Big Vinny V’s Mr. SummerSlam Countdown: Brock Lesnar the next big thing at No. 2

Brock Lesnar uses a tractor to toss Roman Reigns from the ring at SummerSlam 2022
Brock Lesnar uses a tractor to toss Roman Reigns from the ring at SummerSlam 2022 (Image credit: WWE)

Welcome to the Mr. SummerSlam Countdown, our look at the wrestlers who have the most matches named as the best on WWE’s biggest show of the summer. Our name today: Brock Lesnar, who finishes third in our rankings. 

Prior articles in this series:

Lesnar had the best match at SummerSlam eight times, which actually ties him with Bret Hart. We’re listing Lesnar in second and Hart third because Lesnar got 22 overall best match selections between Dave Meltzer, the readers of the Wrestling Observer newsletter, and Cagematch users. Hart only had 19. In plain English, when the best match of the card wasn’t unanimous, Lesnar tended to get more selections than Hart did. 

We’ll also point out that Cagematch users gave the best match at SummerSlam to Lesnar six times, while Observer readers selected his match eight times. Those are both equal to the totals of the Mr. SummerSlam winner, who will be revealed tomorrow. The difference between the two comes down to the opinions of Meltzer himself—he also picked eight Lesnar matches as the best on their respective shows, but he rated 10 matches as such for the eventual Mr. SummerSlam.

Lesnar has wrestled 12 matches at SummerSlam, debuting in 2002, when he won the WWE Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship from the Rock in the main event. His most recent SummerSlam match came in 2023, when he lost to Cody Rhodes.

Here’s a look at the eight times Lesnar was credited with the best match at SummerSlam, in chronological order.

2003: Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Heavyweight Championship

Dave Meltzer: ****1/4
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Readers: 77% of the votes for best match
Cagematch Users: 8.36

This was a rematch of the main event from WrestleMania that same year. Since then each man had turned, so Lesnar was the heel going into this match with Angle the babyface. Only two other matches got votes as the best of the night from Observer readers: Eddy Guerrero winning a four-way over Rhyno, Tajiri, and Chris Benoit; and the Elimination Chamber main event, won by Triple H. 

Meltzer noted that he strongly disagreed with the finish (“nobody should have ever seen Lesnar tap out officially in a match until an I Quit match at Wrestlemania,” he wrote), he still thought Lesnar and Angle “had a hell of a match, only slightly below their Mania classic.”

From his full match review:

Lesnar dominated early, including pressing Angle overhead and dumping him over the top rope. He did an overhead belly-to-belly and even a Luchador quebradora (spinning backbreaker). Nobody chanted “otra” however. … Lesnar potatoed Angle with a kick to the mouth. Angle was bleeding from the mouth after that one. … He set up the F-5, but Angle was supposed to turn it into a DDT. As it was, this spot was botched badly. Luckily, they went right back and did it again so we all found out what they missed. That is the beauty of Smackdown TV. Angle went for the ankle lock, but Lesnar escaped and Angle crashed into ref Mike Chioda. Angle did a reverse triangle from Lesnar’s back. Most fans wouldn’t even get a regular triangle yet. It’s good they had Tazz out there, is all I can say. Angle changed it into an ankle lock, but it was a rope break. However, there was no ref to call for a break. Lesnar finally tapped but no ref. Vince came out and made the save with a chair shot to the back. Lesnar, selling the ankle, did a one-legged F-5, which was cool. Angle kicked out. He tried for another, but Angle turned it into the ankle lock. Lesnar kept making the ropes, but for some reason the ref never called for a break. He made the ropes three times, but no break, and finally tapped out. After the match, Angle gave Vince an Angle slam on a chair. A hell of a match. 

2012: Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H in a no-disqualification match

Meltzer: ***1/2
Observer Readers: 54% of the votes for best match
Cagematch: 6.53

This was Lesnar’s first SummerSlam match in nine years, as he took time off to wrestle in Japan, play in the NFL, win the UFC Heavyweight Championship, and battle the WWE in court. 

