5 WWE underdogs who almost defeated Brock Lesnar
WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar is renowned for his dominance in the ring. He is a 10-time world champion and a former Money in the Bank winner. The Beast Incarnate has also crushed the likes of The Undertaker, Goldberg, and John Cena. However, there have been times when he was almost defeated by underdogs.
It is unlikely to consider that Lesnar could have struggled against superstars who were much smaller than him in stature. However, this was the case when he went face-to-face against the stars on our list.
The opponents used various tactics, strategies, and abilities to overcome The Beast Incarnate and were, surprisingly, almost successful.
Let's take a look at five underdogs who almost defeated Brock Lesnar.
#5. Chris Benoit came close to defeating Brock Lesnar
The only televised one-on-one match between Chris Benoit and Brock Lesnar happened in December 2003 on SmackDown. Benoit won the opportunity to get his hands on the WWE Championship after making Lesnar submit in the Survivor Series traditional elimination tag team match.
The bout was brutal, with numerous moves and displays of strength. Lesnar came swinging and dominated Benoit with submissions and grapples. However, the babyface took the fight back to Lesnar. He planted many combination moves while retaliating and got a near fall.
Benoit apparently even had the win after Brock submitted to the Crossface. Unfortunately, the referee was taken out by Lesnar, and he didn't notice the latter tapping out. In the end, The Beast Incarnate trapped Benoit's leg in a chair and executed a Brock Lock for a TKO victory over The Rabid Wolverine, who passed out in the ring.
#4. Rey Mysterio almost pulled off a stunner
Standing at five feet six inches, Rey Mysterio has a reputation for being a menace to behemoths like Batista, Big Show, and even The Great Khali. A similar David versus Goliath affair occurred in 2019 when Rey Mysterio went against Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship.
The rivalry was sparked when Rey attacked Brock Lesnar after the latter's match against Cain Velasquez at Crown Jewel. Lesnar then decimated Rey and his son Dominik on an episode of RAW in September. This eventually led to a showdown at Survivor Series in a No Holds Barred match.
Lesnar was the favorite to win after defeating Kofi Kingston for the WWE title in just seven seconds. The underdog Mysterio, however, proved to be a major challenge during the bout.
Lesnar dominated the first half of the match before he was stunned by the fightback. Dominik caused a distraction, helping Rey capitalize with a low blow. The father and son duo connected a Double 619 followed by Splashes. However, The Beast Incarnate was able to kick out. He regained himself, suplexed Dominik, and delivered an F5 on Rey to win via pinfall.
#3. Daniel Bryan might have stomped the beast
The heel Daniel Bryan (known as Bryan Danielson in AEW) defeated AJ Styles for the WWE Championship in an episode of SmackDown in November 2017. He proceeded to take center stage against Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2018 in the traditional Champion vs. Champion match.
Lesnar introduced Bryan to Suplex City in their first-ever one-on-one match. He showered a combination of Belly-to-Belly and German suplexes to incapacitate his opponent.
However, Danielson's strategic mindset kicked in. The American Dragon took advantage of a distracted referee to deliver a kick to the mid-section of Lesnar.
Daniel Bryan then unleashed a barrage of hard-hitting shots, both outside and inside the ring. Brock Lesnar tried to counter but got trapped in the Yes Lock. Danielson locked in the submission maneuver twice, but Lesnar took advantage of an opening.
The Beast Incarnate scored a pinfall victory after reversing a triangle submission into a thunderous F5.
#2. AJ Styles gave his utmost for SmackDown
When @BrockLesnar retaliates against @AJStylesOrg, he does it in straight up BEASTLY fashion! #SurvivorSeries @DiGiornoPizza #CrispyPanPizza https://t.co/o7rypafFDL
The Champion vs. Champion bout between both brands at Survivor Series is renowned due to the efforts of AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar. The Phenomenal One faced off against The Beast Incarnate in a highly-acclaimed match in 2017. Both superstars gave their best in a test of agility until Lesnar came out on top.
There were moments when Styles seemed to be in control after being initially dominated by The Beast Incarnate. He threw himself onto the giant, connecting forearms and full-body splashes. The Phenomenal One seemingly had the win when he locked the Calf-Crusher submission on Lesnar's injured leg.
However, Lesnar broke through and even withstood a Phenomenal Forearm. He eventually caught Styles during the second attempt and delivered an F5 to win.
It can be argued that The Phenomenal One pushed The Beast Incarnate to the limits.
#1. CM Punk made a mark before leaving WWE
CM Punk and Brock Lesnar had a short but bitter feud back in 2013. It involved Paul Heyman siding with Lesnar after the latter saved him from getting fired. In a turn of events, Heyman turned on Punk, which resulted in Lesnar attacking the Best in the World. Punk then challenged Lesnar to a No-Disqualification match at SummerSlam, which the latter accepted.
Lesnar was an unstoppable monster at the time and looked to dominate Punk. However, The Voice of the Voiceless balanced the scales with some hard-hitting action. He landed flying kicks and knees on The Beast Incarnate before the latter threw him around like a rag-doll.
In a dramatic scene, CM Punk grabbed the tie of Paul Heyman while he was standing on the apron. This allowed him to stall Lesnar's F5. Brock got distracted, and Punk capitalized with a Go to Sleep. He would have probably won if not for interference from Heyman. Lesnar eventually ended the match after delivering an F5 to Punk on a steel chair.
@Tevon96 Vs Brock for sure.
Both Paul Heyman guys battled it out to settle the bad blood between them. Punk would continue to fight till Royal Rumble 2014, after which he quit the company to embark on a seven-year hiatus from pro wrestling.