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It is impossible to imagine WWE without Brock Lesnar slamming bodies into the mat. Yet, as WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco revealed in a Sportskeeda Wrestling Exclusive, there was resistance at first because of the payment he asked for.
With an NCAA Division I Heavyweight Championship win in his kitty, Lesnar was a hot commodity. Brisco helped him in transitioning from the amateur wrestling world to pro wrestling by introducing him to the top brass of WWE. And the rest, as they say, is history.
As happy as Vince McMahon was with the first encounter between the two industry behemoths, the accounts department wasn't nearly as thrilled. They thought the amount of money Brock Lesnar was asking for would destroy the developmental budget. Brisco said the following:
"There was resistance. I don't know... Brock was asking for a lot of money. And looking back it seems kinda silly with the numbers. He was looking for six-figures to sign on, which nowadays is almost ridiculous. I was getting complaints from the budget guy that this guy is going to kill our entire developmental budget with one guy." (5:55-6:24)
Brisco convinced the accounts department that if WWE were to sign The Beast Incarnate, they would make the money back and then some. He remembers:
"And I kept saying - he'll make you more money than that. Just overlook this one year. This guy is one of those guys that come along once in a lifetime. And sure enough, he was. So they threw all that stuff aside and said let's figure out what it's going to cost and how we can manipulate it into our budget." (6:26-6:47).
Check out the entire conversation with Brisco below.
Was Brock Lesnar a good investment for WWE in the long run?
The answer is a resounding yes. Not only has The Beast Incarnate retained his main event status over the years, but he also went on to the UFC and brought many crossover fans to the product.
Today, he is still in the main event scene even though he wrestles on a part-time basis. After main eventing several premium live events, it is impossible to argue the box office appeal of Brock Lesnar.
Catch more pearls of wisdom from Gerald Brisco right here.
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