On a show with no particularly great matches, opinions on the best of the night were wide and varied. Meltzer gave two matches ***1/2: this one and the opening contest between Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler. Cagematch users actually preferred the Jericho match, giving it a rating of 7.07. Observer readers gave 54% of their vote to Lesnar vs. Triple H, 41% to Jericho vs. Ziggler, and 5% to a three-way between CM Punk, John Cena, and the Big Show for Punk’s WWE Heavyweight Championship. 

Meltzer had a lot to say about this match, even before getting to his full review. “Lesnar submitted HHH with a Kimura, and for the second time, broke his arm in storyline fashion,” he wrote. The way it was expected to go was Lesnar would win a grueling match that resembled a fight. It wasn’t as brutal or as spectacular as Lesnar vs. John Cena at Extreme Rules. But it was a harder hitting than usual main event that was booked somewhat like a pro wrestling match and somewhat like a fight.”

“After losing, the idea was HHH would get up, look at the crowd, and get the Chris Benoit standing ovation,” Meltzer continued. “Except that’s not what happened. The unpredictable crowd first started chanting ‘You tapped Out,’ at HHH. He continued to look for sympathy and there were a lot of people cheering, as well as a lot of people booing, and finally a ‘HHH’ chant, but it wasn’t that loud. He left, trying to mimic the last walk out of Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair, with the announcers talking like this may have been his last match.”

Here’s some of what Meltzer wrote in his full review:

Lesnar was bigger than when he came in at the end of April. He was wearing MMA gloves early and MMA shorts but with wrestling boots. … Lesnar used a body scissors and HHH came back with knees and clotheslined him over the top rope. He clotheslined Lesnar over the top a second time. Lesnar was frustrated and took his gloves off and punched HHH to the back of the head. They pointed out that was illegal in UFC and HHH sold it big. Lesnar slammed HHH on the American announcing table on his arm in hammerlock position. There was an “Overeem” chant. … Lesnar used an inside cradle for a near fall. Crowd was dead at this point. Lesnar went for a tackle and what happened? You guessed it. Lesnar missed the charge and went into the buckles. … HHH threw Lesnar stomach first into the table. Lesnar started selling huge, like he was about to throw up. This is where there was a big disconnect. I’d guess very, very few in the building understood why Lesnar was totally overselling the gut shot, which was his Diverticulitis. So it didn’t get over like it should have. The announcers mentioned an old injury but did a poor job of explaining it, and it was a huge key point of the match. … HHH then hit the pedigree but Lesnar kicked out. Lesnar did a blatant low blow right in front of the ref, but the ref was told no DQ. Paul Heyman started yelling how HHH was the one who wanted that fight. Lesnar hit the F-5 but HHH kicked out. Interestingly, there were a lot of boos when HHH kicked out of the F-5, but no boos when Lesnar kicked out of the pedigree. … HHH hit another pedigree, but when he went for the pin, Lesnar snatched the Kimura. HHH was again pounding the body but finally tapped. Really loud “You tapped out” chants aimed at HHH as he paused for cheers that he wasn’t getting at first. He kept doing the look at the crowd and they did cheer him, but even that, there were a lot of boos. The show ended teasing it was HHH’s final match. 

(No, that was not Triple H’s last match. His last match, if you can believe it, was teaming with Shinsuke Nakamura at a house show in Tokyo, Japan, to defeat the team of Robert Roode & Samoa Joe in June of 2019.)

2013: Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk in a no-disqualification match

Meltzer: ****1/2
Observer Readers: 70% of the votes for best match
Cagematch: 9.37

This was practically a two-match show, with this and Daniel Bryan’s WWE Heavyweight Championship victory over John Cena (and subsequent loss to Randy Orton, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase) leading the way. Meltzer actually had the two matches tied. “Both matches delivered in a huge way,” he wrote, “and this has to be considered one of the best SummerSlams in history.”

