5 moments that cemented Brock Lesnar's place in WWE history

Over the years, Brock Lesnar has consistently been one of the biggest stars in WWE. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion has been regularly featured at the top of the card, wowing fans with his blend of violence, charisma, and athleticism.

At this year's WrestleMania, Lesnar will be involved in one of the biggest matches of his career. He will put the WWE title on the line against Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a championship unification match. The bout is scheduled to headline night two of the year's biggest show.

With another big match on the horizon, here are five matches that cemented Lesnar's place in WWE history:

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#5 Beating The Rock at SummerSlam 2002

Right from his RAW debut the day after WrestleMania 18, Brock Lesnar was presented as an unstoppable force. He laid waste to a WWE roster, which was stacked following the arrival of WCW's biggest stars. The Beast defeated legends such as Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair in convincing fashion.

After winning the 2002 King of the Ring, Lesnar earned a shot at the Undisputed Championship against The Rock at SummerSlam. The audience began to tire of The Great One, who was beginning to transition to Hollywood and got behind the fresh new star.

The Beast Incarnate had an incredible outing, picking up the biggest win of his career at that point. He became the youngest WWE Champion in history.

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#4 Main eventing his first WrestleMania with Kurt Angle

Brock Lesnar displayed his grit at WrestleMania 19

To cap off one of the greatest rookie years in professional wrestling history, Brock Lesnar won the 2003 Royal Rumble. The victory earned him a shot at the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 19. His opponent was Kurt Angle, who went into the match carrying a serious injury.

The two former amateur wrestlers had incredible chemistry in the ring and nearly pulled off a perfect match. However, Lesnar botched a shooting star press — the intended finish — and landed on his head. He was fortunate to come out safe from the incident.

The Beast Incarnate then showcased his grit to battle through a severe concussion and win the match with an F5.

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#3 Brock Lesnar has a dream match with CM Punk

Brock Lesnar and CM Punk had an incredible match

After winning the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 2011, CM Punk embarked on an iconic 434-day reign with the title. During the heel portion of his run, the Chicago native was accompanied by Paul Heyman. The duo quickly became the most entertaining act in professional wrestling.

When they inevitably broke up and the The Straight Edge Superstar turned face, the stage was set for a dream match between CM Punk and Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman's other big-ticket client, at SummerSlam 2013. The bout kicked off with The Beast Incarnate taking control of proceedings with his size and athleticism.

However, the crafty Punk used his in-ring savvy to battle back and put himself on the verge of victory. Paul Heyman eventually came to Lesnar's aid and distracted the Chicago native by letting The Beast Incarnate use a steel chair to seal the victory. This was one of the best matches of both stars' careers.

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#2 Ending The Streak

Brock Lesnar's star grew exponentially during his stint with the UFC. He proved to be a massive ratings and pay-per-view draw when he returned to WWE in 2012. However, The Beast Incarnate wasn't booked properly during the first year and his stock was damaged after unnecessary losses to John Cena and Triple H.

When Lesnar took on The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, the expectation was that he was a condemned man walking to the gallows. Simply another victim of the vaunted Streak. The build-up didn't do much to present the former UFC Heavyweight Champion as a serious threat either.

After a last-minute change of plans, Lesnar shocked the world and ended The Streak in one of the biggest upsets in professional wrestling history. The audience was left in a state of stunned silence. Lesnar's stock was immediately revitalized by the big win.

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#1 Defeating John Cena comprehensively

In his first match after ending The Streak, Brock Lesnar challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2014. The Beast Incarnate lost to The Doctor of Thuganomics in his first match since returning to professional wrestling at Extreme Rules 2012. However, the current WWE Champion dominated most of the match against Cena.

This contest was an opportunity for him to gain some measure of redemption. Lesnar dominated Cena once again but there was no upset on the cards on this occasion. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion handed Cena the most one-sided loss of his career. This win set the stage for Lesnar to run roughshod over WWE in the coming years.