10 Best WWE Brock Lesnar Matches: 2002

WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar looks to be on his way out of WWE, for the second time, at the end of August, following SummerSlam.

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Ever since he returned to WWE in 2012, Brock has given some highly excellent matches, some of the absolute best of the year and maybe even ever to the eyes of some. As great as Brock's matches have been this time around, I loom back at his first WWE run, from 2002 - 2004, as having several matches that were even better than a handful of his bouts over the last six years.

Before returning to WWE and joining UFC, Brock was a different kind of performer and athlete. While this time around he has implored a lot of his UFC background, his first run had far more of his amateur wrestling, which not only made for some excellent matches, but some of the best ever.

#10 Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show - Judgement Day 2003

Well to be honest, for this one, the real entertainment only came during the second half of it.

The first half of this Stretcher Match had the usual several failed attempts to put each other on the stretcher, and failing, with a lot of power moves in between.

In comparison to Lesnar's second run with WWE though, this match is a million times better than the match between Brock and Show at the 2014 Royal Rumble, as both men were allowed to show how powerful they were.

Lesnar didn't need to resort to any weapon use to take Show down, while Show was allowed to show he was every bit as strong as the Beast Incarnate.

After the first half of back and forth attempts and power moves, Brock realized Big Show wouldn't fit on the stretcher, prompting Lesnar to head backstage and reemerged on a forklift, where he climbed the top and performed an incredible cross-body on Show and a suplex and F-5 later, Brock rolled Show up the stage on the stretcher and forklift, and retained his WWE Championship.

#9 Brock Lesnar vs. Rob Van Dam - Vengeance 2002

This, in my opinion at least, was the first highly entertaining match that Brock Lesnar had in WWE.

Before this, he had a couple okay matches with the Hardy Boyz on pay-per-view, and some decent matches with Booker T and Ric Flair on RAW, but nothing that made him stand out as being what he was being referred to as, 'The Next Big Thing'.

But then this match happened at Vengeance and gave some hope that Brock would be a good WWE Champion when he was to predictably defeat The Rock at SummerSlam the following month. What was good about this match was Rob Van Dam also looking like he could be a big star as RVD was in management's favour at the time for a big push and unlike Brock's other matches at the time, this was competitive.

Brock started off strong but RVD was quick to reverse him. Brock maintained with a little domination before Rob reversed and they fought a little on the outside.

Van Dam got the upper hand back in the ring with some kicks and the usual RVD moves. He is seemingly about to become the first superstar to pin Brock, after a Frogsplash, but Paul Heyman pulled the referee to the outside, causing a DQ.

It seemed like a bad way to end the match, but as it was an Intercontinental Championship match, it was ended this way to protect both men, but mostly Brock.

#8 Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle - SummerSlam 2003

Even after everyone Brock has faced over the last six years in WWE, no one has ever come as close as to have the amazing chemistry he had with Kurt Angle back in 2003. These two had the best feud of 2003, due in large part to all the matches between being among the best of the entire year.

Unlike their first pay-per-view match earlier that year at WrestleMania XIX, this time the roles were reversed as Angle was the face and Lesnar the heel, and it made for a dynamic even better than they had before.

The match kicked off with some good mat based wrestling, both digging into their amateur backgrounds.

After Brock attempted to walk away with the WWE Championship, Angle dragged him back and gave him a beautiful belly to belly suplex. As usual with these two, a lot of back and forth action, with several different suplex variations from both.

Angle played to his speed for most, while Brock his strength. Brock hit an F-5, only for Kurt to kick out, while Lesnar kicked out of the Angle Slam. Kurt applied the Ankle Lock several times, which had damaging effect on Brock as he spent the final few minutes fighting on one foot. Vince McMahon interfered, assisting Brock, which leads to Lesnar performing a one-legged F-5 on Kurt!

Angle would Angle Slam Vince on a chair, and locked in the Ankle Lock again, only for this time for Lesnar to tap out for the first time in his career.

#7 Brock Lesnar vs. Chris Benoit - SmackDown, December 4, 2003

Even if Chris Benoit was alive today, this would still be a forgotten gem, as it was every year from when it happened, up until 2007, and of course, beyond.

Benoit had a pretty good build to this. Their had been some rumblings that he was in line for the main event run and Championship reign, and although this probably wasn't going to be his night, his performance turned those who didn't think so, into those who truly believed he could.

Some nice chain wrestling got us started, but quickly turned into some Lesnar domination, complete with suplexes.

We had some submissions, power moves, and an army of suplexes. Despite the size difference, we got some solid back and forth action.

The ref got knocked down and Benoit locked in the Crossface, to which Lesnar tapped. After he recovered, he hit Benoit with an F-5, but he kicked out.

A frustrated Lesnar beat Benoit senseless with a still chair, and locked in his new submission, the 'Brock Lock', for the win.

#6 Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock - SummerSlam 2002

This was a great match for a couple of reasons. The action was smooth and exciting, and what with The Rock leaving to film The Rundown, everyone knew he was leaving for several months, which left a rapid audience. Although the outcome was obvious, this was still a fantastic match.

The fans were so into this. It had every chant it could have had, from 'Rocky' to 'Rocky Sucks', 'Brocky', 'Brocky Sucks', 'Lesnar', 'Lesnar Sucks', even some 'Goldberg' chants.

