The Beast Incarnate
Brock Edward Lesnar was born on July 12, 1977, in Webster, South Dakota. He grew up on a dairy farm and developed his incredible strength through farm work from an early age. Lesnar was a standout amateur wrestler in high school and college, winning the NCAA Division I Heavyweight Championship in 2000 while at the University of Minnesota.
After college, Lesnar signed with WWE (then WWF) in 2000 and was sent to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). He made his WWE main roster debut in March 2002 and was quickly pushed as "The Next Big Thing." Within six months of his debut, Lesnar won the King of the Ring tournament and went on to defeat The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 to become the youngest WWE Champion at that time at age 25.
Lesnar's first WWE run lasted until 2004, during which he had memorable feuds with Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, and Goldberg. He left WWE after WrestleMania XX to pursue a career in the NFL, signing with the Minnesota Vikings. Though he showed impressive athleticism, he was ultimately cut before the regular season began.
After his NFL attempt, Lesnar pursued a career in mixed martial arts, signing with the UFC in 2008. He quickly rose to prominence, defeating Randy Couture to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion in just his fourth professional MMA fight. His UFC career was hampered by diverticulitis, a serious intestinal condition that required surgery and forced him to take time away from competition.
Lesnar made a shocking return to WWE in 2012, the night after WrestleMania 28. Since then, he has been a dominant force, ending The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak in 2014, delivering 16 German suplexes to John Cena at SummerSlam 2014 in what was dubbed "Suplex City," and holding the Universal Championship for a record 504 days from 2017 to 2018.
Throughout his second WWE run, Lesnar has worked a limited schedule, appearing sporadically and wrestling primarily at major pay-per-view events. This has made his appearances feel special and has maintained his aura as a legitimate combat sports athlete and a unique attraction in WWE.
In 2024, Lesnar returned after a brief hiatus and began a program with Gunther, leading to their highly anticipated match at WrestleMania XL, which Gunther won in a critically acclaimed bout. Lesnar has since continued to make sporadic appearances, maintaining his status as one of WWE's biggest stars and most legitimate competitors.
WWE Championship (7 times)
Universal Championship (3 times)
UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Lost to Gunther in a highly acclaimed match that many critics called the best technical wrestling match of Lesnar's career.
Lost the WWE Championship to Roman Reigns in a Winner Takes All Championship Unification match.
Won the Royal Rumble match after entering at #30, last eliminating Drew McIntyre.
Eliminated by Drew McIntyre in the Royal Rumble match, setting up their WrestleMania 36 match.
Defeated Kofi Kingston in seconds to win the WWE Championship on the FOX premiere of SmackDown.
Ended The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak, becoming the first person to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania.
Made his shocking return to WWE after an eight-year absence, confronting John Cena.
Lost the UFC Heavyweight Championship to Cain Velasquez via TKO in the first round.
Defeated Randy Couture via TKO to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Lost to Goldberg in his final WWE match before his first departure from the company.
Defeated The Rock to win his first WWE Championship, becoming the youngest WWE Champion at that time.
