If he stuck around....

[Dante, The Voc]

...would we be talking about Brock Lesnar in the same breath as The Rock, Stone Cold, and others as one of the best wrestlers the business had seen? Before he decided to leave, he was having amazing matches and looking very strong. He had established himself with wins over Undertaker, Kurt Angle, The Rock, Big Show, etc. in very exciting contests.

He was looking strong up until early 2004, when he decided to test the NFL waters (ha-ha) and sh*t a storm with Goldberg at Wrestlemania XX. As far as I understand, the main reason that match didn't live up to expectations was because both men were set to leave. If Lesnar wasn't packing up, could that match have been halfway decent?

If Brock had stayed, I doubt JBL would've gotten the push he did. Also, I think he would've had a very exciting feud with "Deadman" 'Taker (also probably eliminated Heindenrich from WWE television).

Brock leaving on the terms he did hindered whatever momentum he wanted in his return this past year. Say what you want about 2012 Brock, but I feel he didn't seem like the intimidating force they made him out to be a decade prior. Had he left on decent terms, could Brock have done more this year? More importantly (as to not go too far off the original topic), would Brock be as big in sports entertainment as Rock, Austin, Hogan, and Cena?

[Callum1993]

If Brock had stuck around then John Cena wouldn't have been as half as big as he became.

[Raine]

Brock's leaving in 2002 is an interesting one. He could have affected Batista, Cena, Orton & possibly even Edge's rises to becoming main event players had he stuck around.

I do believe had he stayed he would have been "the guy" instead of Cena and up their with Austin/Rock/Hogan.

[jacktunney]

He'd absolutely be a top guy but not on the Austin/Rock/Hogan level. He doesn't have near the charisma to break into that tier, which is not a knock. Only very few do

[McBlake]

Certainly wouldn't have affected Cena imo. Batista - very likely though.

[Deleted]

I think so.

Brock was already the chosen one. He would have remained the chosen one for a long time.

[Deleted]

I think Brock and Cena would be the modern Rock/Austin.

[Deleted]

Eddie wouldn't have been champion at Wrestlemania 19 either, maybe we'd have still gotten his match with Angle though.

[Mike Giggs' Munchies]

Brock Cena Orton would be the big 3. Batista and Punk took his spot. Cena and Orton seem inevitable, whereas Lesnar would've filled Batista's 'beast' role and Punk probably wouldn't have been able to go as high as he did once Edge Batista etc left because Brock would've already been occupying that space with the other two.

[heelover5]

^^^^

[RybackV1]

No way! Anyone who thinks Cena would've been this big had Lesnar stuck around is delusional. Cena was a poor mans repleacement after Vince went into panic mode when Lesnar and Goldberg both left (only a few years after Rock and Austin ditched him). Vince was looking for someone as fast as he could and he wanted someone who he knew wouldn't leave him. Which is why The Ulitmate Company Man John Cena is considered a "great".

[Callum1993]

Dec 29, 2012 11:49:00 GMT -5 @jrpunk316 said:

Eddie wouldn't have been champion at Wrestlemania 19 either, maybe we'd have still gotten his match with Angle though.

Seeing as Eddie wasn't champion until Wrestlemania 20 that may be an issue

[zigzagfan24]

Cena would've probably been a heel still

[TheBadGuyChico]

Cena>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lenar.

And i'm actually a huge Lesnar fan. Things worked out the way they did because Cena has a passion for wrestling and Brock is just a good bussiness man.

[Deleted]

Dec 29, 2012 13:24:28 GMT -5 RybackV1 said:

No way! Anyone who thinks Cena would've been this big had Lesnar stuck around is delusional. Cena was a poor mans repleacement after Vince went into panic mode when Lesnar and Goldberg both left (only a few years after Rock and Austin ditched him). Vince was looking for someone as fast as he could and he wanted someone who he knew wouldn't leave him. Which is why The Ulitmate Company Man John Cena is considered a "great".

ehh not really..Cena's push was already going into affect before Brock left, the fans turned him face and it just snowballed form there

[Deleted]

Dec 30, 2012 0:42:34 GMT -5 @jbone said:

Dec 29, 2012 13:24:28 GMT -5 RybackV1 said:

No way! Anyone who thinks Cena would've been this big had Lesnar stuck around is delusional. Cena was a poor mans repleacement after Vince went into panic mode when Lesnar and Goldberg both left (only a few years after Rock and Austin ditched him). Vince was looking for someone as fast as he could and he wanted someone who he knew wouldn't leave him. Which is why The Ulitmate Company Man John Cena is considered a "great".

ehh not really..Cena's push was already going into affect before Brock left, the fans turned him face and it just snowballed form there

I'm pretty sure he'd even had a title match against Brock.

[hbkfan]

Im pretty sure this would have happen:

- John Cena would still be John Cena. Its like questioning if the Rock would be the Rock if Austin never existed.

- Brock would be in a very high spot. At this point I think Brock as a Shawn Michaels - contract level, where he would only wrestle some shows within a year.

- Im not sure about Eddie's Title spot not happening because when Brock was there, he was still getting a push, remember how hot he was around that time.

- I do agree, some other pushes would have been less impacting that they were (Orton being pushed to the moon, Edge being a 10+time world Champion, Swagger even TOUCHING a world title, etc.

[Deleted]

Eddie getting the title had zero to do with Lesnar leaving because nobody knew he was going in Feb 2004.......Im not too sure what would have heppened to Lesnar.he was heading to a program with Deadman Taker after Goldberg.......which he was destined to lose.

Im always very curious about lesnars impact on WWE.some great points being raised in this thread.

[500DaysofNight]

He was he balance that Cena needed. He never had an equal and I never saw Triple H, Randy Orton or Edge as that person. Not until CM Punk finally made it to that level over the last year and a half has Cena had someone that I could honestly say was his equal. And you can see how much better it made him having someone to bring out the best in him.

[LeighD]

I think Brock would definitely be a BIG name in the WWE had he stayed, but not bigger or even as big as Austin/Rock. Had Brock stayed I think WWE would have moved him over to RAW. Thus SD! probably would have stayed the same from WM XX and onward. I think Cena would still be on top as he is today because Cena's popularity was starting to build as far back as the 2003 Survivor Series.

The RAW scene would be another case in itself. Batista, IMO, was the replacement (in a general sense) for Brock. I think his career would look signifcantly different.

Edge is another person whose career would be different a well.

Eddie was mainly with SD! so even if Brock was traded in later 2005, Eddie was still very over.

This is a great and interesting topic.