Tag: Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar, ‘extremely underrated?’ John Cena thinks so

Even though John Cena thinks Brock Lesnar is one of the best ever, he still feels the Beast Incarnate might not get enough credit.

Since his return, Brock Lesnar has consistently served as a force for WWE. He has held numerous WWE Championship reigns, headlined WrestleMania events, had interesting feuds with the likes of Goldberg, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, and most notably, ended The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania. So it’s been a fruitful run for the once dubbed “Next Big Thing.”

Lesnar also faced off with John Cena during this time. At SummerSlam 2014, the 16-time world champion famously took a laundry list of German suplexes from Lesnar while losing the WWE Championship. They also faced off again after the Beast Incarnate’s return to the company in 2012.

In a WWE YouTube video, Cena reflected on his matches with Lesnar, saying he always had to fight for his life. He also praised the former UFC star as not just underrated, but one of the best to ever step into the ring (h/t Fightful for transcription).

Every one of those [elbows] are pretty decent hits [laughs]. Brock is one of a kind, he truly is. I love watching him. I always tell you that I watch the people. It’s really difficult to ignore Brock. You’re in a fight for your life, but he’s also the most giving, gracious performer. He gives it all, and there’s no way for you to question his legitimacy. There’s a ringside sign that says ‘legitimacy has returned.’ That says it all when it comes to him. I love Brock. As a performer, he’s extremely underrated, even though he’s in that conversation of the greatest of all time. I love him as a human being. He is wholeheartedly himself, and he shoots you straight. At least you know where you stand with him at all times, and I really admire that about him. He’s been wonderful to me over the years. Another person that we kind of matriculated together, and we both have our different paths to success, and we’re both rooting for each other constantly.

Despite Lesnar’s stepping away for MMA and other activities and being a part-time performer, he typically doesn’t receive such positive praise. However, Cena clearly sees and respects Lesnar’s talent, and there’s seemingly a mutual admiration between the two, who both began their careers in WWE at a similar time.

Judge dismisses Mark Hunt’s claims against UFC, Dana White and Brock Lesnar in lawsuit; case closed

It appears Mark Hunt has been dealt one final blow in his legal battle with the UFC, Dana White and Brock Lesnar.

It appears [autotag]Mark Hunt[/autotag] has been dealt one final blow in his legal battle with the UFC, [autotag]Dana White [/autotag]and [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag].

In a 27-page written opinion released Tuesday and obtained by MMA Junkie, U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey concluded that Hunt failed to prove the UFC and White (then promotion president and now CEO) knowingly booked him in a fight with Lesnar while aware of Lesnar’s performance-enhancing drug use ahead of UFC 200 on July 9, 2016.

As a result, Dorsey dismissed what was left of Hunt’s lawsuit, which was first filed in 2017, dismissed in 2019, but then revived in 2021 by an appeals court. Hunt was trying to prove fraud, battery, aiding-and-abetting battery, and civil conspiracy claims that were revived two years ago. But Dorsey granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment on all claims, meaning the case is dismissed.

“Despite extensive briefing and oral argument, Hunt has been unable to provide the necessary evidentiary support for his theories,” Dorsey wrote. “So I grant summary judgment in favor of the defendants and again close this case.”

Sports law reporter Jason Morrin of Conduct Detrimental first broke the news on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This is the second time that Dorsey has ruled against Hunt. In 2019, Dorsey dismissed with prejudice all but one of Hunt’s original claims against the UFC, White and Lesnar. Included in the claims struck down then were federal and state RICO violations; common-law fraud and aiding and abetting; breach of contract; unjust enrichment; battery and aiding and abetting; and civil conspiracy.

At UFC 200, Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion, temporarily left WWE to return from a five-and-a-half-year octagon absence to fight Hunt. Lesnar was given an exemption from a four-month U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug-testing window before he stepped into the cage. Lesnar defeated Hunt by unanimous decision but was later suspended one year by USADA and the Nevada Athletic Commission after he tested positive for multiple banned substances. The result against Hunt was overturned to a no contest.

