Brock Lesnar

Article / Interview

Brock Lesnar is the next big thing in Vince McMahon's world of sports entertainment. The World Wrestling Entertainment
star is quickly climbing to the top.

McMahon brought Hulk Hogan and The Rock to great heights in mainstream circles movies, books, TV shows, Howard Stern, Saturday Night Live. He worked wonders to a lesser degree with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Ultimate Warrior and Bret Hart.

With The Rock splitting time between movie making and wrestling and with Austin on suspension for walking out on the
company, McMahon's latest creation - the agile muscleman Lesnar - is his next big cash cow.

"When Stone Cold was injured a couple of years ago and was out eight months, everyone wondered who was going to take his place. A young, up-n-coming star, The Rock came in and clearly took his place,'' WWE CEO Linda McMahon said. "The conversation now is The Rock is doing movies so who's coming in to take his place. Well, we've got this really bright, up-n-coming star Brock Lesnar.

"We're always building new talent with our camps and developmental process. We're no different than a coach with a new team who puts in a new quarterback. You have to have time to play on the field and gel with the team. With that experience and creativity comes building a star. It took us two years to build The Rock. I think we're on the right track of knowing and having the right formula. It just takes some time to do it.''

Lesnar's time is now.

"I really believe in my mind I'm the next big thing,'' the 25-year-old talent said. "I am the big thing now by the force I have brought to the WWE ring, but I still have to prove myself."

Instead of sneaking to read dad's Playboy, Lesnar grew up flipping through the pages of muscle magazines.

"Arnold Schwarzenagger was an idol of mine,'' said Lesnar. "As a teenager, I was reading Flex magazine, trying to get bigger biceps and a bigger back. I was amazed with muscle. I wanted to get bigger and eat right.

"I knew if I was strong in the weight room and kept my athleticism, I could dominate in wrestling. That was my goal to be a major force on the mat. If I was strong and quick and agile, that's a pretty tough combination to beat in amateur wrestling. I didn't want to be the legitimate muscle-head. I wanted to be an athletic, strong guy with a bodybuilder physique.''

Lesnar sparked much interest from officials of McMahon's sports entertainment conglomerate known as WWE. Formerly
the World Wrestling Federation, McMahon changed the name after losing litigation with the World Wildlife Fund over the
initials WWF.

Whether it's WWWF, WWF or WWE, the McMahon name continues to run a profitable business which attracts millions of
fans and dollars. He has created some of the biggest money makers in the field (Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Undertaker,
Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock).

Lesnar is a super rock solid 6-foot-4, 285 pounds.

"Before long, I will be the big thing,'' he said.

Developing stars is WWE business, and the company is posied and ready to launch its latest creation.

"Everything Vince McMahon has put in front of me I've devoured,'' Lesnar said. "Any task he's asked of me in and out of the ring, I'm very capable of handling.Right there just goes to show I am ready for this, and I think the talent and everybody believes in me. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity.''

Already the King of the Ring, Lesnar wrestled Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental title during the WWE pay-per-view Vengeance on Sunday, July 14.

"RVD is great,'' Lesnar said. "Our two styles compliment each other. We have good chemistry in the ring.''

Austin and Lesnar were scheduled to compete on Raw with Eddy Guerrero the special guest referee the day Austin walked
out on the company. Guerrero was scripted to help Lesnar defeat Austin in a King of the Ring qualifier, building the Austin/Guerrero fued.

"If he's going to leave, it opens a bigger door,'' Lesnar said. "It would have been a bigger door for me if I'd had the chance to
work with him, but that's the crazy thing about this business. Anything can happen. If you're not around, it just opens a spot for
somebody else to step out and take over.''

Previously, Lesnar had a confrontation with Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig on an airplane after the WWE's UK Tour. Hennig was
sent home. Professional jealousy? Wrong place at the wrong time? Standing up for yourself? Whatever the case, Lesnar and WWE realize the big picture.

"I think everybody here is happy for me,'' Lesnar said. "We're all a team. If I get over and start putting people in the seats, we're all making money. It's one of the things where we all have to work together.''

A big farm boy, Lesnar grew up in Webster, South Dakota. He learned the art of amateur wrestling at a very young age since
his neighbor and future high school wrestling coach - who owned a farm about two miles away - ran an amateur wrestling camp for kids.

"I've been involved in amateur wrestling ever since I can remember,'' said Lesnar. "I started wrestling at the age of 4. I wrestled 19 years amateur til the year 2000. I wrestled through high school and college and then was just pretty much tired of it.''

Lesnar gained much notoriety after winning the NCAA heavyweight wrestling championship for the University of Minnesota. With a strong physique, a very successful amateur run and the transition of fellow amateur wrestling standout Kurt Angle into a legit WWE star, Lesnar drew much interest from WWE.

WWE contacted him in 1999.

"My family was excited,'' Lesnar said. "The main thing was they wanted me to be happy and enjoy what I do.''

Prepare for the Olympics or pro wrestling - Lesnar made his decision.

