We’ve grown used to seeing records topple in the WWE, but Brock Lesnar breaking Hulk Hogan’s slipped under the radar for the moment.
This is a pretty cool one because it’s not based on how many titles are won or merchandise sold, but on the longevity and ability to engage the fans over decades.
What’s the record? Brock Lesnar’s latest win of the WWE Championship came 20 years after his first championship win. Hulk Hogan’s final WWE Championship win came 18 years after his first.
For the ages
It’s too easy to look at someone’s long career and think it’s easy or anyone can do it. We fall into this trap when we grow comfortable seeing the same faces year after year.
But to get to this point, one has to deal with injuries and reinventing themselves multiple times over the course of their careers.
No name’s as big as Hulk Hogan as he’s the top draw in history and was the face of wrestling in the 1980s and early 90s as his gimmick was targeted toward children as he encouraged us to “train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins.”
Hogan saw a resurgence in WCW with the nWo and his heel turn as Hollywood Hogan, and then the fans welcomed him back in the WWE and turned him face when he faced the Rock at WrestleMania 18.
In 2002, he passed the torch to Lesnar in a huge way when he couldn’t fight out of a bearhug and he passed out.
Lesnar takes over
Brock Lesnar was billed as “The Nest Big Thing” and he’s lived up to that and more over the years. He hasn’t had to reinvent himself as much because he’s gone into other avenues to pursue his dreams.
But when he’s retuned, he’s gotten a loud pop no matter when he appears. His approach was different than Hogan’s in that he’s been treated as an attraction like Andre the Giant was.
It’s been a great run and he deserves all the accolades he gets for lasting as long as he has and continuing to be a force in the WWE.
The WWE may have learned to rely on their older stars to make things interesting, but Lesnar will always be believable to face and defeat just about anyone, just as Hogan was in the latter stages of his career.
There’s a lot Lesnar can accomplish before his career’s over, and being the rarified air of Hulk Hogan is a great notch on his belt.
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