5 Beasts in the WWE before Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34

As far as Brock Lesnar's success in the WWE is concerned, the formula has always been rather simplistic; a seamless dovetail between Paul Heyman's oratorical prowess and Lesnar's brutish physicality alone checks all the boxes. Paul Heyman's unparalleled ability to talk the talk is amply backed up by Brock Lesnar's fearsome ability to walk the walk, creating one of the most must-see novelty acts in the WWE today. After Lesnar was done wrecking J&J’s new Cadillac this Monday Night Raw, it looked like it had ended up on the wrong end of a Monster Truck derby. So when Paul Heyman promises doom and destruction to Lesnar's opponents, it comes across as a highly believable notion unlike the dime a dozen ""I'm gonna kick your a**!" proclamations that we hear from other wrestlers.Quite simply put, Brock Lesnar is a freak of nature and has been further built up that way by the WWE creative team. His every move in the ring smacks of legitimacy and contributes greatly to his aura of invincibility.His involvement with the WWE World Heavyweight Title has undoubtedly elevated interest levels in the title picture and the superstar who bests him cleanly, is set to receive an all-mighty push; such is the credibility that a "Beast" character entails in pro-wrestling perspective.That being said, here is a look at 5 such beast characters that dominated the WWE landscape before Brock Lesnar's latest run as an unconquerable behemoth. These are superstars that wreaked unmitigated havoc at certain points in their careers, if not through the entirety of it and came across as exponents of legitimate destruction. Here then is a list of 5 “Beasts” in the WWE before the incidence of the Beast of Battleground.

#1 Mark Henry

Mark Henry’s most memorable run in the WWE: Hall of Pain

Have no qualms about it, Mark Henry is one of the most highly decorated lifters to walk the planet today. His records in Strongman competitions and weightlifting competitions over the world have stood the test of time and not for nothing, have earned him the moniker “The World’s Strongest Man.”

However despite his obvious Herculean strength, Mark Henry had not always been utilized by the WWE creative team to the fulfillment of his potential; at least not until the year 2011/12 that saw the emergence of the “Hall of Pain” storyline and subsequently, Mark Henry as the beast that pulverized anyone that stood before him.

Coincidentally, his run culminated with him capturing the World Heavyweight Championship – the only time in his career he has held the title barring his run as the ECW Champion in 2008/09. Despite this, his legitimacy as an exponent of destruction had been cemented by the end of the angle, leaving fans wondering why exactly the “beast” had been sleeping for the 15 preceding years in his career that he spent with the company.

#2 Umaga

Umaga aiming a vicious kick at CM Punk’s throat

“The Samoan Bulldozer” as he was sometimes referred to, did a tremendous job of portraying an unrestrained savage whose actions spoke much louder than his words. Indeed, Umaga never really used the microphone, instead being handled by his manager Armando Estrada in what was a similar dynamic to the one that worked wonders for Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman.

However, as a character, Umaga’s gimmick bore greater similarities with that of Kamala, another yester-year monster heel whose selling point was his savagery and rustic appearance. Umaga’s patented move, the Samoan Spike, looked so hurtful and was delivered with such ferocity that it often had the audience cringing with the perceived impact on whosoever was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of it (it’s a considerable list).

His more memorable matches in the WWE include the Last Man Standing match against John Cena at Royal Rumble 2007, that the Cenation leader barely won by choking out the Samoan using the ropes. The bout against Bobby Lashley at Wrestlemania 23 also ranks as one of his high-profile matches, especially since it was set within the context of a ‘hair versus hair’ match between Vince McMahon and Donald Trump.

Despite suffering an untimely passing in 2009, Eddie Fatu’s contribution to the WWE shall be remembered not least because he was yet another member of the Anoa’i wrestling family, but also because of the believability of his ‘monster heel’ run as Umaga. Underrated during his tenure and a tad unappreciated after his demise, Umaga was undeniably one of the scariest “beast” characters to terrorize the WWE ranks in contemporary times.

