Brock Lesnar will attempt to bridge a 10-year gap between WWE title reigns when he faces John Cena at SummerSlam on August 17.
After breaking The Undertaker's WrestleMania undefeated streak in his last match, The Beast Incarnate and his advocate Paul Heyman have set his sights on another huge win – the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Below, Sports Mole reflects on Lesnar's history with the company's biggest prize.
It was at SummerSlam 12 years ago when Lesnar wrote his name into the record books by becoming the youngest WWE champion in history at 25 years old. He beat The Rock, who was the biggest star in the business at the time, to crown a run to the top that had started with his explosive debut only five months prior.
In June 2002, Lesnar won the King of the Ring tournament, defeating Rob Van Dam in the final, to make himself the number one contender. Rock vs. Brock was booked for SummerSlam and, at the Nassau Coliseum, Lesnar stunned 'The Great One' to truly announce himself as 'The Next Big Thing'.
Rock returned to Hollywood, leaving Lesnar to earn his stripes during a brutal feud with Taker, against whom he even survived Hell in the Cell at No Mercy.
It was only a devious act of treachery from Heyman which cost Lesnar the belt, as he aligned himself with a new client, Big Show, at Survivor Series, helping the World's Largest Athlete steal the gold.
A run as a face allowed Lesnar to show a more heroic, and at times even light-hearted character, far from the machine of destruction that he portrays now. And he soon exacted revenge on Big Show, by besting him in a qualifying match for the 2003 Royal Rumble, which he went on to win by again proving that he had The Undertaker's number, last eliminating 'The Deadman' after entering at 29.
In booking his WrestleMania XIX date, the Minnesota son set up a mouthwatering contest with champion and new-found friend Kurt Angle. Three F5s and an infamous shooting star press later, Lesnar had secured a second WWE Championship reign in his less than 12-month stay on the roster.
Big Show and a young, hungry Cena, with whom he has now gone full circle, were opponents that were easily dispatched with in the months after Mania. But Angle, returning after neck surgery, proved to be his equal and regained the strap in a Triple Threat match at Vengeance 2003, which also included Big Show.
Lesnar's act of graceful acceptance in the aftermath of this loss proved to be a veil for his Vince McMahon-masterminded conspiracy to get the title back.
After he fell short in what was another huge SummerSlam main event, the owner of the company sanctioned Lesnar a third shot at Angle, in a 60-minute Ironman match that is considered one of the best in SmackDown history. Some tactical chair shots at the start of the bout helped Lesnar eventually claim a 5-4 victory as he withstood the ankle lock for the final 35 seconds.
Heyman's instalment as SmackDown general manager was only going to aid Lesnar's title defence as the two reformed their relationship. With the assistance of Big Show, A-Train, Nathan Jones and Matt Morgan, all of whom were in Heyman's stable too, the former NCAA champion survived a vengeful Hardcore Holly to keep hold of his belt until No Way Out.
It was the Cow Palace in California that was the scene of one of the most emotional WWE Championship wins of all time, as Eddie Guerrero benefitted from Goldberg's interference to hit the frog splash on Lesnar for the 1-2-3.
That was the last time that Brock held the WWE title – 3,818 days ago. It may only be 17 days until he holds it again.
Joe Fish
