Why did Brock Lesnar beat up Zach Gowen so badly on WWE SmackDown?

Brock Lesnar is one of the most dominant performers in the history of pro wrestling. The Beast Incarnate likes to punish his opponents brutally, and he had the same treatment in mind for Zach Gowen on an episode of WWE SmackDown from the Ruthless Aggression Era.

Brock Lesnar and Zach Gowen squared off in a singles competition on August 21, 2003, episode of SmackDown. Gowen won the match two minutes into the opening bell, his victory coming via disqualification. The DQ finish, however, led to one of the most brutal moments ever on WWE TV.

A ruthless Lesnar pummeled his opponent with his bare hands. The match's closing moments saw the former WWE Champion bust open Gowen with a brutal chair shot to the head.

Former WWE star Rene Dupree claimed on his Café de Rene podcast that the nasty beatdown was punishment for the one-legged wrestler who had allegedly violated a WWE rule.

“What I had heard is that he was caught smoking cigarettes backstage. If you’ve ever been backstage at a WWF [WWE] show, Vince [McMahon] has ‘no smoking’ signs all over the building… Remember that segment where Brock bashes his f***ing brains in with that steel chair in front of his own mother? That was punishment right there.”

The match was taped from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on August 19, 2003. The show featured a stacked card, with top stars such as The Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero, and John Cena in action.

Kurt Angle, who was WWE Champion then, defeated The Big Show in a non-title Street Fight in the show’s main event.

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Zach Gowen says Brock Lesnar took care of him during brutal match in 2003

Fans who grew up during the Ruthless Aggression Era may recall the singles meeting between Brock Lesnar and Zach Gowen as one of the most brutal moments in WWE history.

The match showcased Lesnar's absolute prime as the powerhouse mercilessly assaulted a tiny 150-pounder.

Despite the brutal beatdown that transpired on WWE SmackDown, Gowen told Bleacher Report during an interview that the former NCAA Heavyweight Champion didn’t take any liberties with him during the match. "Brock took care of me," he said.

It remains to be seen if Brock Lesnar and Zach Gowen will reunite in the ring ever again.