The curious case of Brock Lesnar and his connection to the fans

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

So, this has been bothering me.

Brock Lesnar is the defininition of the following:
a) spamming wrestling moves
b) 5-moves-of-doom
c) part-timer
d) Superman comebacks. Bigger than any comeback Hogan, Cena or Reigns ever made.
e) can't cut a promo
f) he's pushed to the moon by Vince and the corporate system
g) defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania and broke the streak
h) refuses to work any other type of match other than his spamming mode
i) he has squashed crowd favorites like Owens and Ambrose and Rollins
j) doesn't really care about wrestling

Soooo.. What the heck?!

All of these ingredients summed up should make fans boo the hell out of Lesnar. Imagine Reigns or Cena getting that treatment. Nobody would accept that. So, I'm trying to figure out what makes Brock Lesnar so special. Why do the fans love Brock Lesnar so much? Why do everyone give Lesnar a free pass? And I just don't get it.
And I also like Lesnar! I just love watching Brock Lesnar appear and tear down the house. But I can't find either what makes Brock Lesnar such an attraction given all the points I pointed out.

Is it his size as an athlete? Is it the fact that he was a UFC champion, which turns Lesnar into a "cool act" and not a "fake wrestler"? I'd get if it was nostalgia, but it's not nostalgia anymore, because Brock has been with the company for 5 years now.

So, what's the deal with Lesnar and the love he receives from the fans?

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Because outside of Reigns and Cena, there is no one on the roster who who delivers in big matches like Lesnar does. That is really all you need to connect with fans is put on good matches.

This most recent run as champ has been great because it's different. Joe looked like a legit threat to Brock, the first full time guy to do so in ages. Braun looks like some sort of actual Godzilla monster against him. He is actually allowing guys to get over on him at times this run. He still needs to be The Beast, because that's the appeal in him as a competitor, but he looks like a beast with a weakness for now. So long at those all keep up, people will continue to respond in kind.

And outside of Ambrose, who I will argue is not a legit main event level talent, which fan favorites has he squashed? Rollins usually put up an okay fight considering Brock has a hundred pounds on him. Owens lost on a house show and those don't count.

 

[thegarymiller]

Brock Lesner was the most furious wrestler, but now can't say for sure where he stands.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Because casual fans only care about being entertained. They don't care about moves, or workrate, or any of that junk. When Lesnar comes out, he's legitimate and a real monster. All of his matches have a "big fight" feel.

The IWC hates pretty much everyone casual fans love just for the sake of being rebellious. I know that will draw some crybabies, but it's true.

 

[ShinChan]

I don't know about others but I don't like Brock Lesnar when he squashes potential main eventers. No problem if he squashes someone like Enzo Amore. But Dean Ambrose? Seth Rollins? Randy Orton? Sorry but I can't like them getting squashed. He's unarguably a top star in WWE but I need to be given more reasons to care about him than just his star power. The period of almost 3 months where he didn't defend the title sucked for sure. But at least, the matches aren't squashes anymore, so I actually care.

And yes, I care about the "junk". I never knew that caring for wrestling means caring for "junk". It's like badmouthing something you don't like because you feel superior. Pretty cool.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Why is everyone under the assumption that Brock doesn't give a shit? Yeah he may not be a fan of wrestling as referenced on Stone Cold's podcast where he said that he goes to work, clocks in, works, clocks out goes home. There's nothing wrong with that at all. A LOT of people work in this industry for money and nothing more. If Summerslam wasn't an indication that Brock actually does give a shit about this and works hard, then i'm not sure what is.

Suplex City is one of the most popular things in WWE. From what I've heard the shirts sell like hot cakes and everytime Brock throws someone for a German, the crowd loses their shit. I would wager it's not Lesnar saying fuck this and just doing the same thing every match out of laziness, but more so creative because Suplex City is still awesome in the eyes of the majority of fans. I've only ever seen people on here complain about it. It's a completely different atmosphere when you are there live seeing Lesnar do that (I went to Great Balls of Fire).

The only time I wasn't very happy with a Brock Lesnar match was his WrestleMania 32 match against Dean Ambrose. I was looking forward to that and was thinking it would be a more hardcore Punk match. That's not what happened though, but eh it was a stinker and life goes on to the next match. Seth Rollins I loathed his heel world title run and was hoping Brock would just squash him to take the title off him.

Brock is there for the money, but to say he doesn't work hard or doesn't care is idiotic. You can complain all you want about Brock showing up a handful of times a year, etc. but I guarantee you that if you were offered as much money as he makes to work that much in a year you would take it and you are a damn liar if you say you wouldn't.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

So, this has been bothering me.

Brock Lesnar is the defininition of the following:
a) spamming wrestling moves
b) 5-moves-of-doom
c) part-timer
d) Superman comebacks. Bigger than any comeback Hogan, Cena or Reigns ever made.
e) can't cut a promo
f) he's pushed to the moon by Vince and the corporate system
g) defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania and broke the streak
h) refuses to work any other type of match other than his spamming mode
i) he has squashed crowd favorites like Owens and Ambrose and Rollins
j) doesn't really care about wrestling

Soooo.. What the heck?!

