This Has Got To Be A First

[TUFFY54]

Brock Lesnar is the first WWE wrestler in history to have sponsors.

Did anyone else notice Brock Lesnar's shirt? From the front it look like what you would expect. However, I was a little shocked to see the giant JJ's and Case logos on the back. Today WZ posted an image of Brock's new ring outfit. Sure enough, it's plastered with company logos. All the reports have been claiming that Lesnars deal is the biggest of all time, and this just proves it. No wrestler has ever sported another companies merchandise on their ring gear. Apparently Vince let Brock keep his UFC sponsors.

I'm not trying to make this sound like a huge deal, but I do find it interesting. Hell, we never saw Steve Austin with a Budwiser logo on his trunks during the Attitude Era.

 

[Davi323]

Speculation: Brock may have been contractually obligated to fulfill his advertising requirements, and that Vince agreed to let him do it as a condition for Lesnar coming back. There is probably a financial reason behind it.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Although they are technically not sponsoring him, CM Punk has his Pepsi tattoo and had the Pepsi logo on his old Titantron, I think.

It's different than Lesnar's though as those are clearly sponsors. Punk just likes Pepsi.

 

[midgensa]

This was definitely something I noticed on his shirt when he came out.

It is an odd thing to see in the ring for sure ... and I personally hope it does not set a precedent. I could easily see the WWE going for the main-stream cross-over appeal of MMA though ... and having him still "act" like a UFC guy might be good for them.

That is why they are going with the ring attire that clearly does not fit with their product and they have him pimping stuff on his t-shirts.

Definitely worth noticing and seeing where it goes.

 

[TheKingofKings20222]

Like it was said before, It was probably just another stipulation added by Lesnar that Vince couldn't turn down. I highly doubt anything will come from it.

 

[ITrippedTheShockmaster]

I think, like what was said earlier, that he has his sponsors from UFC and was still under contract to them for promotional work. So, when he came to UFC, they came with him. I'm sure Brock worked something out with Vince to allow it when he came back. It wouldn't be the first time a performer came back and promoted something... like a movie... or a book... or a movie...

 

[Skinsley]

Speculation: Brock may have been contractually obligated to fulfill his advertising requirements, and that Vince agreed to let him do it as a condition for Lesnar coming back. There is probably a financial reason behind it.

This is what I thought.

But could this be the start of something new? I would have no problem with WWE making even more money through such advertisements.

 

[jrichardson25]

I'm sure its two fold. The WWE (not just Vince) wants more mainstream crossover. Bring Lesnar back was the second stage of that (Rock being the first). The sponsors will be good for business regardless of Lesnar's contractual obligations. I won't be surprised if we see more of that in the future especially with guys like John Cena, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Sheamus etc etc. Big star = big money.

 

[Aotearoa (Bushwacker)]

This is what I thought.

I would have no problem with WWE making even more money through such advertisements.

If WWE can make more money from other avenues that's awesome...if, that means PPV's for example would become cheaper. I realise the price we pay for PPV's is to cover the shows expenses. If they can make alot of money through sponsorship deals etc. we should then not have to pay as much for PPV's. I would be upset however if the sponsorship deals become mainstream and everything else stays the same and it's just the execs getting richer. More money revenue and sources should mean better quality at a cheaper price for the fan.

 

[Vanderhook]

It's probably part of his contract and he is obligated to do it.

However, I also feel like WWE is happy to go along with it because it plays up the whole "UFC guy" gimmick for Brock.