuff he'd usually do, but occasionally grab his belly and groan. That's not what selling should be. It's a common issue I have with Rollins. I did enjoy some of the finisher counter exchanges during the finishing stretch though and that dive through the announce table by Rollins was quite the sight. The Toronto crowd ate this up, but this didn't do too much for me. ★★★

Brock Lesnar vs Kofi Kingston (WWE Smackdown - 10/4/2019)
Lesnar's first TV match in 15 years is done and dusted in seven seconds. Kofi leaps at Lesnar, Lesnar counters with an F5 and Lesnar is now WWE champion again. After the bell, Rey Mysterio's music hits and he comes down to the ring with a debuting Cain Velasquez with him. Lesnar sold his shock well, as Velasquez starts wailing on Brock. I still feel bad for Kofi. After winning the WWE title at Wrestlemania and holding it for over six months, he drops it to Lesnar and immediately felt like an afterthought once everything with Velasquez went down. 

Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez (WWE Crown Jewel - 10/31/2019)
I've seen this match described as 'fake MMA' and I think that is selling this short. This was WWE heavyweight shoot-style. After 90 seconds of grappling and clinching, Cain lands an explosive strike combo on Lesnar. Now grounded, Lesnar is able to lock on kimura for the flash victory. The fans reacted to the finish as if they were watching a sudden victory in a big-time boxing match. Lesnar refuses to break the hold, so Mysterio unsuccessfully tries to fight Brock off with a steel chair. Call me crazy, but I liked this. I love the presentation and how everything looked legitimate. I wish this went longer, but it did its job of building up to a Lesnar/Mysterio match. There's not another WWE match that feels like this one. I don't think anyone was expecting Velasquez to be beaten so easily. I remember people thinking we would be getting a Lesnar/Velasquez rematch at the next year's Wrestlemania, but that never ends up happening and Cain is quietly let go from WWE in April 2020. ★★¾

Brock Lesnar vs Rey Mysterio (No Holds Barred No Disqualification) (WWE Survivor Series - 11/24/2019)
Mysterio looks like a right dork fighting for his son's honor as he cosplays as The Joker. Mysterio immediately goes to grab a steel pipe and that pipe plays a big part in this match. This match is Lesnar doing his usual shtick when fighting a much smaller opponent. Dominate, let his opponent get some fantastic hope spots, before putting them away. I have no complaints against this formula as it clearly works wonders and a loss to Brock does more for your momentum than a win against most other wrestlers on the roster. Lesnar is brilliant here during his control segment. He postures around, trash-talks Rey, and even takes time to tie up his boot, the dick. Mysterio's plan to use a steel pipe would end up backfiring as Lesnar German suplexes him onto the pipe in a disgusting spot. Dominick tries to throw the towel to stop the beating of his father, but Lesnar intervenes and this leads to one of the most convincing hope spots of the year. Looking at this and his matches with AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and even that Goldberg squash, Brock Lesnar is Mr. Survivor Series at this point. ★★★★¼

[Robellion]

This has been a fantastic read thus far! When you see Lesnar's more recent matches listed, you realise he's actually been more active than most people give him credit for (admittedly it pales in comparison to the rest of the roster, but still). I've been re-watching old episodes of SmackDown from late 2002 recently on the Network and it's so obvious that Lesnar has all the potential in the world, a blind man could see it. Understandably the SmackDown Six get a lot of credit for the brand's success around this time, but Brock did more than his fair share to make the show as entertaining and must-see as it was back then. I agree that 2016 was a pretty poor year in Lesnar's career, however when it comes to that WrestleMania match with Ambrose, I'm sure Brock had his reasons for shooting down Ambrose's ideas; I like Dean/Mox, but I've found some of the stuff he's done in AEW to be ridiculous at times. 

Anyway, great job on the reviews man! I look forward to reading the rest of them when they're posted.

[Makai Club #1]

I think WWE fans were ready to hate on Brock vs Cain Velasquez regardless because they see Velasquez as an MMA Guy and "that doesn't belong in wrestling". It had an interesting idea but it was just far too short. 