"I wasn't thinking about the Olympics because if I couldn't give 110-percent, then I wasn't going to do it,'' he said. "I was
ready to open another chapter in my life and start a profession.

"I literally didn't start watching professional wrestling until 1998. It really didn't interest me until [Olympic gold medalist] Kurt Angle got involved. I knew Kurt through amateur wrestling before he got into the business. When it came time for me to get involved, I spoke a lot to him.''

Quickly becoming a WWE TV star, Angle silenced his critics and those in the amateur wrestling world who thought he was making a bad mistake. He also created interest in amateur wrestling on a broader scale because of his pro success.

"The amateur attitude toward professional wrestling is those guys are fake,'' Lesnar said. "Through the times, things have
changed a lot. It's entertainment versus amateur wrestling. It's totally two different chapters in the book. It's not even the same thing.

"With two great amateur wrestlers in professional wrestling now, it kind of changes the era. It does a lot of good for pro wrestling and amateur wrestling. It puts amateur wrestling on the map a little bit. It's great for me and Kurt to bring our backgrounds to the professional side.''

After learning the ropes from super trainer Brad Rheingans 2 1/2 months in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lesnar spent quality time
with Ohio Valley Wrestling, the feeder group to WWE under the direction of Jim Cornette.

"Ohio Valley Wrestling was basically an internship,'' Lesnar said. "They sent me there to learn my trade and get as much ring time as I could. The people there were great, and I got to see the independent side of it. I was working for Jim, and he is a very knowledgeable person. Obviously, he did me a lot of good.''

D-Lo Brown, considered one of the most technically gifted competitors in WWE, spent time in OVW with Lesnar.

"If you make the comment, 'This kid's going to make some money', that's the boys' term for this kid's got something special,'' Brown said. "It's not a matter of if with Brock but when. There were times I'd see him in the ring and say, 'This kid's going to make some money.' You could see he had something special about him. It was just a matter of when it was going to be brought out, highlighted and exposed.''

Lesnar can continue learning from those who have already paved the way for mega-stardom including icons Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. Both are still active in WWE.

"Any time you can get great masterminds and icons in your locker-room, it's a big plus,'' Lesnar said. "There's an old saying.
'If you want to fly with the eagles, you got to quit flying with the crows.' Once you bring good people like that in the locker-room, it rubs off on you. There's a lot of knowledge and a lot of respect for those guys. They've got a lot of experience. If you just sit back and listen, you can learn a lot from them.''

In OVW, Lesnar anxiously waited for the next step into WWE. OVW is full of talent, making a move harder.

"They called me at the right time because I was getting frustrated in Louisville [with OVW],'' Lesnar said. "I felt I learned as much as I could down there. When they called it was to do house shows and dark matches which was a great step for me. Just like in amateur wrestling, to expose myself to different talent makes me better, and I was exposed to top talent working with different guys with different psychology and philosophy in the business. It was a stepping stone to me.''

It's been some roller coaster ride for WWE in 2002. The company switched from World Wrestling Federation to World Wrestling Entertainment after losing a name battle with the World Wildlife Fund. Even bigger, it lost Austin who walked out on the organization.

WWE won a major victory over the Parents Television Council receiving a public apology from the PTC's leader L. Brent Bozell and $3.5 million. It created a brand split of talent for its Raw and SmackDown shows, which elevates stars and develops new talent, the future.

That future includes Batista, John Cena, Randy Orton and Lesnar. Of all the new names, Lesnar is the one with the most potential and ready to take the coveted step toward super stardom. In 2002, The Rock also celebrated a successful starring debut in Universal Picture's The Scorpion King.

"Good for The Rock. That's great for him. I'm happy for him,'' Lesnar said. "That's what he wants, and if he's happy with it, that's great. He's enjoying himself. For somebody to come out of this business and do what he's doing is great.

"It's something for me to shoot for, but right now I'm just focused on wrestling. If an opportunity comes along for me to get on the big screen in any way, shape or form as long as Vince and J.R. are happy with it, I'm happy with it. I work for one company. I'm staying here for quite a long time. I'm happy with my job, and I love my job.''

Sort of reminds me of the mid to late 1990s when newer talent The Rock, Triple H, Kurt Angle and Austin made big names
for themselves while building the WWF into a mega power and signaling the demise of rival WCW.

Currently, Chris Jericho, Edge, Booker T, Big Show, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Rob Van Dam are vying for super stardom. A hulking force with massive traps and lats, Lesnar entered WWE in 2002 with Paul Heyman as his mouth piece. Heyman, his scripted agent who has a gift for gab, did most of the talking while Lesnar became acclimated with WWE TV.

Now, Lesnar is beginning to speak his mind on TV.

"Paul is great. He is a mastermind, and I think we have some good chemistry together,'' Lesnar said. "When the day comes
for me to lose Paul, I'll be glad and sad at the same time.''

*The WWE pay-per-view SumerSlam is Sunday, Aug. 25.

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