All of these ingredients summed up should make fans boo the hell out of Lesnar. Imagine Reigns or Cena getting that treatment. Nobody would accept that. So, I'm trying to figure out what makes Brock Lesnar so special. Why do the fans love Brock Lesnar so much? Why do everyone give Lesnar a free pass? And I just don't get it.
And I also like Lesnar! I just love watching Brock Lesnar appear and tear down the house. But I can't find either what makes Brock Lesnar such an attraction given all the points I pointed out.

Is it his size as an athlete? Is it the fact that he was a UFC champion, which turns Lesnar into a "cool act" and not a "fake wrestler"? I'd get if it was nostalgia, but it's not nostalgia anymore, because Brock has been with the company for 5 years now.

So, what's the deal with Lesnar and the love he receives from the fans?

If you haven't figured out that many of the most vocal wrestling fans are giant hypocrites by now, I've got a bridge to sell you.

I don't know about others but I don't like Brock Lesnar when he squashes potential main eventers. No problem if he squashes someone like Enzo Amore. But Dean Ambrose? Seth Rollins? Randy Orton? Sorry but I can't like them getting squashed. He's unarguably a top star in WWE but I need to be given more reasons to care about him than just his star power. The period of almost 3 months where he didn't defend the title sucked for sure. But at least, the matches aren't squashes anymore, so I actually care.

I noticed you didn't seem to care that he squashed John Cena.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

e) can't cut a promo

I beg to differ

[youtube]YaZzbwmF0fk[/youtube]

On the side note you just described Hulk Hogan. Well aside of beating Taker at Wrestlemania but that is just because they never met at that stage. Or else you wouldnt know about "The Streak" at all. So you see, just because somebody doesnt do flips and didnt spend 20 years in indy circuit doesnt mean he cant connect and do great wrestling moments for fans to enjoy.

Oh, and he is attraction because he is marketable. Legit star and prized fighter for who you can say "Now, there is the guy that will kick everyone asses and wanted to kick some more". And to the words of "The Sopranos reject" Enzo: And you cant teach that.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

What I disliked about Brock Lesnar was that he was being put into competitive matches against guys who were booked and built up to be credible opponents for him. As ShinChan mentioned, it aggravated me to see Lesnar squash guys like Wyatt, Ambrose, Rollins and a few others in matches as it just made them come off as scrubs, at least in my eyes, and I simply didn't see any reason for it. Lesnar could still be made to look like this badass beast while still making these young guys look like credible stars. WWE looks to have finally ditched that formula and making his matches competitive bouts, which now makes them come off, at least to me, as genuine, must see matches. Seeing Lesnar go in there and squash someone with a plethora of German suplexes before hitting an F5 got really old for me.

As for why others are into him and have been into him, Lesnar simply has IT, that ever elusive and difficult to quantify IT only it's actually pretty easy to quantify in his case. Lesnar has an amazing presence and he's a genuine badass; not only does he look like a badass and carry himself like one, but he actually is one and people know it. I think one thing that attracts a lot of fans to him is the fact that he's simply made Vince McMahon his bitch. Lesnar does stuff, says stuff and essentially des pretty much whatever he wants without any consequences.

As others have also pointed out, a lot of fans are full of shit when it comes to who they like and who they don't. I saw a video recently of some fans who were waiting in line before SummerSlam and they were asked why they booed Roman Reigns and some of them gave answers that were stereotypical internet fan responses such as "he's been shoved down our throats" while others couldn't really even give any sort of coherent answer. Lesnar's not an indie darling, he didn't spend 10 or 12 years on the indie circuit, he doesn't do 20 superkicks, a dozen suicide dives or 8 flips per match and that's enough for him to get labeled by some net fans as not being able to wrestle. If a wrestler happens to be one of "their guys", then they don't have any complaints about him being shoved down their throats.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

He appears sporadically since his long hiatus. If he was there every week more fans would tire of his act. In fact, up until SS more were tiring of his act. His performance at SS made some memories shorter.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Brock isn't around every week, so people don't get bored of him. If he was on every week, did the same thing, and it was discovered that Vince "loves" him, these same people who cheer him now would turn on him in a second. But because their attention spans don't last more than a few minutes, they forget about Brock when he isn't around.

Also, Brock seems like he doesn't give a flying f...ck about professional wrestling, just like most of his fans, who pretend that they know everything about it, who claim to know a lot about wrestling, but never have a nice word to say about it.

A lot of them also love everything that comes out of Paul Heyman's mouth, and would like to put something into his mouth in gratitude.