Hunt competed five more times for the promotion after UFC 200, going 1-4 until completing his contract in December 2018.

Dana White doesn’t see Brock Lesnar or Ronda Rousey returning for UFC 300 – but you never know

If UFC 300 is supposed to be special early next year, why not turn to Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey for one more fight?

Don’t expect [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] or [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] to return to the octagon – at least according to UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag].

With a historic UFC 300 expected to take place in the first quarter of 2024, the growing theory has been the promotion could pull out all the stops to make it a special event. If so, why wouldn’t the UFC turn to two of its most popular champions of the past for a mainstream boost?

After all, neither Lesnar nor Rousey – who have been two of WWE’s biggest draws of the past several years – closed the door on competing again in MMA. But White doesn’t see a return happening with either former fighter.

Why not Lesnar?

Lesnar’s time in the UFC wasn’t long as he made just eight appearances, but there’s no denying the impact he made. Seven of his octagon appearances occurred between February 2008 and December 2011, during which time he finished Randy Couture at UFC 91 to claim the heavyweight title in just his second fight in the promotion. Two more memorable wins, a rematch vs. Frank Mir at UFC 100 and a comeback submission of Shane Carwin, followed before Lesnar was taken out by Cain Velasquez (in a title-fight loss) and Alistair Overeem.

Lesnar went back to WWE but then was granted permission and a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency exemption to compete against Mark Hunt more than five years later at UFC 200. Lesnar won by unanimous decision that night in Las Vegas, but the result was later overturned to a no contest after he tested positive for a banned substance.

Considering Lesnar, now 46, is one of only two fighters to compete at UFC 100 and UFC 200, it would make sense to keep his event milestone streak alive with a UFC 300 appearance, but apparently White doesn’t see it that way.

“I think Brock’s done,” White told Sports Illustrated. “I don’t think he ever comes back.”

Why not Rousey?

Aside from Conor McGregor, Rousey arguably was the biggest star in UFC history and took the sport by storm during her heyday. White has said it was Rousey who changed his stance on women fighting in the UFC.

Rousey inherited the inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight championship upon the acquisition of Strikeforce and then proceeded to defend the title six times from February 2013 to August 2015. Then Rousey’s career plummeted after her shocking knockout loss to Holly Holm, which forced her to take a year off before she returned 13 months later to challenge then-champ Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, where Rousey was pummeled and lost by TKO in 48 seconds in December 2016.

After that, Rousey transitioned to pro wrestling with WWE. In 2018, she became the first female fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

White only ever has positive things to say about Rousey, but he doesn’t envision a return to the cage.

“There’s no shot,” White said. “She’s accomplished everything she set out to do. … Her dream was to win a UFC championship, then win a WWE championship, and she’s done it. Now she’s starting a family. Ronda has made so much money, and she’s still making a lot of money in sponsorships.”

One return more likely than the other?

White has a history of saying things and then changing his mind, so perhaps a UFC return for Lesnar or Rousey isn’t completely ruled out. If one was more likely to happen, it’s probably Rousey given the circumstances.

With Nunes recently vacating the women’s bantamweight title and announcing her retirement from MMA, the division could use a boost. Rousey is reported to have had her final WWE match earlier this month at SummerSlam, which sets her free to do as she pleases.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, which cites a close source to Rousey, that would be to make a return to the cage.

“She just had a match at SummerSlam and is looking to wind down her time and commitments with the WWE, and she is now focusing on potentially making a run to have one last fight in the UFC and compete at UFC 300 when that presents itself sometime next year,” the source said.

The plot thickens.

Dana White thinks Brock Lesnar’s UFC career is over

Even with UFC 300 coming up next year, UFC president Dana White doesn’t see Brock Lesnar returning to the Octagon.

Brock Lesnar last pulled double duty with WWE and UFC at UFC 200 in 2016, where his win over Mark Hunt was overturned to a no contest after he tested positive for clomiphene. Since then, nothing has come of a potential UFC comeback for Lesnar.

