Hall of Famer reveals Brock Lesnar was a big part of WWE's ring crew as a "foreman"
Over the last few years, Brock Lesnar managed to carve out a special place for himself in WWE. The Beast Incarnate's unique role as a part-time draw made him nigh untouchable at the top.
Lesnar entered WWE from the amateur wrestling world in 2000 and quickly rose to become 'The Next Big Thing.' While the popular star captured the world championship in record time, he had to go through the grind as a developmental talent.
During the latest Grilling JR podcast episode, Jim Ross revealed that Brock Lesnar was one of many WWE superstars who were part of the company's ring crew. JR recalled that almost every wrestler in WWE worked as a member of the team that puts up the ring.
The veteran AEW announcer revealed that Brock Lesnar was the crew's foreman (Team Leader) and added that the former Universal Champion operated the ring truck.
According to Jim Ross, WWE stars had to move up ladders in the promotion, and it all started from getting familiarized with the basics.
"Everybody was on the ring crew. Everybody. Brock Lesnar was the foreman of the ring crew. He drove the ring truck. Somebody said, well, that might just be roleplaying Cowboy Bill and these guys being abused or these guys being disrespected. No, they are learning the business. They learned everything that we do is important. Putting the ring up is important. The referees are important. Doing a little bit of media here and there is important. Meet and greets, they did. Everything is important," Jim Ross revealed.
Former WWE announcer Jim Ross on Mark Jindrak and Sean O'Haire needing more experience
The most recent Grilling JR episode focussed on the WCW Invasion storyline, and JR also shared his views on former Power Plant graduates Mark Jindrak and Sean O'Haire - who signed with WWE as part of the takeover.
Despite possessing enviable looks, Jindrak and O'Haire couldn't establish themselves as top-tier WWE stars, and Jim Ross explained the reasons behind their downfall.
JR said that Jindrak and O'Haire needed more training to complement their athletic bodies.
"So they needed that experience, Jindrak, and O'Haire. They weren't ready. Their bodies were ready, they looked good, Connie, but they weren't socially ready, and I just wish we would have been able to settle them down there. But a lot of the writers loved them because of their size and look because they knew Vince was going to love their size and look. You come back to the same topic every time like we're chasing our damn tails. Round and round we go. So, anyhow, they could have used some training, big time. They needed to spend six months, maybe a year in Louisville, learning to put the ring up because everybody did," said Jim Ross.
JR noted that O'Haire and Jindrak came out of WCW thinking they were big stars, but the reality was that the duo required a grasp of wrestling fundamentals.
Ross felt the tag team should have gone through WWE's developmental process similar to Brock Lesnar to understand what it took to be a high-level talent.
"Absolutely. They weren't ready. They had great bodies. It looked great on 8x10. Big, tall, 6'5, 6'4, whatever the hell it was," JR continued, "They were big kids, but they didn't have enough experience, fundamental soundness, you know. So you often wonder, if this guy is fundamentally, he is not as pure as you want him to be; he may hurt himself or somebody else. He needs fundamental work, reps, reps. They came out of WCW; they thought they were big stars. And they didn't draw money there. They weren't a big part of the money-drawing apparatus there at WCW. That was nWo. Who else besides the nWo drew big money, Goldberg, but he was involved with nWo stuff. And so, I don't know, man, they needed to get to developmental."
Professional wrestling is a lot more challenging than it looks, as many well-known WWE Superstars have had to pay their dues to get a whiff of main event success.
Don't let Brock Lesnar's current status mislead you about his dedication towards wrestling as the future WWE Hall of Famer worked his way to the top.
Please credit Jim Ross' Grilling JR and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.