Commentary: The “Return” of Brock Lesnar.
Posted by: Krazy Loop on 12/18/2004

Fans, the other day Joey Styles over at 1W posted the following article concerning former WW”e” Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. We do not take issue with Mr. Style’s words or his point of view. His article thoughtfully considered what many fans wondered about all along: what would happen if and when Brock Lesnar attempted a return to “sports entertainment.” For the Alice In Wonderland world known as “McMahonland” the answer was all too predictable.

Mr. Styles’ article was originally posted on 1Wrestling.com.

"WHY BROCK? WHY?
By: Joey Styles
12/17/2004 1:59:42 PM

"Word coming out of the WWE offices is that Brock Lesnar has privately contacted them about a return to the company. WWE’s very public response has been to have HHH tell every media outlet that will put a microphone in his face that WWE does not want Lesnar back and that he was never a big enough star to come and go from the company as he pleases."

Fans, for the moment, please continue to read on. Trust us, we shall have more to say about HHH and the WW”e” at the end of this Commentary, a lot more.

"Brock Lesnar left WWE after WrestleMania XX to chase his childhood dream of playing in the NFL despite the fact that he had not played football since high school. Instead, Lesnar attended the University of Minnesota, dedicated himself to collegiate wrestling, and became an NCAA Champion.

"Lesnar’s WWE career was equally as successful as after being paid a reported $250,000 annually to train in Ohio Valley Wrestling, Lesnar skyrocketed up the WWE booking ladder to become the youngest WWE Champion ever at only 25 years old. (He still is the youngest ever WWE Champion as Randy Orton held the WWE World Championship, which was the WCW World Championship at age 24)."

Fans, there was clearly a reason for Lesnar’s success. The man was a legitimate wrestling champion and star. Other than Kurt Angle no one connected with the WW”e” came close to him in bona fide wrestling ability. The rest may be “sports entertainers,” but Lesnar and Angle are tried and true legitimate wrestlers, something no other WW”e” workers can rightfully claim. More importantly, Lesnar sold tickets.

"While WWE Champion, the pressures of being on top were obviously getting to young Brock as he threatened to “kill anyone he saw on the internet” and publicly complained about the grueling travel schedule of a WWE Superstar. His fellow “superstars”, many of whom earn less than $100,000 annually to work that same schedule as compared to Lesnar’s estimated $3,000,000 annually, had little compassion for Lesnar who continued to burn out."

Unfortunately for Lesnar’s “fellow superstars,“ i.e., those who made less money than he did were paid less because they were paid what they negotiated and agreed to work for. The simple act of Lesnar superplexing Big Show and imploding the ring was more memorable than the last five PPV’s combined.

"Lesnar announced he was leaving WWE for his NFL quest during the height of WrestleMania hype, earning the wrath of the McMahons."

Too bad Ancient Boy Ric “Medicare” Flair and “Chester the Molester” Lawler didn’t get the same idea long before they recently stunk up an arena with a match that the WW”e” lacked the sense to deep six but instead put on national television.

"After WrestleMania XX, Lesnar trained in Arizona for his NFL tryout and was invited to Minnesota Vikings training camp and even saw some playing time in this season’s exhibition games. He failed to make the Vikings’ practice squad and many speculated what Lesnar’s next move would be. Reportedly, that next move is to call WWE and grovel for a job.

"Why Brock? Why?

"First of all, if money is not an issue (I believe Brock earned $10,000,000 during his WWE career), why not continue chasing the dream of playing for the NFL? Arena football is now televised on NBC and I have no doubt Lesnar could make one of the AFL teams, gain more experience playing against seasoned players, and then take another shot at the NFL, or even use the AFL as a stepping stone to NFL Europe.

"Lesnar has spent years training to become the best heavyweight wrestler in the NCAA. Why would he give up on football so quickly after exhibiting so much discipline in collegiate wrestling? It could be argued that his easy route to WWE stardom spoiled him, but even Lesnar has to know that that NCAA wrestling and NFL football are sports, not sports entertainment like WWE."

This is easier to figure out than Mr. Styles makes it out to be.

Michael Jordan is arguable the greatest basketball player that game has ever seen. Nonetheless, Jordan actually liked baseball more than the sport he dominated. Much the same as Lesnar, although he liked another sport better than that in which he chose to make his fortune, he wasn’t very good at it. That doesn’t make either of them lesser men by any means. Jordan returned to basketball and now it appears that Lesnar wants to return to professional wrestling. The primary difference is that one family populated by petty vindictive goofs does not dominate professional basketball.

"Even if Lesnar truly loves and wants back into pro wrestling, why not sign with TNA and work three times per month for six figures? Lesnar could still wrestle and earn more money than 99% of WWE’s “superstars” with minimal travel which is what he hated most about WWE."

