Have Brock Lesnar's 2012-2014 in-ring performances been satisfactory?

[Creepy Old Man]

Okay, so his style has changed. He's older and not as agile, and his gimmick is now that of a fighter who destroys people in the ring. Does it make for great content, though?

His match with Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 was a great, bloody brawl that was a whole lot of fun. The new style worked on that night. All three of his matches with Triple H I thought were snooze fests that played out to silence from the crowd. Their cage match at Extreme Rules 2013 was the best of the three, but still nothing to write home about.

His match against Punk at SummerSlam 2013 was an instant classic. It was the closest thing to traditional pro wrestling Brock's done since his return, and it also incorporated his trademark brutality. The Big Show match at Royal Rumble this year was pitiful, but apparently that was due to an injury for Show, so I won't crap on it too much.

His recent matches against Undertaker and Cena were mediocre at best, in my opinion. Sure, the swerve results in both were compelling, but as matches they didn't stand up. The 'Taker bout played to silence, and finally the crowd rebelled at SummerSlam with a blatant "boring" chant. There's a difference between a good match and a weak match with a memorable ending.

Overall I don't think Lesnar's performances have been satisfactory. Do you?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Not sure I agree with your assessment of his matches but I think your opinions are reasonable. Even so, he is two out of eight of having enjoyable matches. That is batting .250. I think that is pretty good. Throw in UT's early match injury, and that his match with Big Show and his second match with Cena were more about ongoing narratives than technical masterpieces and I'd say he is doing extremely well.

But I get your point.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Throughout the years, wrestling fans have wondered how their favorite performers would do if they had to fight "for real" outside a WWE context.

How would John Cena do in a real fight in a bar? Do you think CM Punk could win an MMA contest? What would happen if Hulk Hogan had four football players coming at him in an alley?

When thinking of stuff like that, I try to imagine Sin Cara attempting his flying maneuvers in a real life scrap, one in which the guys he's fighting aren't being paid to make his moves look good....or if Evan Bourne was in a legitimate fight and tried to dropkick a guy who simply stepped to the side to avoid it.

With all that in mind, we have Brock Lesnar, a man who has contested tough guys for real, both on a football field and in mixed martial arts competitions, in which the guys he's going against aren't working with him....but against him.

With his physical advantages over just about everyone (yeah, Big Show is larger, but a marshmallow compared to Brock), while some wonder how good a wrestler Brock is, I wonder how he manages to not kill people. All he has to do is let down for a moment and deliver a "real" shot his opponent can't handle.

As far as his opponents go, I thought his best matches were against John Cena and Triple H, because those guys are built to withstand the punishment Brock brings even when he isn't trying to fight legitimately, as he did in MMA. There, he didn't have to softpedal as much, and the contests were better for it.....plus the fact that Cena and Trips know how to wrestle matches that best fit themselves and their opponents.

I thought Brock's match against Punk was a stinker because Lesnar had to take it easy on his man. Frankly, I thought he did a better job making it look good than I thought he could, while still managing to not kill Punk. Some of you thought Punk looked great in that match? Sure, because Brock allowed him to.....even in a scripted contest, this still applies. But there's no way a roughneck like Brock Lesnar is going to have a 4-star match with a guy he's afraid of breaking, so the overall performance was mediocre.

Same applies to Undertaker. You thought the match was bad? I did too, but given the age and brittleness of the guy Brock was fighting, I thought he did remarkably well not to kill Calaway. As it was, he apparently hurt the man for real, which is hardly surprising. Still, the match was bad because of the things Brock didn't do.

That's how I see it; Brock has done remarkably well given the fact he's fought for real......apparently doesn't really want to be performing for WWE (but can't resist the money), and has tempered his repertoire to allow for the fact he has to watch out for someone else other than himself.

Have his performances been satisfactory? Yeah, I think so......with the caveat that some of his matches will be better than others because of how much care he has to take while facing the guy across the ring.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

I have been pleased with Brock's performances since his return. I really can't think of another guy who makes things look as violent and realistic when beating an opponent and when the opponent is beating him because half the time he doesn't block shots because dude is crazy. His wrestling background is always going to be there so you get the great array of suplex's and the F-5 is still one of the best high impact finishers around.