UFC 300 is fast approaching, and it could bring some big names back to the Octagon. However, it doesn’t appear that Lesnar will be one of them.

Dana White, UFC President, told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated that while Lesnar looks like he’s in great shape, he doesn’t believe he will ever fight in UFC again.

“Brock looks good, doesn’t he? He always does. I think Brock’s done. I don’t think he ever comes back,” White said.

The UFC 300 card would instantly upgrade with Lesnar’s presence and become one of its top attractions. Although it would be a surprise, crazier things have happened.

Since his last UFC fight, Lesnar has only been with WWE, in a run involving main eventing numerous WrestleManias, a handful of world title runs, and several memorable feuds. His pro wrestling career has excelled in this chapter, likely leading to more accolades.

At 46 years old, Lesnar only returns to WWE a few months at a time, watching the Brinks trucks back up into his bank account with each appearance, before returning home. Could anyone blame him for sticking to that cadence instead of heading back to the even more grueling routine needed to prepare for an MMA fight?

Lesnar last wrestled for WWE at SummerSlam on Aug. 5, losing to Cody Rhodes to complete their series of matches in a feud that began the night after WrestleMania 39. WWE has yet to announce when he will return, but the Beast Incarnate usually makes an appearance around Royal Rumble season in the leadup to WrestleMania. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he returns for WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, and fans will be waiting anxiously to see if that is indeed the case.

20 best WWE finishers of all time: The best finishing moves ever

Finishing moves come and go in WWE, but these 20 are the best we’ve ever seen.

There’s something undeniably thrilling about the best WWE finishers. Just the anticipation for an especially great finishing move is a lot of fun, the palpable feeling that ripples through the crowd when a match is about to reach its dramatic conclusion.

And those occasions where a wrestler unexpectedly kicks out of a top finisher — provided they don’t happen too often — produce some of the loudest crowd reactions in the business.

Thanks to its position as the No. 1 pro wrestling company in the world for decades (even during times it didn’t want to admit it), WWE has seen more than its fair share of amazing finishing moves. But we wanted to dive in and find the ones that were truly the best, the crème de la crème of match-ending maneuvers.

To do that, we consulted a number of lists of this type that are already out there, including the WWE’s own rankings of the 50 best finishing moves of all time. Like our list of the top WWE PPVs ever, that makes this list pseudo-crowdsourced and not just our own opinions — though we slid some up or down where we felt it was warranted.

So what makes a truly great finishing move? The answer varies from fan to fan, but we considered the following:

  • Recognizability/cultural impact – Is a finisher so famous that even casual or non-wrestling fans know what it is or who does it?
  • Believability – If pro wrestling wasn’t scripted, does the move look like it would really end a fight?
  • Uniqueness – Does the move stand out on its own, or does a certain performer elevate it by adding more atmosphere to it?
  • Sellability – Does it offer the person on the receiving end the opportunity to play it up even more?
  • Legacy – Has it passed the test of time, even if others don’t use it as a finisher?

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in and check out what we found to be a bit of a consensus on the 20 best WWE finishers of all time, starting at 20 and working down to No. 1.

Brock Lesnar’s handshake at WWE SummerSlam even surprised Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes also said Brock Lesnar was gone by the time he went to look for him backstage at WWE SummerSlam.

Everyone, including the man Brock Lesnar faced at WWE SummerSlam, was surprised by the post-match handshake.

The Beast Incarnate shocked the Ford Field crowd on Saturday when, after his loss to Cody Rhodes, he put out his hand to shake his opponent’s and even raised it. This unplanned way to close a multi-month feud likely sent both men off in different directions, but most of all, it’s a gesture Lesnar does not just do for everyone he faces in a WWE ring.

Well, that act even surprised Rhodes himself. He expected, if anything, for Lesnar to continue the fight, as he told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.

“As I saw him taking his gloves off, I sincerely thought he was going to start swinging. Then we went head-to-head, and it felt like we were a millisecond away from starting up again. So I didn’t anticipate that handshake coming. When I saw his hand, I was grateful. That’s not something he does. Again, this run has consistently surprised me. The torch isn’t passed. You have to take it.”