[Reel]

8 hours ago, cactus said:

Tell me I'm not mental for liking that Lesnar/Velasquez Saudi blood money spectacle please. 

I thought it was good, I would have gone at least 3 on it, but considering how much everybody loves josh barnett blading, eating double-arm ddts, and taking chair shots in 'shootstyle' matches, I'm not surprised people didn't like it. 

[cactus]

Glad I'm not the only one who sorta liked Lesnar/Velasquez!

Royal Rumble Match (WWE Royal Rumble 2020 - 1/26/2020)
Despite being WWE champion, Brock decides to enter the Royal Rumble as the first entrant and rack up 13 eliminations before being eliminated by Drew Mcintyre. Lesnar looks like he's having the time of his life tossing out guys one by one and they kept it interesting by bringing in a variety of different wrestlers. We get a brief reunion with Shelton Benjamin before Lesnar turns on him and eliminates him. Keith Lee gets an incredible rub by being able to stand toe-to-toe with Lesnar before he's thrown out. MVP gets a massive return pop. Mcintyre landing a Claymore on Lesnar and sending him over the top rope got a massive cheer from the crowd and it's by far the most memorable Rumble elimination in years. Lesnar's run made this one of the most unique Rumbles ever. After Lesnar is removed from the match, it starts to feel like your standard Rumble with the exception of Edge's highly emotional return. 

Brock Lesnar vs Ricochet (WWE Super Showdown - 2/27/2020)
Lesnar throws Ricochet around for a bit until it's time for Brock to go home with the F5 in bang-on 90 seconds. Ricochet gets nothing in here. It's been nearly two years since this match happened and Ricochet still hasn't recovered from it. If they wanted to give Brock a Saudi payday and a quick decisive win, then I don't see why they couldn't feed an over-the-hill guy to him instead of having him destroy a fresh face who was just starting to get over. Were Sheamus, Kane, and Big Show all too busy to take a quick loss and collect a hefty payday? This gets half a star for Ricochet's selling of Brock's Germans. I imagine these guys could have had a great match if they had more time and Brock was feeling selfless. ½★

Brock Lesnar vs Drew Mcintyre (WWE Wrestlemania Night 2 - 3/20/2020)
This had a similar feel to Brock's match with Goldberg at Wrestlemania 33 in that it was a total bombfest that didn't even scratch the five-minute mark. Lesnar's post-return matches are total spectacle affairs, so having no fans in the building could have easily killed this match, but I thought that they did well with the hand that they were dealt.  Drew is very emotive and makes the most of the empty arena setting by shouting trash talk at Lesnar at every chance he can get. Brock, who is going away after this match, lets Drew kick out of a multiple F5s and it's nowhere near as offensive as it was during Lesnar's 2018 Wrestlemania match with Reigns. It's a shame about the lack of crowd, as I could have easily seen myself give this a higher rating if they had done this exact match in front of a hot crowd. I still feel awful that Drew missed out on the opportunity to close out Wrestlemania in front of a packed stadium, this did its job of making Mcintyre look like a main event star. ★★★

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (WWE Crown Jewel - 10/21/2021)
I'm starting to think that Reigns and Lesnar got lucky when they struck gold and put on one of the best matches in company history at Wrestlemania 31. Paul Heyman being in Reigns' corner should have given this pairing a fresh dynamic to work with. The screwy finish with the tug of war with the belt and the Usos interference didn't do much for me and Lesnar shouldn't be losing his first match back. This was worked more like a traditional match instead of signature move spamfest like their trilogy of matches were back in 2018. There are things I liked about this though. Lesnar had a lot of crazy facials and I love seeing him hit a picture-perfect leapfrog as a counter to a spear. This was decent overall, but I expected better than decent when watching a big-money match between two of WWE's best workers of the past decade. ★★¾

Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins vs Big E vs Kevin Owens vs Bobby Lashley (WWE Day 1 - 1/1/2022)
Reigns ends up getting covid on the day that he's meant to have a rematch with Brock, so WWE decides to throw Brock into the WWE title match and make it a five-way. Say what you will about the booking of Big E's title reign, but this was a high-energy heavyweight sprint that was all killer and no filler. The done to death barricade spot rearing its ugly head wasn't enough for me to hate on this. Rollins and Owens work together to take out the two biggest threats in the match in Lesnar and Lashley. Lesnar quickly rising from the dead and laying out guys with F5s left and right looked badass. Seeing both Big E and Lashley interact with Lesnar made me realize how we need to see Lesnar face both of them in singles matches down the line. Having this only go 8 and a half minutes was a genius move as they were able to keep this feeling chaotic with its lightning-quick action. ★★★★¼

Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley (WWE Royal Rumble - 1/29/2022)
I like how this started out, with both Lesnar and Lashley getting into intense lock-ups before turning this into a German suplex contest. Lesnar hits one first, only for Lashley to land one that sees Lesnar getting thrown onto his head. Lesnar is all smiles throughout this, with him even giving Lashley props for being able to handle him with ease on that first suplex. This felt like a fresh take on Lesnar's tired Suplex City schtick. Lesnar control segment eventually starts to bore me after he uses nothing but suplexes. I know that Lashley eating shit and crashing through the barricade was a direct callback to their match at Day 1, it's just something I'm just sick of seeing as it feels like someone goes through the barricade every PPV. The referee gets knocked down and Roman Reigns comes down and screws Lesnar out of his title. Lashley's big title victory is quickly overshadowed by Reigns and Lesnar. This started strong before the quality of the match takes a turn and we are left with a finish that made Lashley look like a complete afterthought. ★★★

Royal Rumble Match (WWE Royal Rumble - 1/29/2022)
After nearly 50 minutes of a dire Rumble that mainly consists of midcarders who didn't stand a chance of winning, an actual star arrives as the last entrant in the form of a pissed-off Brock Lesnar. Lesnar wastes no time eliminating Randy Orton. Brock then F5s Bad Bunny and removes him from the match. Riddle and Shane McMahon are next to go. In a nice callback to the 2020 Rumble, Lesnar and Drew Mcintyre face off yet again. It's sad to see how colder Mcintyre is received by the fans just two years after he worked them into a frenzy when he first won the Rumble. Brock predictably wins after F5ing Drew to the outside. I have no issue with Brock winning this, it's just a shame how replaceable the majority of the roster felt during this match. 

Well, that's me up to date! There are still a few things I wanted to cover before I wrap up with this project. Once I'm done with that, I'll add my closing thoughts and I'll try and update this yearly with any new Lesnar matches that take place. 

[cactus]

I've now watched the missing NJPW matches and updated that post. That's this project finally completed for now! Here are my top 10 Brock matches!

Top 10 Brock Lesnar Matches:

1. Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (WWE Wrestlemania - 3/29/2015)
2. Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk (No Disqualification) (WWE Summerslam - 8/18/2013)
3. Brock Lesnar vs John Cena (Extreme Rules) (WWE Extreme Rules - 4/29/2012)
4. Brock Lesnar vs John Cena vs Seth Rollins (WWE Royal Rumble - 1/25/2015)
5. Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan (WWE Survivor Series - 11/18/2018)
6. Brock Lesnar vs Chris Benoit (WWE Smackdown - 12/2/2003)
7. Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker (WWE Summerslam - 8/23/2015)
8. Brock Lesnar vs Rey Mysterio (WWE Smackdown - 12/9/2003)
9. Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles (WWE Survivor Series - 11/19/2017)
10. Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker (Hell in a Cell) (WWE No Mercy - 10/20/2002)

[NotJayTabb]

Really great thread, have enjoyed reading through these. Brock is someone I've come back around on in recent years, didn't consider him for GWE16, but feels like he'll be a lock in 2026. Only match I think I disagree on in the SS13 match with Punk, which I guess I need to rewatch. My memory of it is that I didn't buy Punk having the offence to hurt Brock, and it paled in comparison to ADR/Christian and Bryan/Cena on the same card.

[ShittyLittleBoots]

Whole thing was a great read & extremely fun to follow along!

[KawadaSmile]

This thread was fun!

Funny how Brock's most hated/criticised tenure in WWE also produced some of his best matches - and some of the best matches in the company's history. Guess he is just that talented to the point he gets bored really easily. 

