10 shocking moments from WWE 2002

#9 Brock Lesnar becomes the youngest Champion in WWE history

The arrival of the Beast.

As previously mentioned, a big part of WWE 2002 involved the ascension of Brock Lesnar. Along with Cena, Orton and Batista, Brock is a member of the now infamous OVW class of 2002 which helped to shape the future of the company for years to come. While the other three were still finding their feet in 2002, Lesnar was on a rocket ship to the very top of the main event scene.

Billed as 'the next big thing', Lesnar was assigned to Paul Heyman who would act as his mouth piece and primary advocate, similar to the dynamic the pair enjoy today. Lesnar received his first worthy challenge by taking on both members of the Hardy Boys and making short work of the two of them.

He then became the 2002 King of the Ring, defeating the likes of Test and RVD. This earned him a shot at the Undisputed title, which was held by the Rock. As a way to further cement his dominance, Lesnar even defeated the legendary Hulk Hogan on an episode of Smackdown along the way.

Summerslam 2002 was presented very much as Lesnar's night. The main event saw him take on Rock and become WWE's undisputed champion and de facto 'top guy'. Lesnar's victory made him the youngest champion in WWE history at the age of 25.

His victory also saw him become the second fastest wrestler to win the WWE's main championship since his debut, achieving the feat in just 126 days.

If 2002 was to prove to be a year of real change for the WWE, Brock Lesnar was going to be a huge part of it.