We got some good brawling on the outside, a little through the crowd until back in the ring for some of those original famous Lesnar suplexes, the belly to belly. A lot of back and forth action, a couple submissions from both, and interference's from Paul Heyman. After they fought to the outside again, Rock had enough of Paul and gives him a Rock Bottom through the announcer's table.

Rock hit Lesnar with a Rock Bottom, only for Lesnar to kick out. Lesnar then hit a Rock Bottom of his own, only for Rock to kick out. The Beast Incarnate avoided an attempted People's Elbow, while Rock reversed an F-5, only to be caught a moment later with an F-5, for the win.

#5 Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show vs. Kurt Angle - Vengeance 2003

This was destined to be a great one. It was the first time Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle were against each other since their WrestleMania classic, and even Big Show, who wasn't exactly on their level of great matches, had even had some good matches leading up to this one, and had been booked very well with consecutive wins over both Brock and Kurt just weeks earlier.

Big Show started off strong by taking both men down and even getting in a Chokeslam on Brock just moments into it. Big Show continued to dominate for a little while before some double team from Lesnar and Angle took him down.

Brock hit Show with an F-5, Kurt locked his Ankle Lock, they fought outside, Brock showed his freakish strength when he power bombed Show, with then more team-ups, and brawls throughout. Kurt then planted Show through the announcer's table with an Angle Slam.

Brock and Kurt went at it alone with a lot of back and forth action, several suplexes until Show re-entered with a double Chokeslam. Following their recovery, Kurt gave an Angle Slam to Big Show and then to Brock, covering him for the three count and his fourth WWE Championship.

#4 Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker - No Mercy 2002

The Undertaker losing his legendary WrestleMania streak to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 in 2014 might be what everyone will always remember from the matches and feud of these two, but this Hell in A Cell bloodbath will always be their finest encounter.

Where before Taker took Shawn Michaels, Mankind and Rikishi outside of the Cell for moments that made those matches truly epic, Taker and Brock stayed inside for all near 30 minutes of this often underrated stunner.

The match was just pure violence. Both men were covered in blood long before the match ended, in fact, there was so much blood that even Paul Heyman, who was outside the Cell, bled like a stuffed pig. We have a lot of use from a steel chair, several power moves, and some near fall from the Chokeslam and Last Ride.

Much like Wrestlemania 30, Brock reverses an attempted Tombstone into an F-5 for the win. Brock and Taker would go at it again n another Hell in A Cell match 13 years later in 2015, but as great as that was, it still doesn't hold a candle to this gem.

#3 Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle - WrestleMania XIX

A great one, even if Brock can't remember most of it

Everyone knew Lesnar was winning this one. He was the handpicked next face of the company at the time and Angle shouldn't have even been wrestling due to his practically broken neck at the time, yet the two managed to pull off an outstanding match. WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has even referred to it as his favourite WWE match this century.

The Beast Incarnate kicked out of the Angle Slam and the Olympic Gold Medalist became the first superstar to kick out of the F-5. At one point Angle gave him a German Suplex and Lesnar sold it by flipping on his stomach, which was just an incredible sight.

The most famous and incredible moment came when Lesnar amazingly attempted to hit a Shooting Star Press and landed directly on his head, nearly killing himself. Bonus points for regaining conscious with enough time to hit one more F-5 for the win.

Angle hugging Lesnar after the bout and raising his hand was also a nice touch.

#2 Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero - No Way Out 2004

Still the last time he was pinned to lose a title!

This was incredible. One of the most emotional and well-deserved victories ever in WWE, and despite the very big size difference, it was as competitive as being competitive can be.

Brock kicked it off with his usual domination, throwing Eddie around and hitting some suplexes. Brock continued to dominate until Eddie fought back with punches and kicks until Brock got a little bloody. We got a lot of counters and submission holds from both men.

Brock hit Eddie with the F-5, only for the referee to be knocked down to. Goldberg entered the ring and Speared Lesnar. Eddie regained consciousness and attacked Lesnar with the WWE title, but his reversed into an F-5, only for that to be revered into a tornado DDT onto the WWE Championship belt. Eddie then hit the Frogsplash for perhaps the most emotional win in WWE history.

#1 Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle, September 18, 2003

As I said earlier, with this one being their third entry on this list, and the number one spot, these two had just amazing chemistry together, Kurt Angle was easily Brock's greatest rival and opponent in the ring.

This was the ultimate battle of speed vs strength. It is easily the best match in the wrestling career of Brock Lesnar and arguably the best match that Kurt Angle has ever had.

We had some good back and forth action and chain wrestling to get us started. Kurt took the first fall pretty early on as Brock took a steel chair and got himself disqualified as he hit Kurt with it repeatedly. He had a good reason though, this weakened Kurt into giving Brock the next two falls, the second of which was Kurt tapping out to his own submission move, the Ankle Lock.

We got a fury of suplexes from both until Brock hit Kurt with an F-5 outside the ring, for his next fall. Kurt took the next one with an Angle Slam, followed by some brawling before the referee went down, allowing Brock to take another fall by hitting Kurt with the WWE Championship belt. They fought some more in and out of the ring until Brock got his fifth fall with a superplex.

Brock dominated Kurt until Kurt fought back and pinned Brock after a belly to belly superplex. More suplexes, DDT's and reversals until Kurt took a fall with the Ankle Lock once more. Now at 5 - 4 to Lesnar, we got even more suplexes and brawling outside of the ring before Kurt had Brock back in the ring, locked in the Ankle Lock for the remaining 18 seconds, which Brock survived and to home the WWE Championship.