1990s WWE star would beat Brock Lesnar in his prime, ex-talent says

Brock Lesnar is considered by many to be among the toughest wrestlers in WWE history. In a recent interview, former WWE talent JR Ryder gave his thoughts on who would win in a dream match between Lesnar and Dan Severn.

Severn established himself as an all-time great in mixed martial arts during his UFC run between 1994 and 2000. The 65-year-old also performed as a professional wrestler, most notably for the NWA and WWE.

Ryder is best remembered for his work as an enhancement talent and extra in the late 1990s and early 2000s. On the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, he explained why Severn would probably come out on top if he fought Lesnar in his prime:

"He's legit, I gotta tell you," Ryder said. "If you put them up against each other in their heyday, I think he beats Brock Lesnar. I think he beats Brock Lesnar. Dude, he is legit. Not that Brock's not, I know Brock really well too. I gotta tell you, I think in their heyday, I think Dan Severn gets him." [9:16 – 9:33]

Dan Severn was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2005. Three years later, Brock Lesnar won the UFC Heavyweight Championship after already making a name for himself in amateur and professional wrestling.

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JR Ryder's WWE experience with Dan Severn

In 1997, Dan Severn encouraged JR Ryder to fight for the UFC and even offered to train him. Ryder declined the opportunity and went on to appear in WWE, where he lost his debut match against Severn in 1998.

More than two decades on, Ryder recalled how his opponent had no problem getting physical during their Shotgun Saturday Night bout:

"He knew me, he knew me. I didn't bring it up, but I knew I was gonna get stiffed in the match. I knew it was coming. And if you watch him, when he's got me on my face and he's just forearming me, I started laughing, like, 'Oh, son of a b***h, here we go.' He laid it into me. I told him to, though. I get it. I gave him a big hug backstage, and that's one of the things I respected. I appreciated it. Most guys would cry." [8:17 – 8:40]

Severn's WWE career only lasted a year between 1998 and 1999. He arguably achieved more success in the NWA, where he held the Worlds Heavyweight Championship twice.

Do you have any favorite Dan Severn memories? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.