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The backstory
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar is widely regarded as one of the biggest Superstars in the history of this business. His WWE return in 2012 received an incredibly positive reaction, and he hasn't looked back ever since. Lesnar had left WWE in the spring of 2004, on a sour note. He was eyeing a career in NFL, and was determined to do well as a professional football player.
Lesnar underwent a 6-week training program and was looking forward to his pro-day, when teams were scheduled to watch him showcase his skills. Things suddenly took a turn though, and Lesnar's life would never be the same again.
The accident (from Lesnar's book, Death Clutch)
On April 19, 2004, Lesnar picked up his bike from a custom shop, and headed home. A woman in a minivan decided to cut Lesnar off and beat him to a turn. Lesnar hit the brakes in a hurry, and got launched into the minivan. His bike was broken into three pieces.
Lesnar suffered a broken jaw, a bruised pelvis, and eight broken bones in his left hand. He didn't stop his NFL training though, and still held hope that he would make it. That didn't happen, but Lesnar was proud of the fact that he was the last guy who was cut from the squad. Lesnar's NFL dreams were crushed beyond repair, and he decided to contact WWE for a return. He was told that Vince didn't want him back.
The aftermath
The next few years saw Lesnar going through intense training to recover, bagging a fat contract with NJPW, plus trying his hand and going on to succeed in MMA. Lesnar became UFC Heavyweight Champion in November 2008 by defeating Randy Couture. He secured a contract with WWE in 2012 and made his return on the RAW after WrestleMania 28.
Lesnar's mainstream popularity helped him bag a lucrative contract with WWE that allows him to miss several RAW episodes and PPVs in a row. At 42, Lesnar is still going strong and is currently the company's World Champion. He is all set to defend the WWE title against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36.
One wonders where Lesnar would be today if it hadn't been for that unfortunate accident. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and is currently doing well for himself in WWE.