#3 The Ultimate Warrior

Right from the get-go, the Ultimate Warrior’s intensity was unparalleled

The Ultimate Warrior was one of the first specimens of the “beast” archetype that received a monster push in the WWE. He was portrayed as this unstoppable bundle of energy and verve, picking up victories against the who’s who of the WWE during his initial run, including squash matches against Andre the Giant no less. And who can forget the job that Hulk Hogan did in putting him over at Wrestlemania 6?

One may not be mistaken for thinking that the Ultimate Warrior’s career was lifted straight out of a fantasy novel. Being mightily absorbed in his character, James Hellwig even changed his name to ‘Warrior’, leading to a drawn-out legal battle with the WWE over creative rights. (That he eventually won.)

And what are the odds that he resolved his differences with the WWE and was deservedly inducted into the Hall of Fame just in the nick of time before his passing?

Either way, we can concur that few wrestlers in history have been as enigmatic or intense as the Ultimate Warrior. The tassels, the masks and the near-incoherent promos that got everybody excited nonetheless; these are some of the trademarks of the Ultimate Warrior that we fondly remember him for.

However, despite all the colour and vigour that outwardly dressed up his persona, there is no detracting from the beast of a man underneath all that who could press just about anyone over his head and could believably “no-sell” his opponents’ offence.

With a physique that was as imposing as it was chiselled, The Ultimate Warrior will surely go down as one of the marquee stars that were responsible for keeping the WWE on the mainstream radar after Hulkamania had run its course.

#4 Big Van Vader

“Vader Time” often spelt doom for his opponents, regardless of their numbers or reputations

Big Van Vader experienced the most success as a monster heel in his WCW days when he regularly feuded with top-level talent like Ric Flair, Sting and Cactus Jack. His stint in the WWE, although never reaching the same magnitude of success, did see him cross paths with other stalwarts of the business in the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker.

Despite weighing in at a scale-tipping 450 pounds, his obvious size was the last of his opponents’ concerns. This was not merely a large man; this was a large man that worked incredibly stiff most of the time. He constantly threw real strikes at his opponents and was often criticized for the marked disregard that he displayed for their safety.

Infamously known for costing Mick Foley a good portion of his right ear, Vader was a combination of uncontrolled aggression coupled with surprising athleticism in the ring. His moonsault alone has been singularly responsible for many a cracked rib in the WWE roster.

Towards the end of his WWE stint in 1997/98 though, Vader was reduced to little more than a jobber. He registered a series of losses and left the company a shadow of the terrifying masked presence he had been in the WCW.

Perhaps Vader could have been booked more soundly by the WWE creative team, but it certainly wasn’t the last time that a WCW superstar was ineptly booked to doom in the company. Regardless, Big Van Vader earns a spot on this list by virtue of his brutal exploits in the WCW and the fearsome penchant for hurting people that he regularly showcased.

#5 Goldberg

The most intimidating sight for an opponent was watching Goldberg enter through the shower of sparks unflustered

The one similarity between the Undertaker’s vaunted Wrestlemania streak and the string of victories (was it 173?!) that Goldberg enjoyed in the WCW was the distasteful manner in which they both ended. Indeed, while the Undertaker’s streak had an enduring quality to it having been built up over a span of 20-odd years, Goldberg was arguably the biggest draw in pro-wrestling in his heyday.

Unlike many other WCW Superstars whose legacies were tarnished in the WWE, Goldberg’s mainstream appeal buoyed him from similar service and ensured that he would get a major push in the company. Throughout his wrestling career, Goldberg looked nigh unbeatable, reducing opponents into formless heaps with his intensity and power moves.

Till date, any Superstar who works the ‘Spear’ is inevitably compared to Goldberg. Rhino, Edge, Big Show, Batista and most recently Roman Reigns have all included the move in their arsenal, with differing degrees of success. What can be argued though is that none of their efforts really match up to the ferocity that permeated a Spear from Goldberg.

Despite only enjoying a year-long stint in the WWE, Goldberg managed to beat The Rock, Triple H and Brock Lesnar – all of them bonafide main eventers in their own right. In hindsight, his association with pro-wrestling may have been curtailed, but is no reflection on the essence of his impact.

In many minds, including mine, Goldberg goes down in the annals of pro-wrestling history as one of the most formidable “beasts” to ever set foot into a squared circle. He seems to have "passed the torch"

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