Brock Lesnar won the IWGP title in his first matchOnce in a while there comes an athlete that has been a dominant force in whatever they have gone out to accomplish. In pro-wrestling history, there is just one person who has broken the pre-determined image of kayfabe and has gone on to achieve success in the most brutal combat sport in the world that is MMA.Brock Lesnar is a true beast and not just a character. He is one of the baddest dudes on planet earth and his success is a specimen of the human capabilities of a pro-wrestler. He is the only guy, as JBL keeps on ranting day in and out, to have held the NCAA wrestling title, UFC Heavyweight title, and the WWE World title. His amateur wrestling record stands at an astonishing 33-0-0.But between his stint with the WWE and UFC, ‘The Beast’ headed to Japan to conquer the east. It has been stated that post-WWE, he was in the midst of the darkest phase of his life and found solace in Japan, who welcomed him with open arms. He was picked up by New Japan Pro Wrestling and from the very start it was evident that he would be a big draw there due to his impressive credentials. Although he had just a handful of matches, he had some noteworthy ones and even held the prestigious IWGP title. As Brock Lesnar is not going to be seen anytime soon on WWE TV, we take a look at some of hs best matches from NJPW that would surely quench your thirst for ‘The Beast’.
#1 Brock Lesnar wins the NJPW title in his first match
After leaving the WWE, Brock Lesnar was in a limbo that can be best described as a mental breakdown. He has mentioned that it was the darkest phase of his life and the tattoo of a dagger on his chest is a symbol of that time, which he says was how he felt, as if he was choking to death.
For a star as big as Lesnar there is always a host of promotions waiting in the fray and the ones to pounce on that opportunity were NJPW. They bought him under their ranks and built him up as a champion from day one.
His first match was against Kazuyuki Fujita and Masahiro Chono in a triple threat match for the IWGP Heavyweight title(top championship belt in the NJPW promotion). The champion then was Fujita and although the match wasn’t a classic spectacle, it sure projected Lesnar as an unstoppable beast. From the get go, he was the victim of a two on one assault but that would prove worthless as Lesnar claimed the title and stamped his authority in Japanese wrestling. The match was Lesnar all the way.
He finished off the match with the F-5 renamed the verdict due to legal issues with the WWE at that time and pinned Chono to claim the title in his first match itself. It was a testament of how NJPW viewed Lesnar, a top draw who would rake in the moolah and so he did. The Japanese crowd loved Lesnar from the onset and it proved that American wrestlers were sought after in the east.
#2 Brock Lesnar vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Amidst WWE trying to stop Lesnar from performing for NJPW, Lesnar was scheduled to face the former champion, Shinsuke Nakamura, in what was a dream match of sorts in Japanese and indie wrestling circles on January 4th, 2006 at the Tokyo Dome show.
The match was a short one, but boy wasn’t it fun. Lesnar was the bully he is and Nakamura the fighting underdog trying to take down the beast. The match saw a great number of counters with Nakamura getting a tour of the famous ‘Suplex City’ and getting clobbered in the process. The two styles merged to perfection with Nakamura at his high-flying and hard-hitting best with his dropkicks and suicide dives and Lesnar being at his powerful best with his suplexes and powerbombs.
Lesnar was at his dominant best and put an end to the match with ‘The Verdict’ which was in reference to the legal tussle with the WWE, and retained his IWGP title in impressive fashion. In spite of the WWE trying their level best to stop Lesnar from competing in the Janapense promotion, he later on, teamed up with Nakamura to face Riki Choshu and Akebono in a tag match. Apparently, this match was the precursor to unleash the next contender to Lesnar’s title.
#3 Brock Lesnar vs Akebono
This match was billed as “The beast vs The Beast’ and was the stiffest and biggest threat to Lesnar’s title and was going to take place on March 3rd, 2006 at the Sumo Hall. It cannot be called a great match by any means but was a great spectacle nonetheless all because it was a match between two wrestlers who looked like true behemoths..
The bout was all about Lesnar trying to sweep Akebono off his feet through various means but to no avail. It was one of those rare instances when you saw Lesnar being manhandled by someone and it was a treat to watch. Lesnar kept trying to shake off the behemoth off his feet, but Akebono kept pushing him off only to see Brock trying again.
Such a match has got to have a screwed finish and it sure got one. Akebono hit a Banzai drop on Lesnar only to find the ref lying in pain due to an earlier collision. Lesnar took advantage and grabbed the belt and smashed Akebono’s face with it. This was actually supposed to be the end, but Lesnar thought that the fans wouldn't buy into it. Thus mid-match, Lesnar and Akebono decided to have a DDT finish and Lesnar hit Akebono with a deadly DDT who pick up the win via pinfall. The match saw Lesnar trying to hoist Akebono up countless times for the Verdict (F-5) but to no avail.
The match can be a snoozefest to many, but it accomplished what it had to, project Lesnar as an unstoppable beast and he picked up another monstrous win to solidify his title reign.
#4 Brock Lesnar vs Giant Bernard( Lord Tensai / Albert)
Giant Bernard popularly known as Lord Tensai or Albert in the WWE has been a much bigger draw in Japan than in America. Bernard earned a shot at the title after winning the NJC cup and was poised to face Lesnar in the very first American vs American for the IWGP title.
Two big guys slugging it out is always a joy to watch and this match exceeded the expectations surrounding it. The match took place on May 4th, 2006 in Fukuoka and started off with Bernard having the upper hand. He traded some impactful clotheslines and a big foot to stun Lesnar who kept fighting back. The match cannot be ranked as a classic, but the final stretch was worth watching.
It included a counter of moves from Bernard and Lesnar as both exchanged their finishing moves to set up a great climax. Lesnar came out on top as he always does but this time he had to execute two huge DDT’s and “The Verdict’ on Bernard to pick up the win via pinfall and retain his championship.
And his impressive title reign continued with yet another win that showcased the power of Lesnar. After this match, Lesnar left NJPW due to monetary issues with the management. NJPW announced that Lesnar was stripped off the title due to visa issues. Lesnar in spite of that held the physical IWJP championship belt after a chain of events that saw a tournament being held to decide the new champion and a lot of unwanted dramatic twists that ended with an unhappy NJPW claiming that Lesnar was never beaten for the title and would face Kurt Angle for the championship.
#5 Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle
The match was between the TNA World Champion Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar who was the IWGP champion. Lesnar came out to a voracious reception.
Angle wasted no time in attacking Lesnar and what followed was one heck of a match between two stars who have the utmost respect for each other. It was reminiscent of their WrestleMania match and it was a great encounter between two legends. The match saw was a back and forth contest and the one that you would expect from two high-class wrestlers.
It saw both trade german suplexes and Brock applying the ankle lock on Angle in a great reversal. The match though short in duration saw two great ring technicians put on a clinic that had emotion and offense. Angle would come out on top with the ankle lock fully locked in on Lesnar that would mark the end of Brock’s NJPW run. Angle won the IWGP title but would later drop the title to Shinsuke Nakamura that made Nakamura the true IGPW champion.
Brock Lesnar’s time in Japan had its fair share of controversy, but it continued the dominance of one of the best to have graced the business of pro-wrestling. At the end of the day, Lesnar proved to be a big draw everywhere he went, even in Japan and holds the distinction of being one of the few American wrestlers to have held the IWGP title.
As Paul Heyman, rightly says ‘All hail the conqueror’ ‘Brrrrrocck Lesnar’
