"A lot of guys took advantage of his naivety" - Brock Lesnar was given bad backstage advice
Brock Lesnar has created an intimidating image of himself in the eyes of fans and professionals alike. He's is a unique personality and one of the most established combat sports athletes of all time.
Lesnar was destined to become a massive draw in professional wrestling. But this destiny came at a price. Despite the mercurial rise during his early days, Brock Lesnar would eventually burn out in 2004, which led to his first release from WWE following WrestleMania 20.
During the latest edition of the Grilling JR podcast on AdFreeShows.com, Jim Ross recalled the factors that contributed towards Brock Lesnar's departure.
JR explained that Brock Lesnar was exhausted and needed a break from the wrestling business. He added that Brock Lesnar received 'bad advice' from his peers, which might have influenced the former WWE Champion's decision to leave the company.
"Well, he was burned out. He was getting bad advice from some of his peers, I believe, and he had this dream of playing in the National Football League, and apparently, he had that dream for many, many years."
Jim Ross mentioned that Curt Hennig and Kurt Angle might have been responsible for misguiding Brock Lesnar, which was seen as a rib back in the day. This means wrestlers would intentionally misinform other talents in the spirit of banter. However, backstage ribs didn't always lead to jovial outcomes.
"Well, I would say the Minnesota contingent. Maybe Perfect (Curt Hennig), maybe Kurt (Angle). He (Angle) knew that he could get you. And to see somebody rolled up in anxiety and angst, thanks to your prodding and your subtle positioning, was a rib. And some guys fell for it. Hey, I've had guys come to me and say, you know when WrestleMania comes in and say, 'I'm not happy with my payoff.' Same story. 'Based on what? Tell me what you're basing your unhappiness over?' 'So and so made blank.' I said, 'No, they didn't.' They said they did. 'Oh, they said that to you, right?"
JR also remembered when Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) was legitimately unhappy about how much money he made for a match. His frustration stemmed from a conversation he had with another talent that made more money.
Jim Ross had a simple solution to the miscommunication. Here's what he did:
"Jerry Brisco (Gerald Brisco) was with me in all of these meetings. Very invaluable. And I said, 'Jerry, go get, so and so.' That guy that got the big money that Dustin didn't get because it was about Goldust. So I got the guy in the room and, 'Did you tell him that you made blank?' He started laughing. 'Yeah, I did! Why? Why did you lie to him? I don't get it. 'Well, it's funny. you know, it's just a rib.' Goldust didn't think it was a rib because he wasn't laughing, and he'd noticed that right now. 'Look at the sh** you stirred, for no reason, except for your own personal enjoyment. And that's the wrestling community oftentimes."
He was not prepared: Jim Ross on Brock Lesnar
In those days, wrestlers would capitalize on the talent's weaknesses, according to JR. 'The boys' would often scout for potential shortcomings in other wrestlers. Since Brock Lesnar was dealing with personal issues, they made him a target.
"If the boys see a weakness, and they see some little crack in the armor, because it was obvious that Lesnar had no cracks in the armor visibly, but emotionally and material-wise, he was in a world that he had not prepared for, ever in his life."
JR mused that Brock Lesnar was not fully prepared for the world of wrestling. Brock Lesnar dealt with many grueling aspects of the business - such as travel, increased exposure, and added monetary benefits - and they pushed him to the point of burnout. Lesnar's relationship with Sable brought more drama to the equation.
"More money. More travel. More fame. More fortune. And he was having; I won't say family issues, but you know, he was trying to raise his daughter and the marital, or ex-marital issues, he was dating Sable, which was a great thing for him, and it has been a wonderful marriage. They got great-looking sons, but at that time, it was just more drama on his plate. And so people process this information differently... But the talents have a way; they knew where Brock's sensitivities were. I think a lot of guys took advantage of his naivety, in saying man, 'Brother, you got screwed.'"
Brock Lesnar was fast-tracked into the business, and while he faced his fair share of struggles, the future Hall of Famer has come a long way since debuting as a young rookie in 2002.
Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to SK Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.