When Rhodes returned backstage, everyone gave him a standing ovation, but to no surprise, Lesnar already left by then.

“I came to the back, there was a nice ovation in the Gorilla Position, but Brock was nowhere to be found. I didn’t see him the rest of the night. The way I see it, we didn’t need to speak. Brock left it all in the ring.”

This post-match moment was a nice conclusion to a feud that had an ambiguous beginning in April, when Lesnar attacked Rhodes as they were set to work together in a tag team match on Raw. Two wins for the American Nightmare and one for the man formerly dubbed the “Next Big Thing” later, and the story ended. We’ll have to wait and see how both of them fare in the rest of 2023 on WWE programming.

Cody Rhodes: ‘incredibly grateful’ for SummerSlam post-match sign of respect from Brock Lesnar

After SummerSlam, Cody Rhodes also called Brock Lesnar a “unicorn” who may only be truly appreciated once he’s done wrestling.

DETROIT — Despite the meticulous planning that goes into so many aspects of a show like WWE SummerSlam, some of the most enduring moments still manage to be the ones that aren’t scripted. Case in point: What happened after Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar in the rubber match of their 2023 series.

Rhodes offered a handshake, to which Lesnar initially acted as expected, refusing it and coming forehead to forehead with the American Nightmare. But then Brock not only shook Cody’s hand, but hugged him and raised his arm in victory.

That off the cuff sign of respect was seen by many as Lesnar giving his stamp of approval to Rhodes as he resumes his quest for a world championship, something expected to be the direction that WWE takes with him going forward.

In the meantime, Rhodes thinks it will take time for it all to sink in.

“I don’t think it’s dawned on me what a moment like that really means,” Rhodes said at the post-SummerSlam press conference. “This run, since I came back to WWE, has been consistently surprising to me in every way. And I think that’s why I’m so touched by it all. It’s real, it’s as real as it can get in this world. That’ll be something that I look at and have a very deep, deep appreciation.”

Musing that perhaps Lesnar was to him what Harley Race was to his legendary father, Rhodes also noted that one more thing that may only be truly appreciated in retrospect was how unique Lesnar is within the pro wrestling industry.

“When he’s gone, and I don’t know when that’s gonna be, who knows, because he can go … when he’s gone, I think the world will realize what we’ve got is a freaking unicorn, you know? Just a very unique, once-in-a-lifetime individual.”

Without saying it in so may words, Rhodes appeared to agree that this chapter with Lesnar is indeed closed. But while he doesn’t want to go through the physical agony of reliving it, he’s very glad to have taken the journey together with a special athlete that ended the way it did in Detroit.

“Somehow, some way, I feel like there was maybe just this bond by battle there in that final moment, and I’m very grateful for what’s happened. I don’t want to wrestle Brock Lesnar again, but I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do it and to compete at his level.”

WWE SummerSlam 2023: Top takeaways from all the happenings in Detroit

SummerSlam was a good show that elevated several wrestlers, but did it live up to sky high expectations overall?

Fans having high expectations for an event is usually a good thing, as that means people are engaged with the product.

But in the case of SummerSlam, it turned out to be kind of a detriment for WWE.

On the surface, SummerSlam wasn’t a bad show. In fact, I think it was a pretty good one. A couple of years ago, that would have been good enough by WWE standards.

But the bar has been raised throughout 2023, making SummerSlam, at least for me, only a decent show that had potential to be a lot more.

As usual, I have takeaways from the night in Detroit.

Jimmy Uso betrays his own brother

I had a feeling that this could happen. I had a feeling it could go down like this. I didn’t really want to entertain the idea that Jimmy Uso could turn on Jey Uso. But when someone as integral to a story as Jimmy Uso goes missing, wrestling fans can assume that they will resurface during the ensuing major encounter. 

That is exactly what happened Saturday night, as Jimmy Uso thwarted his brother’s chances of defeating Roman Reigns by pulling him out of the ring during a pin attempt. After a shocking reveal, Jimmy Uso delivered a gut-wrenching superkick to his twin brother.