From Meltzer’s review:

It’s really amazing how Lesnar can show up, looking like he’s about 315 pounds and do a long match like this at the level they worked and not really get tired. The execution was good but the whole layout of the match was excellent, particularly since Punk lost clean and it felt like he was more over just for doing so well and coming so close. To give credit, all those involved had worked on it for a few weeks. Joey Mercury and Michael Hayes were involved as well. … Punk came off the announcers table with clothesline. Lesnar sold it like it was out of it. Punk went after [Paul] Heyman. Lesnar got up and killed Punk, including hip tossing him over the Spanish announcers table. … Punk had Lesnar up for another GTS attempt, but Lesnar countered into a Kimura. Punk escaped, and went to get an armbar but Lesnar got out of it. Punk caught Lesnar in a triangle. Lesnar teased tapping. Just before tapping, Lesnar picked Punk up and gave him a power bomb, but Punk held onto the triangle. Lesnar teased tapping again. Lesnar picked him up again and hit a running power bomb to finally break the triangle. … Lesnar was about to use [a chair] but Punk nailed him with a low blow. The timing of that was perfect. … Punk went after Heyman but Lesnar nailed him. He set up the F-5, but Punk grabbed Heyman’s tie. Lesnar couldn’t throw Punk or move him because he was holding onto Heyman’s tie. Lesnar was screaming at Heyman to let go, but it was Punk holding the tie for death life. Punk got out of it and nailed Lesnar again and got him up for the GTS. Heyman ran in to break up the pin since it was no DQ. … Punk got Lesnar in the Anaconda vise. Heyman came in with a chair but Punk stepped on the chair. Heyman started punching Punk in the knee. Punk was no selling and punched Heyman and put him in the Anaconda vise. Heyman was tapping like crazy. Lesnar then hit Punk with two chair shots to the back and used the F-5 on a chair to get the pin. The crowd was chanting Punk’s name when it was over. The wrestlers apparently gave both guys standing ovations as they went through the curtain after the match. 

2014: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Meltzer: ****1/4
Observer Readers: 65% of the votes for best match
Cagematch: 7.85

This was a very unusual WWE main event, but it was still pretty clearly the best of the show. (Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton were the other matches that got votes for best of the night from Observer readers.) Meltzer called it “the most one-sided title change of any length in company history.”

“The match consisted of Lesnar destroying Cena from the opening bell, throwing him around at will, including delivering 15 different released German suplexes, a few of which saw Cena land badly on his already damaged neck,” Meltzer wrote. “Lesnar laughed at the little offense Cena mustered, kicked out of his Attitude Adjustment, and finished the match by simply powering out of his STF, and getting on top for vicious ground and pound, and delivering an F-5 for the pin. Cena was kept off Raw the next day to sell the beating.”

Meltzer struggled to find historical comparisons; Big Van Vader beating Antonio Inoki in New Japan and Kimala beating Jerry Lawler in Memphis were about the closest he could come up with.

“While it didn’t have nearly the excitement of a usual WWE main event, the stiffness and the ability of the match to take one out of the ‘expected’ pro wrestling zone was more reminiscent of a Japanese match, and because that never happens in WWE (Lesnar vs. Cena in 2012 was the closest to it), it made it one of the most memorable matches in recent memory,” Meltzer wrote. “While not quite as brutal as their 2012 match, this was close to that level with Lesnar delivering hard knees to the body like one would in a real MMA fight.”

“The idea was to get Lesnar over as strong as possible as a monster, to make him break out of the pack. That was accomplished,” Meltzer continued. “The idea was also to get Cena over for not quitting in that situation and for taking the beating. In the Staples Center, it didn’t work, as fans cheered Lesnar and even after, booed Cena and sang ‘Na na na na, good bye,’ thinking the beating meant he would be taking time off.”

