WWE Hall of Famer and AEW announcer Jim Ross recently spoke with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, where he revealed how WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon reacted when he first laid eyes on Brock Lesnar years ago. JR also revealed how he and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco brought Lesnar to a TV taping in Minneapolis because he went to college there.
Jim Ross said, “Gerry Brisco and I brought Brock Lesnar to a TV taping in Minneapolis because he went to college there.” “I said to McMahon, ‘That new kid I’m recruiting is here tonight. If you get a chance I’d like you to say hello him.’"
“So McMahon is walking about with his Mr. McMahon walk and he happens to glance over and Gerry Brisco is standing by this monster. Vince made a U-turn and bee-lined right to Brock – he had never seen him. Never watched him wrestle. He knew Gerry and I was high on him, but Gerry didn’t meet with Vince on a regular basis, I met with Vince every day. I said, ‘We got this kid we’re going to sign and he’s going to be extraordinary. You’re going to love him.’”
Jim Ross then talked about when Vince McMahon first laid eyes on Lesnar he knew that he was the guy.
Jim Ross said, “So when Vince laid eyes on him he knew that we had the guy.” “If he had any aptitude whatsoever – we knew athletically he was going to be great, he’d already proven himself as an athlete – but if he could get the showbiz side of it and have the aptitude to be a pro wrestler, he was going to be our guy for a while. And that worked out.”
Brock Lesnar signed his first contract with WWE in 2000 and was immediately sent to OVW developmental territory. He was called to the main roster in 2002, where he had a successful run before leaving WWE to pursue a career in the NFL in 2004. Lesnar then went to Japan to wrestle and he even pursued other careers prior to returning to WWE in April 2012. Lesnar last competed for the WWE at the WrestleMania 36 Event in 2020 when he lost the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre. Brock is currently not signed to a WWE contract, but is expected to return to the company at some point in the near future.
