The reigning, defending and conquering Universal Champion is a divisive figure to the WWE Universe. There are sections of fans that resent him for his part-time status and sporadic appearances, while there is a contingent that is not a big fan of his current move-set that largely comprises of Suplexes.
Sportskeeda is the one-stop destination for latest WWE rumors and wrestling news.
Regardless of that, there are a number of people who enjoy The Beasts' forays into the squared circle, because despite whatever perceived shortcomings he may have, Lesnar is a special attraction in the WWE and the company has done well to make each of his appearances mean something important.
The argument can also be made that Lesnar's sporadic appearances mean that the mid-card champions are given more room to shine and Superstars don't have to be fed to the Universal Champion to maintain his status at the top of the food chain.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
Say what you may about Lesnar, but there is no denying that he has delivered on the biggest stages on multiple occasions, so let's check out the 5 times Brock Lesnar was worth every penny to the WWE.
#5 The night he returned to WWE
The Raw taking place after Wrestlemania is always a special show. A number of Superstars make returns to WWE programming, new alliances are formed and new feuds are birthed to drive WWE programming forward for the months to come. After WrestleMania 28, John Cena was standing in the middle of the ring, when Lesnar's music blared from the speakers.
On April 2, 2012, The Beast returned to WWE. He was immediately positioned as a massive threat to the entire roster, as the WWE played up his MMA exploits. The crowd had been chanting Lesnar's name all night long and he was finally here. He wasn't here to make friends as he immediately laid-out Cena with a brutal F5 and left the ring to a thunderous ovation. In that one segment, Lesnar had announced himself to the WWE Universe and the company had found its most precious commodity for years to come.
#4 Beating The Undertaker at Hell in a Cell
The Undertaker doesn't lose often. One of the most decorated and legendary Superstars to have ever stepped into the squared circle, The Undertaker had an aura around him. Beating him 1-on-1 was a feat in itself, but Lesnar seemed to have Taker's number. Their feud saw the Deadman resorting to low-blows to keep The Beast down.
Undertaker played the grizzled, desperate veteran to perfection as he pulled out every weapon in his arsenal to beat Lesnar. The image of Lesnar giving Undertaker the middle finger while passing out in Hell's Gate is iconic, but their subsequent match-up at Hell in a Cell, was the perfect cap to their feud, with Lesnar using Undertaker's under-handed tactics against him and then planting him with an F5 on the exposed ring floor to pick up the win. The Undertaker was arguably never the same, as The Beast's stock rose even higher.
This is not The Phenom's only appearance on this list...
#3 Ending The Streak at WrestleMania 30
Brock Lesnar beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 will always be one of the most shocking moments in WWE history. The entire arena was shrouded in silence as Lesnar's hand was raised in victory. The streak was dead, as Lesnar had brutalized The Phenom on his way to victory. Lesnar's already impressive stature was taken to stratospheric heights after the win, as he had done the seemingly impossible.
Audience reactions led to memes and widespread coverage, as The Undertaker's streak ended at 21 wins. The match itself was relatively lackluster, but all anyone remembers is the conclusion, as the unbeatable Undertaker had been laid to rest at WrestleMania. WrestleMania is all about creating moments and Lesnar was at the center of one of the biggest moments in WWE history.
#2 Brock Lesnar vs AJ Styles at Survivor Series 2017
Although not nearly as historic a moment as the end of The Streak, Lesnar's match with AJ Styles at Survivor Series last year was arguably The Beast's best performance in the squared circle since his return, if not ever. AJ Styles is one of the greatest of all time and can have a good match with anyone, but that should not take away just how great Lesnar was.
The Beast showed that he was more than capable of tearing the house down when he wanted to. He swatted Styles away like a fly, but the WWE Champion wore him down and together the two told a fantastic story in the ring. Even though Styles lost, he was the one who walked away from the ring in a match that had no true loser. This match showed just how good Lesnar can be and went a long way to silence his detractors.
#1 Destroying John Cena at Summerslam 2014
John Cena was still the WWE's top guy at Summerslam 2014. He went into the main event as WWE champion and the WWE Universe probably expected a standard John Cena match. This was not to be the case, as after coming off a historic win at Wrestlemania 30, Lesnar annihilated Cena and won the title in what was essentially a squash match.
Cena had faced setbacks before but seeing him dismantled like this was a sight to behold and we didn't see Cena so outmatched until this year's Wrestlemania. But Lesnar did it first and he did it best. It was as if WWE had captured lightning in a bottle, as Lesnar went on to hold the title till Wrestlemania 31 where Seth Rollins pulled off the heist of the century.
Which was your favorite Brock Lesnar moment in WWE? Let us know in the comments below!