[Matt D]

It was a great thread. My takeaway is one of diminishing returns and a 50% grade at best. But I guess that matches my priors. 

[cactus]

Thanks for the love, guys!

My main takeaway is that Brock was at his peak during 2012-2015. The guy always brought his A-game and was obviously much more seasoned than he was during his initial WWE run. Suplex City becoming a thing gave Brock an excuse to be lazy. The Saudi shows also stopped him from giving a shit too, as he didn't need to worry about putting in an effort and making new stars as the Saudis are going to keep paying him regardless. 

This has been fun. I'll try and do another project at some point. I've found a list of the best ECW matches and I've started working my way through them. I could see that being a project if I don't end up getting burnt out on their product. A Shield or Ronda Rousey deep dive is something I've thought about too. 

[jm29195]

On 1/12/2022 at 10:15 AM, cactus said:

What are some of Lesnar's better TV matches? I don't want to cover every TV match of his, but I do want to touch on his most memorable matches. I'll definitely cover his 2003 matches with Rey, Angle, Show, and Benoit. Is there any I'm missing? 

 

Excellent thread. 

Can I suggest a few TV matches from Lesnar's original run that might be worth revisiting:

01/07/02 RAW vs Flair

22/07/02 RAW vs Dreamer

30/07/02 Smackdown vs Henry

13/08/02 Smackdown vs Rikishi

03/09/02 Smackdown vs Orton

05/11/02 Smackdown vs Eddie Guerrero

22/04/03 Smackdown vs A-Train

24/06/03 Smackdown WGTT and Big Show vs Lesnar, Angle, Mr America

08/07/03 Smackdown vs WGTT/Big Show

12/08/03 Smackdown vs Spanky

19/08/03 Smackdown vs Zach Gowen

07/10/03 Smackdown vs Paul London

 

 

[cactus]

On 2/13/2022 at 9:52 AM, jm29195 said:

Excellent thread. 

Can I suggest a few TV matches from Lesnar's original run that might be worth revisiting:

01/07/02 RAW vs Flair

22/07/02 RAW vs Dreamer

30/07/02 Smackdown vs Henry

13/08/02 Smackdown vs Rikishi

03/09/02 Smackdown vs Orton

05/11/02 Smackdown vs Eddie Guerrero

22/04/03 Smackdown vs A-Train

24/06/03 Smackdown WGTT and Big Show vs Lesnar, Angle, Mr America

08/07/03 Smackdown vs WGTT/Big Show

12/08/03 Smackdown vs Spanky

19/08/03 Smackdown vs Zach Gowen

07/10/03 Smackdown vs Paul London

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm a bit burnt out on Brock matches at the moment, but when it comes time to update this thread once Lesnar has had a few more matches, I'll try and watch all of these. 

[cactus]

Two years and a sex scandal later, I have finally updated this. That's every Brock match reviewed from 2005-2023! I may go back and review the matches I've missed from his first run in another two years.

Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles vs Austin Theory vs Riddle vs Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley (Elimination Chamber) - WWE Elimination Chamber (WWE Elimination Chamber - 2/19/2022)
The issue with this match is that nothing feels consequential until Brock decides to kick his way out of his pod and eliminates Riddle, Rollins, and Styles in quick succession. Everything before this felt like your standard modern WWE multi-man match, featuring four wrestlers who know how to work the house style. The action is quick, we get some nice high spots, but not much else. The match also feels rushed as the time between entrants has been changed from five minutes to three, giving the wrestlers no time to tell a story and not giving the action time to breathe. Lashley is removed from the match prematurely after Rollins drives Theory through his pod, injuring Lashley in the process. The final few minutes see Theory attempt to flee from Lesnar, before getting a nut shot and scoring one big hope spot. Once Lesnar kicks out, you know that Theory is running on borrowed time and the match concludes with a nutty (or stupid and reckless? ) F5 from the top of the chamber. The Lesnar/Theory segment of the match was the highlight, with Theory being a great cowardly heel with big facials and Lesnar being a monster who gets off on playing with his prey. ★★★

