Jim Ross Recalls The First Time Vince McMahon Met Brock Lesnar In WWE
"When Vince laid eyes on him he knew that we had the guy."
May 18, 2021
Jim Ross has recalled how Vince McMahon 'beelined right to' Brock Lesnar the first time the two were in the same room together in WWE.
Lesnar was signed by WWE in 2000 and sent to developmental territory OVW. Two years later, he was brought up to the main roster, winning the WWE Championship in his first six months by beating The Rock at SummerSlam 2002.
It was Ross and retired wrestler Gerald Brisco who brought Lesnar into WWE and JR remembers when they took Lesnar to a taping in Minneapolis, and how McMahon was instantly interested in 'The Next Big Thing'.
Speaking to Alex McCarthy of TalkSPORT, 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 beelined 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.’
"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."