Fans, let’s face it. TNA is Jerry Jarrett’s private employment program for his son, Jeff. Even Zach Gowen doesn’t work there anymore. Why would Lesnar want to?

Based upon his accomplishments, Lesnar may be qualified to run any legitimate university level wrestling program in the country. For all we know he may end up doing that at some point in the future. The same thing may happen to Kurt Angle. It will never happen to anyone else associated with the WW”e.”

"Almost anything seems like a better alternative to having to grovel publicly at the feet of the McMahons. A man does what he has to do when he must support his family. However, Lesnar is financially independent and seemed too proud to beg for anything from anybody.

"Why Brock? Why?"

Letting a potential employer, even a former employer, know that one is available is not public groveling or begging. According to Mr. Styles’ own assessment, Lesnar does not need to work due to financial considerations. Lawler demonstrated to the world how to beg like a dog, Lesnar has not.

Let’s examine this in more detail. The WW”e” has been in serious decline for a long time. Not to take anything away from HHH’s entertainment skills of old, but he isn’t the draw that he once was, and he certainly isn’t the wrestler he never was. The fact is he and his matches are boring. Let’s choreograph one here and now. Come out from behind the curtain with your posse. Stop. Glare at the fans. Give the Ancient Boy time to wobble up behind you and catch his breath from all that exertion. Eye the arena to determine which three sides of the arena are roped off and empty tonight so you can play to the camera once you get to the ring. Strut to the ring with your posse. Glare at the fans to eat up more of the three minutes allocated to your non time limit match. Climb up on the ring apron. Spit water up into the air in a cloud of mist. Stretch your arms out and pose for the faggots in the audience. Start the match and a short time later hit your opponent with either your very own title belt or a sledgehammer. Don’t forget to hit a Pettigree and then go for a pin. You win again. HOW DID THAT EVER HAPPEN???? Leave the ring. Spend the rest of the evening sucking up to your in-laws. Collect your paycheck and swoon over your wife’s anticipated inheritance.

You get the point as judging by the numbers most fans did long ago.

HHH’s statements regarding Lesnar not being “a big enough star to come and go as he pleases” are beyond childish, they are “stupied.” We expect such horseshit from the likes of PiperNutz, not from the self-styled “Game.” Such nonsense constitutes a mindset shot through with the lack of sound business principles and foolishness the business world consistently gets from the inbred Beverly Hillbillies and assorted trailer trash who run the WW”e.” Coming from HHH, it smacks of sheer uppityness from a guy whose most notable professional accomplishment was marrying his employer’s daughter.

The fact of the matter is that the McMahon family has never been known for their vast business acumen, but rather for a childish and petty attitude toward their past and present workers. They run an overgrown mom and pop operation based on an obsolete business model and it shows badly. They try to suck every potential dime out of their performers including the performers’ ability to make a living long after all contacts with the WW”e” cease. The financial numbers at Titan Towers are sinking lower than whale shit and have been for a long time. Instead of seeing great wrestlers like Brock Lesnar, we see tits & ass, Flair & Lawler, ignorant soap opera skits, and sheep known as “Tough Enough Stars“ being led to their own contractual funerals. As things stand at present, don’t expect anything except more failure. What is the McMahonland response? Raise the dividend for your own benefit, fire numerous wrestlers, and publicly insult the one fellow who might be able to reverse the slide. Why did Lesnar incur the wrath of the McMahon family? Because he decided to terminate his arrangement with them, not the other way around.

Bringing Lesnar back on almost any terms would be a stroke of genius. If you disagree ask yourself these questions:

Will you buy a ticket to the next HHH match?

Will you buy a ticket to the next WW”e” event irrespective of who you will see?

Or

Would you buy a ticket to see the return of Brock Lesnar?

HHH’s words that Lesnar ‘was never a big enough star to come and go from the company as he pleases’ belies the fact that Lesnar would be an immediate draw, something the rest of the crew haven’t been for a long time and HHH will never be again. In addition, Lesnar’s compensation when he worked for the company makes a liar out of HHH. Lesnar wasn’t a big enough star to come and go as he pleases but yet he was paid in multiples of ten and twenty times what most others made.

The “wrath of the McMahons” when Lesnar announced his then imminent departure many months ago was nothing more than a tantrum thrown when the WW”e” realized it wasn’t going to make even more money off of Brock Lesnar. Vince "The Wizard" in McMahonland now compounds his error by failing to grasp the simple business concept that if Lesnar could now help the balance sheet, all he and Lesnar have to do is tolerate each other all the way to the bank.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for the WW”e” to smarten up anytime soon.

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