For me that all adds up to Brock's performances more than measuring up in my eyes.

 

[kadroan]

I've been pleased with his matches. I was disappointed in the Taker/Brock match at WM XXX, however, after founding out Taker had a concussion during the match, I understand totally why their match wasn't anywhere near the quality it was during 2003.

Lesnar always looked strong, even during his losses.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Okay, so his style has changed. He's older and not as agile, and his gimmick is now that of a fighter who destroys people in the ring. Does it make for great content, though?

His match with Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 was a great, bloody brawl that was a whole lot of fun. The new style worked on that night. All three of his matches with Triple H I thought were snooze fests that played out to silence from the crowd. Their cage match at Extreme Rules 2013 was the best of the three, but still nothing to write home about.

His match against Punk at SummerSlam 2013 was an instant classic. It was the closest thing to traditional pro wrestling Brock's done since his return, and it also incorporated his trademark brutality. The Big Show match at Royal Rumble this year was pitiful, but apparently that was due to an injury for Show, so I won't crap on it too much.

His recent matches against Undertaker and Cena were mediocre at best, in my opinion. Sure, the swerve results in both were compelling, but as matches they didn't stand up. The 'Taker bout played to silence, and finally the crowd rebelled at SummerSlam with a blatant "boring" chant. There's a difference between a good match and a weak match with a memorable ending.

Overall I don't think Lesnar's performances have been satisfactory. Do you?

I agree that his performances have been unsatisfactory, but I disagree about his matches with Triple H and Punk. I enjoyed the hell out of all three of the Lesnar/HHH matches (although HHH should have won the third one), but even as a huge CM Punk fan, I didn't enjoy his match with Lesnar nearly as much. I think it's incredibly overrated by the IWC. It was a good match, but Punk has had much better matches and so has Lesnar (in his first run). The Brock Lesnar we saw in 2002-2004 was infinitely superior to the Lesnar we have today.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

In the grand scheme of things, I've been satisfied with Lesnar's return in the past couple of years. His matches with Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 & CM Punk at SummerSlam 2013 were clearly his best since returning.

I personally enjoyed his matches against Triple H, I thought both of them worked their asses off and put on physical matches that deserved a better response from fans than they received. However, I also agree with the notion that three matches between them was too much, that it was an opportunity to use someone fresh who had something to really gain in a feud with Lesnar.

As for Lesnar's match with Big Show, it was just sorta there. It was nothing more than a foil to make Lesnar look like a huge beast heading into WrestleMania season. It worked, but you saw it coming a mile off.

Lesnar's match with Taker suffered from so many different angles that part of me wonders why they still went through with it. LONG before the match was even officially announced, everyone from company insiders to wrestlers to fans themselves expressed concern over the potential risk to Taker's health. Lesnar's known for being extremely stiff and Taker's increasingly fragile state isn't exactly a closely guarded secret. The fact that nobody honestly thought Lesnar had a shot of ending the streak also worked against the match. Taker was injured early on in the bout, some reports state that he also suffered some other form of injury earlier in the week. The wear & tear, coupled with age and nagging injuries took their toll as Taker was in poor physical condition for the match. Taker genuinely gave it all he had, I respect the man for that, but this was clearly an instances where the spirit was more than willing but the flesh was certainly weak. However, when you take into account the shock factor of Lesnar ending the streak, ending it cleanly and ending it decisively, you have something that sort of balances everything out. The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX will go down as one of the most unexpected and shocking endings to a wrestling match of this generation. The only thing on the same level in the past 20 years, at least, was Hulk Hogan turning heel and forming the nWo with Scott Hall & Kevin Nash at Bash at the Beach back in 1996. As a result, it'll be one of the most talked about and classic bouts in WrestleMania history because we genuinely saw the end of an era.