 

[Snugglebites]

A lot of people forget that most WWE fans don't care that much for actual wrestling. It's all about seeing these cool and badarse characters beating people up. That's exactly what Lesnar is, and does.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

A lot of people forget that most WWE fans don't care that much for actual wrestling. It's all about seeing these cool and badarse characters beating people up. That's exactly what Lesnar is, and does.

That's why I watch wrestling. That's why so many guys were over during the attitude era because of all the different gimmicks. If you can mix wrestling ability and gimmick you get someone like Kurt Angle the greatest ever. OH ITS TRUE!

 

[Radical]

All the things the OP said are correct but why does Lesnar get away with it?

A.) BECAUSE he is a part-timer he isn't over-exposed and fans don't get tired of him as fast as others who have '5 moves of doom.'

If Lesnar was around every single week doing the same thing, fans WOULD get tired of it and probably like him less.


B.) He does have LEGIT competitive athlete presence. It is true what Heyman says: the guy is a once in a lifetime athlete. The things he has accomplished, sure others have done somewhat similar stuff but Lesnar has done it perhaps the most emphatically as anyone.

This adds to his "It" status as someone who just draws the eye and attention that not many can do in the Pro Wrestling business.


C.) He has what many others don't have when they can't do great mic work - a MANAGER/MOUTHPIECE. The lost art of having a manager who can speak for you most of the time is clearly still valuable.

Sure, Lesnar can butt in with a few good lines but the 'sell' job on the mic goes to Heyman most of the time.

If Lesnar had to stand there by himself all this time WITHOUT a mouthpiece manager he WOULD NOT sell as well as he does. Anyone who remembers Lesnar when he came back and he had that fairly long promo in the ring with I think it was Vince or John Cena about demands he was making and such. Heyman wasn't there and you could tell Lesnar was not comfortable with all the dialogue he was supposed to say. He QUICKLY got Heyman back after that segment and has had him ever since!


D.) Lesnar gets away with his style because of his limited schedule, legit credibility, his size, his mouthpiece AND the fact that he won't be around all the much longer.

I believe his contract will run out officially sometime after the upcoming WrestleMania. He will likely lose the Universal Title (probably to Roman Reigns) and then perhaps finish up that rivalry before being done with WWE. He will have made him money. WWE will probably feel they have got enough value out of him that they could possibly get.

If he were to be sticking around any more years, like another 2, 3 or 4 years he WOULD rapidly lose his appeal because most of the interesting matches would have happened and his likely loss to Reigns as WM is probably to shift the "Top Dog/Beast" in WWE status to Reigns so having Lesnar around much longer just makes him kind of second fiddle.


So the good and bad for Lesnar fans is this is probably his last year (full year from Summer to Summer) in WWE even as a part-timer, so enjoy it even if the ending might be disappointing.

 

[Wildcat66]

Because fans in general are hypocrites. They'll go ape-shit in hatred when someone they hate like Roman Reigns or John Cena spams moves and get love from Vince yet when Brock Lesnar does it, he gets off scot-free because 'Suplex City bitch!' or some other reason.

Yes, you can make the argument that he's a part-timer but don't fans not like part-timers for a reason. And I don't mean the ones that have a couple matches back that lead to nothing, they seem to be ok with that; but more the ones that last longer than a few months like Batista or The Rock and more recently with Goldberg.

And even that's a little weird because Chris Jericho does this all the time and fans always seem to eat that up.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Because fans in general are hypocrites. They'll go ape-shit in hatred when someone they hate like Roman Reigns or John Cena spams moves and get love from Vince yet when Brock Lesnar does it, he gets off scot-free because 'Suplex City bitch!' or some other reason.

Yes, you can make the argument that he's a part-timer but don't fans not like part-timers for a reason. And I don't mean the ones that have a couple matches back that lead to nothing, they seem to be ok with that; but more the ones that last longer than a few months like Batista or The Rock and more recently with Goldberg.

And even that's a little weird because Chris Jericho does this all the time and fans always seem to eat that up.

I'm not disagreeing with most of what you said, but Jericho is a bad example. Even if he's only back for a few months, he's there every week. And he's there, mostly, to put people over. Even to a fault really. He even lost to Fandango at WM. I mean, come on...

 

[AnthonyM4]

Here's another reason- they still remember the guy from 2002-04. That guy put on 5 star matches on a frequent basis. To Brock fans(and wwe fans in general) Brock Lesnar will always be the wrestler he was from 2002-2004 even though he doesn't work like that anymore. Plus they hope that he does decide to work like that against certain opponents. I was really hoping the Brock from 02-04 would come out vs Samoa Joe.

 

[ShinChan]

I noticed you didn't seem to care that he squashed John Cena.

Well, I do. I just forgot about that. That wasn't right either for me. It was shocking but shocking isn't always good. Like Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker's streak was shocking but nowhere near good.

As a side note, I'm enjoying Brock's reign now. Before Great Balls Of Fire, it sucked because well nothing happened. No defense. But the two matches have been good. These are the matches I want from Brock Lesnar. Not boring squashes.