Notes from Meltzer’s match review:

Lesnar was super over when he came out. He has an aura unlike anyone else in the company. I think it’s the combination of the freaky size and the idea he’s real. He had something like that, really even more, in UFC, especially before he was a “UFC guy,” when they saw him as an outsider against Frank Mir both times and Randy Couture. It was a combination of the devil incarnate, because to some UFC fans, he threatened their entire religion of how they were superior to WWE because they are real, and how small guys with technique who are trained fighters will beat up the big muscle heads. … It immediately felt like a fight and not a pro wrestling match, just like the first match. Lesnar hit the F-5 right away and Cena kicked out. Unlike the heel doing the fear face when the face kicks out of his finisher, Lesnar laughed and said, “I will kill you.” Super loud dueling chants for Cena. Lesnar delivered his first German suplex and just sent Cena into orbit. … He worked slow, he posed every move before he did it, and every single move in this match meant something. … After another German suplex, Lesnar told ref Charles Robinson to stop the match. … Lesnar cut him off and picked him up for the F-5. Cena got out and hit the Attitude Adjustment but Lesnar kicked out. Then Lesnar sat up like Undertaker and started laughing at him. Lesnar took Cena down and started ground and pounding him while Heyman told the ref to end the match. Lesnar did seven more German suplexes. At this point there was even a light “boring” chant (few remember, but even in the Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe classic where they worked it to look real and had what could have been a game changer of a match had it been followed up on, there were people in the crowd who chanted “boring” because they wanted their version of pro wrestling and not a different version). Cena got the STF in the middle, but Lesnar just reversed it, was on top, and beat Cena to death with more ground and pound, and hit the F-5 for the pin. The crowd was pretty freaked out by this but Lesnar was heavily cheered and Cena heavily booed when it was over. 

2017: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe

Meltzer: ****3/4
Observer Readers: 84% of the votes for best match
Cagematch: 8.73

There was a lot going on in the world of combat sports around the time of this show. Jon Jones had just failed a drug test in UFC, ruining a Jone-Lesnar cagefight that, although unsigned, each fighter had already been promoting. Lesnar’s plan had been to finish out his WWE contract and then go back to UFC the following year, but Jones’ test failure left everyone involved throwing their plans out the window. In the end, Lesnar never fought in the UFC (or anywhere else) again.

Amidst that chaos, Lesnar went out and had what Meltzer called “not just the match of the weekend, but one of the year’s best matches, particularly within WWE.” His review:

The crowd cheered everyone but Reigns, who of course they hated. … The other thing was to make Strowman a monster, in the sense Lesnar would do his big moves on Joe and Reigns, over and over, but never on Strowman, while Strowman would lay out Lesnar, since that’s the direction and this was all about building next month’s match. It was super effective in regard to Strowman who came across like the company’s future top guy. If you judge by the crowd, he should be the one in the main event at Mania and beating Lesnar, as opposed to Reigns. And crowds have often made plans change, although as of last word this crowd hadn’t made the plans change at least yet. … They avoided Lesnar ever suplexing Strowman. … Reigns speared Lesnar through the barricade. Joe gave Lesnar a uranage on the announcers table. Strowman used a bodyblock to knock Joe flying over the announcers table. Strowman powerslammed Lesnar through one of the announcers tables. Then he powerslammed Lesnar through a second table. Fans were chanting “One more table,” so Strowman tipped over a third announcers table onto Lesnar. The crowd was doing loud “This is awesome” chants. Lesnar at this point was carried out on a stretcher. … Lesnar came back and took down Strowman and started pounding on him. … Strowman powerslammed Joe and had him pinned but Lesnar pulled the ref out of the ring to stop the count. Reigns hit Superman punches on Lesnar and Strowman, but Strowman kicked out. Reigns went for a spear, but Strowman kicked him in the face. Strowman powerslammed Reigns, but Lesnar saved. Lesnar picked up Strowman for the F-5, but Strowman got out of it and picked Lesnar up for a powerslam. Reigns then speared Strowman. Joe put the choke on Lesnar, but Lesnar got out of it and hit the F-5 on Joe. Reigns broke up the pin, Reigns hit Lesnar with three Superman punches and went for the spear, but Lesnar caught him and hit the F-5 and got the pin.

