Folks, that title is not a misprint. John didn’t fall and bump his head last night either. I’ll admit that, once that thought crossed my mind, it caused me to pause for a moment or two. But then, after some additional reflection, I began to think there actually could be something to it. Seriously, is Brock Lesnar one of the most underrated Superstars ever? It’s worth a closer examination.
First, I admit this much: I have often not been fond of his WWE uses Lesnar. I am one fan who wants the titles defended and appearing regularly, and I am not alone. That being said, as long as WWE continues to want Brock, he has leverage. For Brock Lesnar (and anyone else in his position), leverage can equal big checks and sweet schedules. Simply put, don’t hate the player, hate the game. I can’t begrudge Lesnar for exploiting any chance he has to monetize himself; we’d all do the same if given the chance.
With that out of the way, you can begin to look at what The Beast is, and what he’s done, with a bit more of a neutral stance. While Lesnar has had some incredible squashes in his time on WWE television, they are largely needed-he has a reputation to uphold, after all. Besides, how many people didn’t enjoy the SummerSlam match against John Cena, where Cena got like no offense in?
Putting the character-supporting lopsided wins out of the way, let’s look a bit more closely. I’ll give you three great examples of how Lesnar just may be underrated, by example of how great a job he can do when he’s inspired or engaged enough to want to.
Case 1: The Streak ends
Right off the bat, I assure you that neither WWE nor The Undertaker made this decision without great deliberation. As much as many fans decried the decision-whether you wanted ‘Taker to never lose, or for the loss to be to rising Superstar-we have to believe that ‘Taker wouldn’t have done that job without a respect for his opponent. But, look at the match itself; early on, Undertaker got knocked for a loop and was clearly not right. But, the match did not end because that wasn’t in the script. It was largely on Brock to get them home and safely, and he did. I give him a lot of credit for that.
Case 2: Great Balls of Fire versus Samoa Joe
Forget the horrid name for a PPV. I saw the match between Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe as an exceptional one. Perhaps forgotten or overlooked because of the name and it happened earlier in the year. Regardless, I still hold it as a great match, and proof that Lesnar can sell with the best of them. If anything, I suppose I would grant you that he doesn’t always sell (but then, that’s really something most top draws do at some point). I believe after that match I even said how fun it can be to watch when Lesnar is apparently having fun and working.
Case 3: Survivor Series 2018 versus Daniel Bryan
Might as well go right to recent history. This match, changed from AJ Styles to Daniel Bryan with just days to go before the event, was an excellent match. It was the tale of two halves, too. In the opening stanza, Lesnar was Lesnar, and Daniel Bryan was surely resembling Cena at SummerSlam. But, this one went in a completely different direction. Bryan mounted a comeback, and Brock Lesnar sold the daylights out of his offense. In the end, yes, Brock Lesnar took home the win, but the match was superb. Both men worked exceptionally well together and you could tell it was a match that Lesnar seemed to enjoy actually being involved in.
Perhaps that’s the takeaway. I don’t know if it’s a Lesnar hang up or an occasional disconnect with the creative team, but I will say that, at times, Lesnar doesn’t seem fully engaged. But, when presented with an opponent, a program and a script that appeals to his performing side of things, Brock Lesnar can be the best in the world. I think his inconsistency (if you’d even call it that at this point?) may be why he isn’t non the discussion for say, wrestling’s Mount Rushmore. But perhaps it is time that he is.
No one denies he’s great. I just don’t think he gets his full just due in the grand scheme of things. In time he will, I have no doubt of that. For now, we can hope we get more exemplary matches like we got between Lesnar and Bryan.
