Joe L.: I'm sure you've heard of this guy: one of the most purely athletic WWE Champions in history, the future of this business and the man that has carried the SMACKDOWN in its shoulders. Do you know who it is?

A Mark: You must be talking about The Rock. The Rock was a huge draw, he was one of the driving forces behind the organization and people loved him inside and outside the ring.

A 2nd Mark: No, no, no...it's Kurt Angle. He is arguably one of the greatest athletes in the world and he made the likes of Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio look like credible threats to his title reign. A 3rd Mark: Wait a tick, you must mean Eddie Guerrero. He might not have been a huge success story but he defended his title like a proud champion and always put up a hell of a show. Joe L: What about Brock Lesnar? All Marks: Brock Lesnar? That Shmo? F**k him! Even JBL is better than him.

The conversation I had made up pretty much describes the ongoing situation between Brock Lesnar and his relationship with the WWE. How art the mighty have fallen: from being an athletic SMACKDOWN champion to ridiculing in several failed attempts to play in the NFL. Brock has always been one of my favorite wrestlers on the roster as he (not Bam Bam or even Mike Awesome) was the most athletic big man in this sport. But success had gone to his head and felt that he should be treated like a true champion, not a guy who has to work harder than anybody. Things would've been a lot more positive about Brock if he had not whine about how he had to travel to every house show without any privacy. Or complain about the situation he was in due to the creative team. Or the fact that he spent his money on a private jet. Or belief that he should be paid more than anyone on the roster.

In other words, Brock Lesnar's major downfall was his inability to act like a true champion, act like an obedient worker, or even act like an adult. Brock's "spoiled-brat" agenda turned his career upside down completely. And that's just before his attempts to go to the NFL. That would be where the real disaster began.

Brock was brought to the WWE after his training OVW and was pushed as the unstoppable monster that could not be beat. After years of pushing big men being a total failure, this one actually worked. Brock won the WWE Undisputed title from the Rock at SummerSlam 2002 to a standing ovation, rather than monotonous groans from the audience. He was forced to be put in the feud with the Undertaker and even though the Undertaker made him look like a paper champion, Brock was completely over as a monster. So over, he was turned face and had excellent battles with Kurt Angle and carried the Big Show to some good brawls. He even main event at his first WrestleMania. Later on, Brock would turn heel, which should've been the time where his stardom was to be elevated.

But instead most of the focus went to the McMahon’s and that's where Brock Lesnar's ego started to boil inside his head. Although the McMahon’s were thankfully gone from television, Brock was becoming less tolerable and more of an egotist. How else to explain about a guy who "threatened to kill anyone who supplies information through the Internet?" or the man who regretted jobbing to Eddie Guerrero, saying it would do bad to his career? If anything, it might've made him even more important to the business, especially since Guerrero and Lesnar's match at No Way Out 2004 was a superb wrestling bout.

He then voiced major complaints about the travelling schedule or the ways he was being booked. The ball was then dropped big time when he announced his quitting of his WWE career...five days before WrestleMania XX!!! What the hell was he thinking? If he had made the announcement after WMXX, it would be one thing but doing so, five days before WMXX and with all the negativity he's been spooning about is not a way to go out in good terms.

And who could ever forget about the anti-classic between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX? Heckled big time by a New York audience that made Philadelphia look weak, Brock looked completely lost and confused over the reaction of the crowd. From "You Sold Out" to "This Match Sucks", to say that Brock was feeling small inside would be an understatement. So after his departure, he decided to set his sight on football.

It has been over a year and he has yet to make it to the football league. On top of it all, his attitude towards the WWE has dramatically changed. One day in 2004, he talked about how wrestling was fake and that he wasn't prepared and went as far as throwing a huge temper tantrum when teased about it. He attempted to return to the WWE, wanting more pay but he made a huge error: he signed a contract that has prohibited him from wrestling not only in the WWE but also elsewhere in the world including Japan. This sent Brock in an uproar and in a stupid moment, file a lawsuit at the WWE where he is pretty much likely to lose in. Well, so much for that comeback.

Now all of a sudden, he wants to return to the company that he defamed and put everything behind him. If he wants to reconcile his mistakes, then good for him. But what makes him believe that he will maintain the equal amount of respect that he received prior to his quitting? If he came back, everyone will probably look at Brock with either disgust or just ignore him. Anyone who has given their condolences to the NCAA veteran will reconsider their notion. Anyone who was greatly upset over Brock's action in the aftermath of his release will be displeased to hear that a guy who dissed the one promotion that made him one of the biggest stars on the roster is backed into changing his wrestling gear in the same room they're in.

People will bash me for saying that I hate Brock but I don't. Was I thrilled that he declared his retirement from wrestling? Of course, not. Words could not describe how angry I was to see Brock leave wrestling and realize the motivations that backed up his claim. To say I was appalled would be a serious understatement. Brock Lesnar failed to realize what he had: he had an extremely valuable contract, he had the wrestling physique that was nearly unsurpassable, he was one of the top heels in the promotion and he was the WWE Champion for more than four months. He was treated with dignity and respect by the locker room. But instead of benefiting from it, he felt the need of having more respect, more dignity, more money and less working in his career. What Brock failed to realize is that when you're a champion, you're supposed to defend the WWE title every night in house shows. Even HHH defended his belt in house shows a lot. As for more money, sorry, Brock, this is a wrestling company, not a deposit bank. You can't always have what you want. You had everything most wrestlers didn't have and you threw it all out in a remarkable display of stupidity.

Look, I'm not going to take away Brock Lesnar's athleticism and personal childhood history. Hell, I even wrote a review on this website about his DVD and I enjoyed it a lot. The guy was also a former NCAA Champion for Christ' Sakes. But for all the RAW wrestlers he has squashed, for all the Hulk Hogans and the Rocks he has choked out, for all the classic ****1/4 bouts with Kurt Angle and for all his desire to play in the football league, it will be Brock Lesnar's childish behavior and ignorance about wrestling that'll dominate his legacy, as well as it should.

The WWE did not screw Brock Lesnar for their mishandling of him. Brock Lesnar screwed himself by taking every credential that he once contained and threw it all in the garbage because of his disrespect towards wrestling and the company that gave him everything no champion could ever buy.

by Joe L. --- [View Joe L's Column Index]..