While it may be hard to believe for some that not one but two of Jey Uso’s blood brothers have turned on him in favor of their narcissistic yet insecure cousin, it didn’t make it any less heartbreaking to see the Usos essentially break up after years of being one of the best tag teams in the world.

It is professional wrestling, though, which means they will surely reunite one day. But for now, it is just kind of sad.

So where do we go from here?

I can only assume this means we will see the Usos face each other in a one-on-one match at some point. Will WWE save that for next year’s WrestleMania? Time will tell, but it seems like the logical direction either way.

Where does Reigns go from here? In the immediate future, I honestly have no idea. Outside of Cody Rhodes, who we’ll discuss more in a little bit, I don’t see a long line of credible challengers for Reigns. 

Does that mean Reigns is in line for an extended break? Reigns has had a busy summer, so much so that you almost forget that he has essentially risen to the level of a part-time wrestler, and we may not see him for a while after this.

IYO SKY cashes in and cashes out

As I predicted earlier in the week, IYO SKY cashed in her Money in the Bank contract and won the WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam.

I must admit, though, that my prediction had SKY cashing in on Charlotte moments into her 15th title reign. Instead, it was Bianca Belair who pulled off a triumphant victory, only for SKY to come down and rain on her parade.

Unlike Reigns, there are a slew of credible challengers for SKY to go up against. First on the list is Belair, who will probably enact an automatic rematch clause to set up their next encounter.

However, I feel like this will eventually lead to jealousy amongst Damage CTRL and eventually end with the group dissolving right before our very eyes.

Brock Lesnar endorses Cody Rhodes

Brock Lesnar has been involved with professional wrestling for more than 20 years, and I don’t think I have ever seen him put someone over the way he did for Rhodes Saturday night.

Not only did Rhodes defeat Lesnar clean as a sheet in the middle of the ring, Lesnar shook Rhodes’ hand, gave him a hug, and raised his arm after the match, essentially endorsing Rhodes as “that guy.”

Receiving such an endorsement from Lesnar of all people should mean a lot. And if WWE follows through on that, it should mean Rhodes is the person to dethrone Reigns. Right? Why else would you have Lesnar single him out like that? 

If that is the case, when does this happen? Is WWE pushing this all the way until WrestleMania? I guess it could happen, especially if Reigns takes an extended break. 

But what do you do with Rhodes in the meantime? He’s already slayed the biggest threat in the promotion outside of Reigns. Who else would pose a credible threat at this point?

Could we see that match before the end of 2023? I’m of the opinion that WWE should save a second match between Reigns and Rhodes for WrestleMania, but I also understand how that is easier said than done.

LA Knight has finally his moment

It may have occurred in a sponsored battle royal with virtually nothing at stake, but LA Knight finally had his moment to shine, winning said battle royal and getting a lot of love from the fans in Detroit in the process.

At this point, WWE needs to stop messing around and get fully on board with Knight being a potential top guy. It’s not often that WWE has someone on the roster as over as Knight currently is. And the times it has happened, the company has often been late to the party and failed to capitalize on the momentum.

Hopefully, that is not the case with Knight, who has earned at least a chance to show that he can run with the ball. He has to prove that he actually can in the long run, but he has definitely earned the opportunity.

A worked MMA match?

If there is one lesson I have taken away from my multiple decades of watching professional wrestling, it’s that simulating anything other than pro wrestling is usually a mistake.

Roddy Piper and Mr. T tried to put on a worked boxing match at WrestleMania 2, and it ended up being one of the worst matches in the event’s illustrious history.

Almost 20 years later, WWE put Big Show into a worked sumo match with sumo legend Akebono. That turned out to be an abomination as well.

With the rise of mixed martial arts, I should have known that it was only a matter of time until WWE tried to simulate an MMA fight. And no, not in the way of NXT’s Fight Pit or Raw/NXT Underground, or even Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den matches, which still largely resembled professional wrestling contests.

