"Could've been a disaster" - WWE Hall of Famer recalls Brock Lesnar's life-changing decision

Modified Apr 14, 2025 10:13 GMT

Brock Lesnar is considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time [Image credits: WWE.com]

Brock Lesnar is undoubtedly one of the most successful superstars in WWE history. Considered to be a "freak athlete", The Beast Incarnate has found success outside of the squared circle as well. However, a Hall of Famer recently recalled one of Lesnar's biggest decisions that could've been a disaster.

JBL was recently on the Something To Wrestle podcast, where he discussed success after WWE. While talking about the same, he made mention of Brock Lesnar, whom he has known since the latter broke onto the scene in the early 2000s.

He spoke highly of the 10-time champion but believes that his decision to leave WWE in 2004 was one that had the potential to be a catastrophe.

While talking about success after leaving WWE, JBL referred to Lesnar. He recalled how Lesnar was one of the biggest draws in the company and was rightfully dubbed "The Next Big Thing." However, he left to pursue a career in the NFL and later the UFC.

"Brock Lesnar did it. You know Brock was on the cover of the video game. Brock was our guy! He was really the "Next Big Thing." And, he decided to leave and go to the NFL and then go to the UFC. Me and Taker flew out there to watch his first big fight and I was so excited, because I was pulling for him. We wanted him to succeed. But, what a gamble he made. He could've...man...that could've been a disaster," claimed JBL. [05:11-05:40]

The Conqueror would end up spending some time with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, but his football career never took off due to injury. His UFC career though was a huge success. Not only does he have a record of nine wins to three losses, but he also held the Heavyweight Championship at one time.

Brock Lesnar claims he is retired and won't be returning to WWE

Brock Lesnar was last seen in WWE back in 2023. His last match was against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2023, and since then fans have been waiting for a return.

However, a variety of reasons have prevented him from making a comeback. Most notably, Lesnar has been named in the ongoing case involving former WWE employee Janel Grant.

That aside, a fan recently met Lesnar and asked him about his status with the company. According to the fan, The Beast Incarnate told him he was retired and wouldn't be returning to the squared circle.

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Regardless, there are still several fans who want to see Lesnar wrestle again. While there is no guarantee he will return, all one can do now is hope, and wait and see if the 47-year-old changes his mind.

About the author

Nithin is a Pro Wrestling writer who covers WWE news stories at Sportskeeda. He holds an MBA degree and has 4 years of content writing experience working for the likes of The SportsRush and GiveMeSport. His association with SK goes way back as he wrote for the pro wrestling division earlier, too, and interned with the team while pursuing his undergraduate degree.

Nithin’s writing style is inspired by the storytelling abilities of Japanese mangakas Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, and English authors like George R.R. Martin and JRR Tolkien. He strives to keep his reports accurate and relevant by keeping up to date with the pro wrestling world and catering to reader preferences.

He is a huge fan of Seth Rollins’ workhorse mentality and Sami Zayn’s never-say-die spirit. He says that if he could go back to The Attitude Era, he would love to manage Kurt Angle and bring out his ‘Wrestling Machine’ character much earlier in his career.

In his free time, Nithin watches, reads, and makes videos about sports on his YouTube channel ‘The Daily Raid.’ He also enjoys gaming, watching anime, and reading manga.

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Edited by Nithin Joseph