Did Brock Lesnar Almost Ruin His Legendary 2002 WWE Debut? Spike Dudley Reveals the Shocking Truth
When WWE fans talk about the most explosive debuts in history, Brock Lesnar’s arrival in 2002 is always at the top of the list. The “Beast Incarnate” stormed onto RAW the night after WrestleMania X8, interrupting a Hardcore Title match between Al Snow, Maven, and Spike Dudley. Within seconds, he laid waste to everyone in sight, leaving the WWE Universe in shock.
But according to one of the men who took that brutal beating, Lesnar actually made a huge mistake during his debut.
Spike Dudley Reveals What Really Happened
In a candid chat with Chris Van Vliet on the INSIGHT podcast, ECW legend Spike Dudley recalled the night Lesnar powerbombed him into oblivion — and admitted that it didn’t exactly go as planned.
“That was the only time I ever tapped out,” Spike admitted. “We agreed on five powerbombs backstage. After the third one, I was completely gone — seeing stars. I just couldn’t take anymore. When Brock lifted me for the fourth, I told him ‘Nope, can’t do it.’ And to his credit, he respected that and let me go.”
It was a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into how Lesnar’s raw intensity almost crossed the line, even on his very first night.
The Rise of The Beast
Despite the hiccup, Lesnar’s debut instantly skyrocketed him to the top. Within months, he was tearing through WWE legends — defeating Hulk Hogan, Rob Van Dam, The Undertaker, and even becoming the youngest WWE Champion in history after crushing The Rock at SummerSlam 2002.
His feud with Kurt Angle would later cement his status as one of the greatest in-ring athletes WWE has ever seen, and although some critics at the time claimed he was “overrated,” Lesnar’s dominance proved otherwise.
🔥 So, did Brock Lesnar nearly botch his legendary debut? Not exactly — but if Spike Dudley hadn’t spoken up that night, the Beast’s first impression might have looked very different.
