"He's in a class of great" - AEW talent showers Brock Lesnar with praise
WWE legend Brock Lesnar has had one of the most successful careers in wrestling history. The Beast Incarnate has received praise from many of his former rivals, and the latest to compliment him is two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
Ric Flair, who currently appears in AEW as part of Sting's retirement angle, faced off with The Beast several times back in 2002. At the time, Brock Lesnar was just a few months into his career on WWE's main roster.
The Nature Boy recently appeared on Busted Open Radio, where he was asked about Cody Rhodes' immediate future. Flair complimented The American Nightmare and recalled Cody's feud with Brock Lesnar last summer:
"I think [Rhodes is] special. I was hoping, and I actually thought he would win it last year. What really amazed me, on both people’s part, when they put him with Brock. That can go one of two ways, right? I actually texted Brock, and I said, ‘You have put yourself in a different league.’ He about killed him, but at the end of the day, he put him over. I texted Brock, ‘Brother, you’re a special kind of cat. You’ve gone from being a great attraction a good worker, to a great worker.’"
Ric Flair went on to heap praise on The Beast, recalling their matches together more than 20 years ago:
"He is a great worker right now. He’s in a class of great. He can do anything, and it looks real. I only wrestled him a couple of times, and I used to say, ‘Remember, I’m just a little bit older than you buddy.’ [Laughs]. He never hurt me. Brock is like Brody [Bruiser Brody], except Brody was probably a little meaner. Brock is pretty intimidating. The minute they gave Brock the mic instead of Heyman talking, he’s great. He’s great on the mic." (H/T Fightful)
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe names Brock Lesnar in his Mount Rushmore of hard hitters
After defeating MJF for the AEW World Championship at the Worlds End pay-per-view last month, Samoa Joe has quickly established himself as the merciless gatekeeper of AEW's main event scene.
When it comes to hard hitters in wrestling, Samoa Joe's words may hold more weight than most. When The Samoan Submission Machine was asked by Bleacher Report which wrestlers hit the hardest, he claimed that The Beast Incarnate hits "like a truck."
"The list is a Mount Rushmore of some of the most dangerous people in the world," he said. "You start from [Kenta] Kobashi and [Mitsuharu] Misawa. Young Wardlow. He hits like a truck. Brock Lesnar hits like a truck. Roman Reigns hits like a truck. There's tons of people around the sphere of wrestling who all hit hard, and I've felt all that power, but they don't hit as hard as me."
Samoa Joe is fresh off a world title defense against rising AEW star Hook and is looking to carry his winning ways into the Revolution pay-per-view on March 3. As for Brock Lesnar, there have been few updates on his status, but many fans expect him to appear on the Road to WrestleMania 40.
When do you think we will see The Beast Incarnate back in the ring? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!