Cena vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam may have lacked in terms of action, but I ultimately think that the final chapter is yet to be written. IF it turns out the way it looks like it MIGHT, namely with John Cena failing to regain the title from Lesnar, then it could turn out to be a masterpiece of long term storytelling. John Cena didn't just lose to Brock Lesnar, he was flat out decimated by Lesnar in what was by far the single most lopsided loss of Cena's career. As a result, it's introduced a potential dynamic of vulnerability in John Cena that we haven't seen before. We're so used to seeing John Cena overcome the odds, John Cena The Invincible, John Cena The Hero ultimately emerge triumphant in the end, good winning out over evil, etc. So the notion of Lesnar being this challenge that Cena isn't able to overcome with his usual tactics, being forced to ultimately evolve into something more than the embodiment of the old school hero is not only interesting but downright intriguing. IF we ultimately don't see John Cena flying off into the sunset and see some growth in his character, then any perceived shortcomings in the action of their match at SummerSlam will be rendered all but completely inconsequential. It'll be seen as the first step, as the means to what many feel is a long awaited end.

 

[BenChillin]

The chair shots only being allowed to the back nowadays made that Big Shoe beat down match wack in my opinion.

Also, his John Cena Summerslam match could have used some belly to belly suplexes.

Outside of that, and losing to Triple H in the lame feud, I enjoy his work.

 

[Aquaman6686]

The chair shots only being allowed to the back nowadays made that Big Shoe beat down match wack in my opinion.

Also, his John Cena Summerslam match could have used some belly to belly suplexes.

Outside of that, and losing to Triple H in the lame feud, I enjoy his work.

Lesnar didn't lose the feud with Triple H. He beat him in two out of the three matches. He SHOULD have lost the feud, but didn't.

 

[GeneralKarim]

Lesnar has performed admirably. For someone with so little - perceived - personality he sure does show a lot of it in the ring and even in promos or Heyman's promos, in his own way.

I don't believe I watched any of his matches since his return and found it unsatisfactory. I liked all of his matched besides the Taker one which wasn't really his fault.

Saying his match with Cena at Summerslam was mediocre is a pretty senseless thing to say, imo. It wasn't even a match. It was an angle. I'm 100% sure, like I would bet my life, if Brock would have tombstoned Cena in that match you would have said it was a good match. It was just an angle match and that's it, no point in critiquing it.

Was I thrilled about him and Triple H having too many matches? Not really. But I didn't need the crowd to enjoy the matches. They weren't the best but they were good enough. It's not like Brock can work with 45 yo Triple H like he would with a Punk.

Given that Lesnar and CM Punk had a classic I would say if Lesnar vs Bryan or Cesaro ever happens those have the posibility to be the matches of the century. Hell I think both of them said in intervews that they would like to work with him. Can't remember 100% about Cesaro but Bryan definitely said it. I hope it happens. And to people who bring the believebility argument...just go away.

 

[Vintage]

Lesnars gimmick is a MMA fighter who wrestles in WWE. He does it well, but personally I miss the old Brock Lesnar before Paul Heyman. I think Brock can still go all out but that's just not he's paid to do anymore.

 

[Papa Pillman]

His recent matches against Undertaker and Cena were mediocre at best, in my opinion. Sure, the swerve results in both were compelling, but as matches they didn't stand up. The 'Taker bout played to silence, and finally the crowd rebelled at SummerSlam with a blatant "boring" chant. There's a difference between a good match and a weak match with a memorable ending.

Overall I don't think Lesnar's performances have been satisfactory. Do you?

Let's throw the streak bout out of the equation. Taker was knocked silly early and barely coherent enough to do much more than go through the motions from there on. Brock did his best to guide him through the haze so they could attempt to execute some semblance of the match they were planning to present, and all things considered, the case could be made that they did a fine job in light of the circumstances.

Where I want to take issue is with the SummerSlam main event you referenced. I thought Brock and Cena delivered something truly special and memorable that didn't reflect anything we typically see from a WWE bout.

The match had a "Big Fight" feel in a way that is typically never associated with WWE, even at WrestleMania. It didn't feel like a WWE match, it felt more like a Japanese main event. By that I simply mean that it didn't have the same aura of a glitzy sports entertainment spectacle. It felt more like a major prize fight, like a true top flight combat sport main event, like we get only a couple of times a year here in the States from the biggest of boxing or UFC showdowns.

