Brock Lesnar made his WWE debut the night after WrestleMania 18. He was accompanied to the ring by Paul Heyman, and during the middle of a tag-team match, the hottest free agent in wrestling walked down the ramp and brutalized all the participating wrestlers. His first victim was Al Snow, and Al was slammed onto a nearby trash can.
Jim Ross started freaking out at the size of the debutant and Spike Dudley ascended the top rope in an attempt to drive back the beast. Lesnar swatted him down and broke him in half with three successive powerbombs. Heyman then entered the ring and raised his hand to cap off one of the most destructive debuts.
The Hardy Boyz Were Brock Lesnar's First WWE Feud
In one segment, Lesnar became a massive monster heel. He looked like the sort of wrestler who was perfectly capable of feuding with the World Champion for his first feud and be sold as a credible threat. And while he became the champion in mere months, his first feud was with the Hardy Boyz, a fan favorite tag-team.
After his debut, Lesnar attacked the Hardyz after a tag-team match against Big Boss Man and Mister Perfect. Heyman watched on as Lesnar destroyed the two brothers to start the feud. During the next week, when Lesnar was standing by during a Paul Heyman promo, Matt and Jeff retaliated with steel chair shots to the head. Lesnar was struck multiple times on the skull, but he was never knocked down. The NCAA champion retreated but not before swearing that he would get the two.
On the next episode of RAW, Matt Hardy vs Brock Lesnar was made official for Backlash, but after a bizarre segment of Heyman approaching Lita in the dressing room, Lesnar and Heyman isolated Matt after a tag-team match and Lesnar drove him face first on the entrance ramp with an F-5.
Jeff ran to make the save with a steel chair in hand, and Lesnar retreated for the time being, but his objective was complete. Matt Hardy was out of the equation for the time being, and his brother was his replacement for the event. This was Lesnar’s PPV debut, and against a fan favorite like Jeff Hardy. Lesnar was one of the biggest heels of the night, just mere months into his debut.
Needless to say, Lesnar dominated the match. Jeff had a few moments of attack and even hit his signature Swanton Bomb but Lesnar got the victory in under six minutes and not by pinfall. In those six minutes, Lesnar brutalized this opponent to the point where the referee, Teddy Long, was forced to call a KO in order to save Hardy from further punishment. Yes, Lesnar’s first-ever match in WWE ended in a KO. Fitting, considering that he would end up being a UFC Champion.
After Squashing Jeff Hardy, Brock Lesnar Turned His Sights To Matt Hardy
With a dominant victory against Jeff, Lesnar got a match against a still injured Matt Hardy the next night. Matt attacked Lesnar before the match began, but it didn’t really matter in the end. Lesnar shrugged him off and laid further waste to his ribs with backbreakers.
Within 24 hours, Lesnar had destroyed both brothers, and for a while, it looked like the feud was over. Lesnar wrestled Shawn Stasiak on the following episode of RAW but the Hardy Boyz got themselves a handicap match against Lesnar on the next RAW. This time around, Lesnar was struggling, as it was two on one and the Hardy Boyz had him against the ropes.
Brock Lesnar Teamed Up With Paul Heyman To Take On The Hardy Boyz
In the closing moments of the match, Jeff almost got the pinfall victory over Lesnar but Heyman, at the last second, pulled the referee out for the DQ. He then got on the mic and challenged the Hardy Boyz to a tag-team match at the upcoming special PPV, Judgment Day. He then announced that he himself would be Brock’s tag-team partner. Yes, this feud was personal for Heyman as he did not take rejection from Lita very well. During most matches, Paul was heard ordering Lesnar to hurt the Hardy Boyz.
Judgment Day was the last chapter in the feud. This time around, Lesnar had no problem dealing with the tag-team, and once again, in under five minutes, Lesnar knocked out both of his opponents and tagged in Heyman for the pinfall victory. Matt did get to sock Heyman on the face, so that was a small win in another lopsided feud.
Aside from a few moments of hope, the Hardy Boyz were outclassed and mauled whenever Lesnar was around. The first few months of Lesnar’s career were booked perfectly, and by disposing of a fan favorite tag-team, the Next Big Thing became the biggest heel in the company in the span of two months.