2022: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in a last man standing match for the Unified WWE Championship

Meltzer: ****1/2
Observer Readers: 82% of the votes for best match
Cagematch: 8.70

A historic event: the first WWE pay per view/premium live event with Paul Levesque in charge. And though it was a strong card (Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch and Logan Paul vs. The Miz also got votes for best of the night from Observer readers), the lasting memory of the night came in the Lesnar-Reigns main event. 

We turn once again to Mr. Meltzer:

Lesnar rode a tractor to the ring. He introduced himself, threw the mic to Reigns who nonchalantly caught it, and then jumped off the tractor with a Thesz press as the match started. … Reigns did a Samoan drop off the table and hit Lesnar with the ring steps. He gave Lesnar a rock bottom through a table as the hint for the proposed Rock match. Lesnar’s back was bleeding from the table breaking. Reigns did two Superman punches and a spear but Lesnar was up at eight. … This was definitely a Paul Heyman style lay out, nothing but big moves and breaking table after table. Lesnar threw the steps at Reigns and hit Reigns with part of a broken table. He put Reigns in the tractor bucket, lifted him up and dumped him. Lesnar did two German suplexes and an F-5, but Reigns barely beat the ten count up. … Lesnar then used the tractor to turn over the ring. Reigns rolled out of the ring to the floor. The crowd loved the special effects. The Usos came down. Lesnar gave both overhead suplexes, the second one could have been a catastrophe but both Usos seemed okay. Lesnar went after Paul Heyman, who handed Lesnar both belts. Lesnar then gave Heyman an F-5 through a table. Reigns speared Lesnar and collapsed. Both got up at nine. [Austin] Theory came out and hit Reigns with the briefcase. Theory then told the ref he was cashing in. But before it was official, Lesnar laid out Theory with an F-5 and he never got back up. The Usos gave Lesnar a double superkick and Reigns speared him, but Lesnar got up before ten. Reigns hit Theory with the briefcase and then hit Lesnar over-and-over with it but Lesnar was up at nine. Reigns hit Lesnar with a belt shot and he got up at nine. He hit Lesnar with another belt shot and Lesnar got up again. Then the Usos and Reigns buried lesnar under pieces of broken tables and chairs and he couldn’t get up for the win. 

2023: Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

Meltzer: ****1/2
Observer Readers: 51% of the votes for best match
Cagematch: 6.94

It is in no way clear what the best match on this show was. Meltzer had Rhodes vs. Lesnar and Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor tied at ****1/2 apiece. Cagematch users had Rhodes vs. Lesnar fourth on the night, behind Logan Paul vs. Ricochet (7.41), Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre (7.78), and Rollins vs. Balor (8.24). Half of the Observer voters picked Rhodes vs. Lesnar, but half disagreed, citing the same alternatives that Cagematch users picked. 

By our methodology, however, this counts as best match honors for Lesnar. Here’s Meltzer’s review:

Lesnar hit a German suplex. Rhodes used a tope. Lesnar drove Rhodes into the post and did an overhead suplex, vertical suplex, three German suplexes and an F-5 on the floor. The story is that Rhodes wouldn’t quit. Lesnar then did another German suplex and an F-5 on the announcers table. Rhodes dove in at ten. … Rhodes undid the padding on a turnbuckle . Lesnar did another German suplex before Rhodes threw Lesnar’s shoulder into the post and hit Lesnar in the shoulder with the ring steps. Rhodes used a disaster kick and Cody cutter followed by a Kimura. Lesnar escaped and went for the F-5 but Rhodes turned it into Cross Rhodes, and then hit two more and got the pin. After the match, Lesnar went nose-to-nose with Rhodes, shook his hand, hugged him and raised his arm. 

Tune in tomorrow, when we finally crown Mr. SummerSlam, and ask whether anyone can possibly catch him. 

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