Both men executed what they were trying to do perfectly. Lesnar really made the point that was designed translate, and the nuances of Cena's performance were extraordinary on re-watch. The story was told in a way that worked brilliantly, and in its own ways it was some of the best work either man has pulled off. Aside from the Punk match at last year's SS, I had the match rated higher on the five star scale than any that Brock has had since his return.

As for the "Boring" chants that you referenced, save that shit. Go back and listen. The chants came from a very small vocal minority in one area of the arena. It'd be generous of me to say it was even 8%-10% of the crowd, probably closer to 5%. A few idiots who don't understand does not take away from the amazing match that was presented. Those fans are no better than the couple hundred people that chant the same dumb shit during a compelling Bray Wyatt promo every time WWE plays a crowd with too many mainstream sheep who can't comprehend how terrific he is as a speaker, yet would lap up a cookie-cutter Rock promo read from a teleprompter via satellite.

Brock is a different kind of performer than any other in the WWE. His hiatus saw him become a World Champion in the world's largest "shoot fighting" company in the world, as well as that company's biggest PPV draw to date. By keeping his matches few and far between and holding them on only the largest stages against only established stars at the tip-top of the food chain, the WWE has managed to capture that big fight atmosphere with Lesnar and give his fights an aura that feels special in relation to everyone else's matches. They have utilized him perfectly, and to Lesnar and his opponent's credit, they have delivered on maintaining that feel.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

You can't hold the Taker match being mediocre against Lesnar, he did all he could considering Taker was completely knocked out of his mind in the opening minutes of that match, the fact that it wasn't a train wreck after Takers concussion is about as good as you are gonna get in a situation like that.

Both his matches with Cena were pretty damn good in my opinion, his match with Punk was awesome and his Big Show match was exactly what it should be, it put Lesnar over as a monster with him destroying Show with ease. That's something to remember in all of this, sometimes matches are simply used to get a point across, they aren't supposed to be classics and Big Show vs. Lesnar delivered the EXACT message it was trying to get across so I call that a success.

In my eyes his only shitty time since coming back was that year he feuded with Triple H (which I realize was damn near half the time he's been back) and that was completely underwhelming in so many areas. When it comes to the matches and feud I don't put much blame if any on Lesnar as I firmly believe Triple H was the reason it didn't work. Say what you want but since the night after Wrestlemania only Triple H has had matches and a feud with Lesnar that didn't really work so its very hard to put that on Lesnar since everyone else he faced delivered. I just don't think Triple H knows how to work the right style to compliment Lesnar, you can't go toe to toe with Lesnar, he's a UFC champion and as Cena's 2 matches proved, you go head to head with Lesnar you get destroyed and Triple H should have been smart enough to figure that out. Lastly, it was a feud made to serve Triple H, they could have done the same story with any monster in WWE and it would have been exactly the same.

I can understand why some would think his run hasn't been satisfactory as a very large chunk of it wasn't but for myself Lesnar's time in WWE has been satisfactory overall, it would be pretty close to great if his Triple H feud didn't happen.

 

[Slash-LN]

I'm not a Lesnar fan at all so my opinion is probably biased but he's done pretty much what I've expected him to do.

He's gone in and brutalized people and tried to make himself look like a legitimate tough guy which he is.

I'm not sure what more people want to see out of him.

Were the matches that people didn't like his fault? Was there enough stuff he did wrong that you can put the blame on him for those matches?

His personal in ring work seems to be fine to fit where he is in his career right now.

The last match with Cena might have been boring but I'd wager Lesnar didn't write the match but he did go out there and execute.

So yeah overall I think his in ring performance has been satisfactory.

 

[RobertTheBruce]

I dunno... I really liked Lesnar in the program he was doing with Kurt Angle (SummerSlam through to No Mercy). A lot deeper and more compelling than the almosy Ryback-esque character we see now...

...for those of you who haven't seen the Angle/Lesnar fued I would highly recommend you go back and watch it.