5 must-see Brock Lesnar matches after his 2012 WWE return

Former WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is without a doubt one of the biggest box-office attractions in WWE history.

After departing the company in 2004, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion returned in 2012 to much fanfare. Since then, The Beast Incarnate has achieved considerable success. This includes multiple Universal and WWE World Heavyweight Championship reigns.

During this time, Lesnar has squared off against some of the biggest names in WWE history. The list of The Beast Incarnate's opponents includes icons, Hall of Famers, and former rivals from the Octagon.

Lesnar recently returned at Crown Jewel to the WWE ring after a 19-month hiatus. Despite being defeated by Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship, many have praised what was a tremendous main event between Reigns and Lesnar.

Let's take a closer look at five must-see Brock Lesnar matches after his 2012 WWE return.

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#5. Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk (WWE SummerSlam 2013)

Legendary manager Paul Heyman has become synonymous with the WWE career of Brock Lesnar.

Some of The Beast's greatest achievements have come with his advocate Paul Heyman in his corner. However, in 2012, Heyman had multiple clients in WWE.

One such client was former WWE Champion CM Punk.

Heyman and Punk had a long history that dated back to the Chicago native's days in OVW. After turning heel in the summer, Heyman became Punk's manager.

However, after Punk turned babyface in the spring of 2013, Heyman turned his back on his former friend and sent Lesnar to take out The Second City Savior.

This led to a No Disqualification match between Lesnar and Punk at that year's SummerSlam pay-per-view. The bout was an absolute classic, with numerous near-falls and dramatic storytelling.

The Beast ultimately picked up the victory, thanks to interference from Heyman and an F5 onto a steel chair.

#4. Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg (WWE Survivor Series 2016)

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg made his shocking return to WWE when he clashed with Brock Lesnar in 2016.

As part of the WWE 2K17 promotion, Goldberg was challenged by The Beast to a rematch of their previous encounter at WrestleMania XX in 2004 at Survivor Series.

Goldberg accepted the challenge, entering into the squared circle for the first time in 12 years.

Many assumed the match would be Goldberg's final bout before retirement. However, in a shocking outcome, The Icon defeated Brock Lesnar in under 90 seconds, flooring The Beast with two spears and a Jackhammer for the stunning victory.

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#3. 2020 Men's Royal Rumble match

Brock Lesnar made history when it was announced that the then-WWE Champion would enter the 2020 Men's Royal Rumble as the number one entrant.

This was the first time that a reigning WWE Champion had competed in a Royal Rumble match, let alone be the first WWE Superstar to enter the match.

The Beast dominated for close to 30 minutes, eliminating 13 WWE Superstars and tying the record for the most eliminations during a Royal Rumble match.

Eventually, Lesnar was eliminated by the winner of the match, Drew McIntyre. This set up a WrestleMania 36 encounter between the two stars.

However, everyone was still talking about Brock Lesnar's incredible Royal Rumble performance.

#2. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (WWE SummerSlam 2014)

A multi-time WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar quickly set his eyes on reclaiming the top prize in WWE after returning to the promotion in 2012.

He received his opportunity at the 2014 WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view event when he challenged John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

The match between the two icons is infamous for being the most one-sided WWE World Heavyweight Championship main event in history.

After a quick opening flurry from the champion, Brock Lesnar methodically dominated John Cena.

The Beast hit Cena with suplexes that added up into double digits. Brock Lesnar followed this with an F5 to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time in his career.

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#1. Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (WWE WrestleMania XXX)

Arguably Brock Lesnar's most significant victory in his entire career came at WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans, Louisiana against The Undertaker.

Heading into the match, The Deadman was undefeated on the grandest stage of them all with 21 consecutive victories at WrestleMania since 1991.

The Streak had become synonymous with WrestleMania and had perhaps become even bigger than the event itself. Many in the WWE Universe expected The Streak to remain forever.

However, this all changed at WrestleMania XXX. After hitting The Undertaker with three F5s, Brock Lesnar defeated The Deadman to break The Streak at 21-1.

The stunned silence at the Superdome in New Orleans after the referee counted three is one of the most memorable and infamous moments in WWE history.

While the actual match itself was nothing to write home about, the finish, reaction, and aftermath define "must-see" television.