[PHOTO] Former WWE star that Brock Lesnar viciously destroyed was spotted at SmackDown after 19 years

Brock Lesnar's former WWE rival Zach Gowen attended tonight's edition of SmackDown, as per his latest tweet.

Back in 2003-04, WWE signed one-legged wrestler Zach Gowen, and he had a short-lived stint on the blue brand. The 39-year-old feuded with some of the biggest names on TV at the time, including Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar. To this day, fans remember The Beast Incarnate's barbaric beatdown of Gowen during a singles match on SmackDown.

About 19 years after he was let go by the Stamford-based promotion, Gowen returned to the company on tonight's episode of SmackDown. He posed for a picture with his kids and thanked WWE in his tweet.

Check it out below:

"Didn't expect my first time back in a WWE ring to be with my oldest boys but it was perfect. ⁣Thank you @WWE."

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Gowen interestingly has a win over Brock Lesnar in WWE

By August 2003, Lesnar had turned into a full-fledged heel again and was targeting SmackDown's babyfaces on a weekly basis.

He met Zach Gowen in a singles competition on August 19, 2003, taping of SmackDown and viciously beat him up right in front of his mother. Gowen thus scored a DQ win over The Beast Incarnate.

Fans were quite excited over Gowen's picture in a WWE arena again. Here are some of the reactions:

Gowen was released by the company in February 2004. He went on to compete for several other promotions and on the independent scene as well. In 2021, Gowen made it clear that he wasn't interested in a WWE return as a full-time performer:

"Yes, if only WWE would offer me the exact same contract Brock Lesnar has. I want his money and the exact same number of dates (laughs). I have zero interest, I'll tell you truthfully, I have exactly zero interest of being on the road full time at 38 years old, hopping on one leg for the past 30 years, father of three, as well as my other businesses I'm involved in as well that I find an amazing amount of fulfilment and opportunity. However, hey listen, my phone's on."

When a fan asked Gowen the reason behind him being on SmackDown, he cracked a joke in his response, as can be seen in the tweet embedded above. One wonders if Gowen will end up appearing in the Royal Rumble match.

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Do you remember Zach Gowen? Share your favorite WWE moment involving the veteran.