This was Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler doing their best to make it seem like they were back in UFC, which unsurprisingly, did not turn out well.

If this is indeed the end of Rousey’s run with WWE, what an anticlimactic way to go out. Her run started out with so much promise. WWE immediately slotted her into big matches and into the main event of the biggest show of the year. The company basically promoted the one and only all-women’s pay-per-view around the fact that she was going to be on it.

But there she was Saturday night, being choked out by Baszler in the middle of Ford Field. 

In theory, this should be a springboard for Baszler to ascend to bigger and better things as a single. In reality, however, I’m not sure it will be. That is how far Rousey’s stock has fallen as of late.

Who’s to blame for that? Oh, there is plenty to go around. Regardless of who you place the blame upon, Rousey’s run in WWE was not the cash register the company was hoping it would be. It also didn’t make any real progress in putting women’s wrestling on equal footing with the men. 

To be fair, the latter is not Rousey’s fault, but it is just another aspect of a run that did not reach its full potential.

Brock Lesnar had an awkward wardrobe malfunction at SummerSlam

Brock Lesnar needs a new pair of shorts after SummerSlam.

Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes finished their feud in Detroit at SummerSlam on Saturday night, with “The American Nightmare” winning at the end of a brutal match.

After surviving what felt like dozens of suplexes, Rhodes rallied and hit Lesnar with a series of Cross Rhodes finishers to the delight of a massive crowd at Ford Field.

In the final minutes of the match, though, Lesnar suffered an awkward wardrobe malfunction, as his signature shorts ripped apart.

The rip occurred at the end of the match, or we might have quickly seen Lesnar wrestling in his underwear.

SummerSlam results: No Nightmare as Cody Rhodes finally slays Brock Lesnar

Cody Rhodes fought through numerous trips to Suplex City to win his rubber match with Brock Lesnar at WWE SummerSlam 2023.

Both Brock Lesnar, who enters first, and Cody Rhodes get big reactions from the crowd at Ford Field. Rhodes lingers on the steps before climbing in the ring as the Beast Incarnate paces.

It takes approximately no time for Rhodes to pay his first visit to Suplex City, but he rallies right away for some offense before Lesnar is able to push him back into the corner for some shoulders to the gut. But Cody is one step ahead of him, sending him into the post and hitting a dive to the outside as the fans begin chanting his name.

Lesnar brings things back to the ring and kicks at Rhodes’ legs. He smirks as Cody is rolling around on the mat, then suplexes him overhead … and again. Brock covers but his foe quickly kicks out.

There’s another suplex for those of you counting at home, and Lesnar revels in more boos. One more suplex for good measure, and Rhodes tries to grab some recovery time on the outside.

Lesnar greets Rhodes with a knee and launches into another suplex. Rhodes is thrown out to the floor in what’s becoming a pattern. It looks like Brock wants to win this by countout as he keeps sending Cody back out.

An F5 on the floor sure isn’t going to help matters for Rhodes. Yet the American Nightmare returns to the ring at the count of nine.

Rhodes unleashes right hands only to be suplexed again, then slammed through the announce table. Can he recover from that? Probably yes but we shall see. Oh yes, he does.

Lesnar seems like he can’t believe it, but the fans sure can. Rhodes is defiant, trying to battle his way up from his knees only to receive … yep, a suplex. Maybe the stairs can help Cody, or shoving Brock into the post repeatedly, then using the stairs.

A Cody Cutter is on point and now it’s Lesnar who is slow. There’s a springboard Cody Cutter too, but only for a two count.

Lesnar switches gear and goes for a kimura, and Rhodes is in agony. The fans pop as he manages to grab the bottom rope to force a break.

Turnabout is fair play as Rhodes tries his luck at a kimura. Lesnar teases tapping out before powering out of the hold.

Brock wants an F5, but it’s reversed into a Cross Rhodes. Cody holds on for another, which is enough for the three count.

After the match, Rhodes offered a handshake, and after a head to head standoff, Lesnar raised Cody’s hand and even hugged him.

Check out full WWE SummerSlam 2023 results here.