After his WWE debut in 2002, Brock Lesnar was given the moniker of “The Next Big Thing.” Fifteen years later, there is no doubt that The Beast Incarnate surpassed the hype created by the nickname. He’s the only man in sports history to become a NCAA Heavyweight Champion, the UFC Heavyweight Champion, and a WWE World Champion. Lesnar has one of the most impressive resumes in wrestling and fighting history.
On WWE programming, Brock hasn’t needed a unique gimmick or a persona because his schtick has been all about being the most legitimate fighter in the ring. That became even more intense after his run in UFC and his WWE return in 2012. However, WWE officials were pitching an interesting idea for him during his first run with the company back in 2002. Apparently, some people wanted him to make a major statement.
It has been reported that former WWE writer Brian Solomon pitched an idea for Brock Lesnar’s on-screen character to be homosexual on WWE television. Lesnar is not gay in real life, but Stephanie McMahon was intrigued by the idea of being progressive and creating a “strong gay character” who was also a top babyface.
Back in the ’00s, WWE programming wasn’t as structured and the powers that be were willing to add a few big gimmicks like that to give WWE television some social commentary. According to Solomon, Lesnar was going to come out as gay on TV, but he wouldn’t have displayed any of the stereotypes associated with gay men at the time. Brock Lesnar would have been booked the same way he was during his first run with the company, but he’d have sold as a gay man. Ultimately, the idea was scrapped after Brock turned it down.
The idea was eventually given to Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo, who became the infamous tag team “Billy & Chuck.” The pair found a lot of success with the gimmick, but it’s interesting to think about Brock Lesnar carrying that gimmick during his first run. On paper, it wasn’t necessary to get The Beast Incarnate over in the early ’00s. It’s clear why Brock would turn it down, but it’s always interesting to learn about some of the scrapped ideas that never made it to WWE television over the years.
[Featured Image by WWE]