Brock Lesnar vs Austin Theory (WWE Live Road To Wrestlemania - 3/5/2022)
I thought this would be a fun pairing, with Theory chickenshitting it up for Brock, but we don't even get that as Brock demolishes Theory in 97 seconds and Theory doesn't even get a single move in. Brock clobbers Theory, hits a few Germans and lands the F5 for the victory. Brock seems to be having fun soaking in the cheers and counting along to the crowd as they count the suplexes Brock lands. Theory gets a good amount of air on the suplexes. That's all I really can say about this one. ★

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (WWE Wrestlemania Night 2 - 4/3/2022)
These guys were never going to be able to match the hype that WWE was drumming up for them. It probably would have helped matters if these two didn't wrestle at Crown Jewel the year before, as the dynamic switching between the two was one of the few things that made the pairing feel fresh. Brock removing his gloves as soon as the bell rang made for a hell of a visual. Everything felt so stale, and they don't help matters by using the cliche barricade-breaking spot. They then do a count-out tease that not one soul in that vast stadium was buying as a potential result. Things pick up once Lesnar is able to make his comeback and they trade their signature spots to the approval of the excited crowd. These two are seasoned pros, so they both have the important stuff like charisma, timing, facials, and the ability to get the fans invested down despite the repetitiveness of the feud and the in-ring style. Even with all the finisher spamming, this was a hot main event. ★★★¼

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (Last Man Standing) (WWE Summerslam - 7/30/2022)
I wasn't expecting much out of this as I thought the Roman and Brock program was out of steam by this point and I'm not a fan of Last Man Standing matches at the best of times, but this was incredibly entertaining with a big spectacle moment that makes this match one to remember. This has a hot start with Lesnar diving off the tractor that he brought to the ringside area. After some crowd brawling, the match takes a turn for the worse. Reigns takes control with a weak table spot and they are back to their usual signature move trading schtick with loads of dead air between counts. Would it hurt them to use a hold once in a while? It's not all doom and gloom though. Reigns is a pro at milking those counts for everything they're worth. Brock is incredibly animated here at least, and you can tell he is having the time of his life. The tractor soon comes into play again and Reigns is dunked outside after the ring is tipped off the ground. Roman's bump looks quite weak, but who cares as it's an awesome spectacle. After this, it's all carnage with Usos interfering, a MITB cash-in and Heyman taking one for the team and taking a rare bump. Lesnar has to be literally buried for Reigns to retain here. This was the best Lesnar/Reigns match since Wrestlemania 31. ★★★★

Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley (WWE Crown Jewel - 11/5/2022)
This was much better than their last match together. This felt like a monster movie and I didn't mind the usual spamming of moves here. Lashley attacks Lesnar as he is making his entrance by tackling him knee first into the steel steps and Lesnar puts in a hell of a selljob on his leg. Lesnar's incredibly giving to Lashley and made him look like a killer, despite escaping with the W. That spot where Lashley launched Lesnar into the ring post looked nasty. Lashley matched Brock's energy and played his part well. Lesnar continues to thrive as a monster face. ★★★½

Royal Rumble Match (WWE Royal Rumble - 1/28/2023)
Lesnar comes in at number 12 and looks dominant. He gets 3 eliminations and has a stare down with Gunther. Man, I'm so gutted we were robbed from getting that match. Just as Gunther and Lesnar start trading blows, Lashley comes in as the next entrant and spears Lesnar out of his boots. Lashley goes on a rampage of his own before Lesnar scoops him up for the F5. Lashley escapes and eliminates Lesnar to a massive pop. Lesnar is furious and starts wrecking the audience table, a referee and taking out next entrant Baron Corbin in the process. This was a nice brief bit of business setting up another bout with Lashley.

Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley (WWE Elimination Chamber - 2/18/2023)
Not one second is wasted here and they go straight for it. It's all balls to the wall and both their men hit their finish early. Lesnar hits two F5s that aren't enough to put away Lashley. Lesnar is a smart enough worker to take a few seconds to sell before pinning Lashley to not make his finishing move look weak. Lesnar gets locked in the Hurt Locker and is forced to go low and gets himself disqualified. The fans are pissed with this decision, but Lesnar attacks referee Chad Patton and ends up putting Lashley through the announce table. This is enough to temporarily get the crowd into this again. The crowd soon starts heckling the result again. With a devilish look on his face, Lesnar pulls out the official and gives him another to stop the 'bullshit' chants from the crowd. This was a pretty standard Brock affair. Lots of finishers, bucket loads of intensity and a result that would have people complaining on the internet after the fact. ★★★

Brock Lesnar vs Omos (WWE Wrestlemania Night 2 - 4/2/2023)
I remember this being announced and I was intrigued by the pairing while a lot of other fans groaned. The freak show element is something that can pull me in, even if I know the match isn't going to be anything special. The height difference makes for a hell of a visual. Brock goes for a double takedown earlier and Omos just swats him away. Brock has never been at his best against other giants. To Lesnar's credit, he sells for Omos well. Lesnar sells his back in a more babyface way that we are used to from him. Omos is clearly trying here, but his stuff looks bland and awkward. It's your standard giant offence and it doesn't have a look of impact behind it. The crowd jumps for joy when Brock begins Suplex City. The suplexes themselves are far from Brock's best, but being able to throw a man of Omos's stature around is impressive anyway you cut it. Lesnar's sublime selling comes back into play here as he is unable to go for another suplex. Lesnar looks to be in trouble, but he is able to counter Omos and put him away with the F5. ★★¾

Brock Lesnar vs Cody Rhodes (WWE Backlash - 5/6/2023)
I liked this a lot but I think it is held back from true greatness by Cody not finding his footing as an ass-kicking babyface like Reigns and Cena have done before against Brock. This was an infamously hot crowd and they didn't react as loudly as one would have hoped when the ace of the company is getting beat down by the biggest threat in the promotion. Cody ambushes Brock before the belt and gives him a whooping before Lesnar catches Cody in midair for an impressive cut off spot. You could make the argument that Brock is lazy, but you could never call him selfish. He sells for Cody well and even launches himself to the exposed corner with such authority that he gives himself a hardway juicejob. The visual of Brock's blood covering Cody made Cody look like a superstar and we also got a great lucky finish that left the door open for this program to continue. ★★★¾

Brock Lesnar vs Cody Rhodes (WWE Night Of Champions - 5/27/2023)
Cody is coming into this with a broken arm and Lesnar is just salivating as soon as Cody removes his jacket to reveal his bandaged up arm. Cody plays the mind game by trying to wear Lesnar out with a game of cat and mouse, but it doesn't work. Lesnar catches Cody and begins his suplex routine, with Cody taking them like a pro and making sure he lands on the side with his bad arm. A switch turns in Cody's head and he soon realises that he can use his cast as a weapon. This bit of old school psychology may have gone over the heads of some of the fans in attendance, but I absolutely loved this. This match is much better when Cody is using his cast as a weapon than when he is spamming his signature moves. Brock is able to get his win back by making Cody pass out in the Kimura. I love the concept of this and I enjoyed it for the most part, but the most glaring issue for me is that I just can't buy anyone sitting in a Kimura looked on by a former UFC champion for minutes at a time and not having his arm snapped like a twig. There's a certain amount of bullshit we have to accept as wrestling fans, but this is a step too far into the unbelievable. ★★★½

Brock Lesnar vs Cody Rhodes (WWE Summerslam - 8/5/2023)
This was a stadium spectacle where the triumphant babyface is able to finally slay the beast. This is the end to a trilogy that helps successfully rehabbed Cody after the Reigns loss took a lot of wind our of his sails. This starts out as your typical Lesnar fare, with him pulling out suplexes that Cody takes well as Lesnar takes his sweet time. Lesnar trying to win via countout was a brave creative choice as no big US PPV match had ended in a countout in a long time, but they are able to get the audience to bite when Cody looks to not make the count. We get some nice callbacks to their other matches with the turnbuckle cover coming off and Lesnar looking to break Cody's arm again. If this is Lesnar's last match, this was a damn fine way to go out, with him putting over the new guy in the process. ★★★★