The Alpha Male of All Species, Brock Lesnar is one of the most gifted and dangerous in-ring athletes prevalent in WWE today. The Beast is known for his hard-hitting style and dominance inside the ring while becoming one of the most accomplished superstars in the history of combat sports. Moreover, Lesnar is one of the few superstars to become a top attraction for both Wrestling and MMA.
Brock Lesnar came from an amateur wrestling background and burst onto the professional scene in 2000 when he signed with WWE. Lesnar was assigned to the company's earlier developmental brand, OVW. After impressing the higher-ups down in Ohio, Brock Lesnar made an announced debut the night after WrestleMania 18 on RAW, destroying a handful of superstars and was flanked by Paul Heyman.
As soon as he came to the main roster in 2002, Brock Lesnar was immediately identified as a top prospect and his rookie year became one of the important years of his life, that took his career to the next level. But that monster push began with an important victory for the Beast Incarnate at the 2002 King of the Ring pay-per-view that is not talked about much when it comes to his list of accolades. So let's dive deep and explore the subject of Brock Lesnar's monumental victory at the aforementioned show which laid down the path for his rise to the main event scene.
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Brock Lesnar Won The King Of The Ring Tournament In 2002 That Offered Him A Huge Opportunity
Brock Lesnar's arrival at the main roster saw him being perceived as a human force on nature who enjoyed laying carnage on his opponents and destroying them inside the squared circle. This led to him being called the 'Next Big Thing' in WWE by many and his own advocate at the time, Paul Heyman. In impromptu run-ins during his first few appearances, Lesnar destroyed mid-card wrestlers like Spike Dudley, Maven, and Al Snow, and in his first significant feud, he single-handedly defeated The Hardy Boyz.
Brock Lesnar embarked on a path to rise up to the top in quick succession by entering the 2002 King of the Ring tournament. In less than five minutes, Lesnar defeated veteran Bubba Ray Dudley in a tournament-qualifying match on RAW. He went on to easily defeated former WCW Champion Booker T in the quarterfinals to advance to the King of the Ring PPV.
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At the pay-per-view with the same name, Brock Lesnar and Test faced off in the semifinal. Until Test took control of the match and tried a pump handle slam on Lesnar, who dodged the move, Lesnar controlled most of the action. He went on to pick up the win by delivering an F-5 in response to Test's massive boot attempt. In the other semifinal match, Rob Van Dam knocked off Chris Jericho with the finals set between Van Dam and Brock Lesnar later that night.
Lesnar used his power moves to dominate Van Dam for most of the contest. After taking control of Lesnar, Van Dam hit him with several kicks and a Rolling Thunder. Lesnar caught Van Dam on his shoulders when he flew off the ropes and delivered an F-5 to win the King of the Ring tournament. Furthermore, the Beast's victory earned him a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship, with this edition of the pay-per-view being the only time a golden opportunity like this was granted to the winner.
The King Of The Ring Victory Was Brock Lesnar's Ticket To Cement Himself As A Main Eventer
Brock Lesnar's win at the King of the Ring event and victories against some of the big names at the time, established him as a legitimate main-event contender for WWE rather than just another big guy who made an impressive debut. The next destination for the Beast Incarnate was WWE SummerSlam 2002 where he was slated to battle the top star of the time, The Rock for the Undisputed championship.
King Lesnar was laser focused on stepping into the biggest match of his young career after weeks of heated exchanges with The Rock leading up to their bout at the biggest party of the summer. At the event, both competitors went up against each other in a classic back-and-forth encounter, with Brock Lesnar trying to dominate in the early stages. The closing moments of the bout saw Lesnar blocking a People's Elbow and a Rock Bottom and nailing The Rock with the F-5 to win his first championship in WWE. This win cemented Lesnar's status as the youngest WWE champion in history, winning the title at the age of 25.
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Therefore, it is evident that Brock Lesnar winning the King of the Ring 2002 is perhaps one of the most important victories in his career. Lesnar acquiring the title of 'The King' got things rolling for the young athlete from Minnesota to earn and clinch his first big opportunity and helped him establish himself as a marquee attraction for WWE in the future.
