Brock Lesnar and The Big Show have a history that goes back to the early 2000s, as Big Show is one of the few men that have competitively gone toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar. The climax of their rivalry took place during the summer of 2003, with Big Show chasing after Brock Lesnar's WWE Championship belt. With that said, a memorable moment that took place in their most heated rivalry was Brock Lesnar performing the superplex on Big Show during a 2003 episode of Smackdown, causing the ring to collapse. This angle is considered one of the most eventful moments in WWE history.
Related: Sami Zayn On Why He Wants Roman Reigns To Beat Brock Lesnar At WWE SummerSlam
Brock Lesnar And The Big Show's Ruthless Aggression Rivalry
When WWE first launched the Ruthless Aggression Era in 2002, Brock Lesnar became their latest attraction, as he was pushed to the main-event scene only a few months after making his debut. Defeating legendary superstars like The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and The Undertaker, the 25-year-old Brock Lesnar became the hottest act in professional wrestling.
On the opposite side, Big Show became utilized more efficiently during the early years of the Ruthless Aggression Era. By doing so, WWE pushed Big Show towards the main-event scene immediately after jumping ship to the SmackDown brand. Upon his arrival, he quickly chased after the WWE Championship, which led to Big Show pinning Brock Lesnar for the first time and winning the WWE Championship for the second time in his career.
In a rare occurrence, Big Show is one of the few men in wrestling that have physically matched up against Brock Lesnar regarding believability. That says a lot, considering that Brock Lesnar's build makes him an imposing figure to most of the WWE roster. Furthermore, in the summer of 2003, Brock Lesnar became an established babyface on the SmackDown brand because of his appealing physicality. Since he was being embraced by the fans in his role as the number one babyface on SmackDown, any angle that occurred during his feud with Big Show would generate interest from fans no matter what.
Related: Big Show Has The Weirdest Debut Year In WWE History
Brock Lesnar And The Big Show Clash For The WWE Championship On SmackDown
On the June 12, 2003, episode of SmackDown, Brock Lesnar had to defend the WWE Championship against Big Show in the main event. This match continued their rivalry past the Judgement Day 2003 PPV when Brock Lesnar defeated Big Show in a classic stretcher match.
As both men made their entrances, the two giants collided right from the start as Brock Lesnar ran right into Big Show after he threw the belt to set him off guard. Like other matches Brock Lesnar had against Big Show, he showed intense strength by suplexing Big Show as if he appeared lighter. However, Big Show dominated almost the entire match as Brock Lesnar had to struggle his way out of his clutches for a comeback.
The SmackDown Ring Implodes In A Shocking Moment
After Brock Lesnar failed to hit his signature F-5 maneuver during the match, Big Show hit a monstrous chokeslam on the WWE Champion, only to get a near-fall at two. The frustrated Big Show then felt the need to go through desperate measures by trying to deliver a chokeslam on Brock Lesnar from the top rope. Much like Michael Cole pointed out on commentary, Big Show's anything but a cruiserweight. Having him come on the top rope would most likely result in catastrophic events.
As Big Show was setting for a chokeslam off the top turnbuckle, Brock Lesnar countered it, escaping the palm of Big Show's grip. With Big Show still on the turnbuckle, Brock Lesnar seized the opportunity to try to perform a suplex on the 500-pound monster. As both heavyweights stood on the turnbuckle, the fans in attendance were becoming more reactionary as they knew something was going down.
Brock Lesnar had a suplex position on Big Show, with both men were well above the ring. As this happened, the energy in the entire arena kicked into another gear. The visual of Brock Lesnar performing a superplex on Big Show would cause the fans in attendance to erupt.
Brock Lesnar proceeded to launch Big Show into new heights by successfully performing a superplex as the two behemoths came crashing down on the canvas, causing it to implode. The impact of the ring imploding rendered both men unable to compete. The fans roared in cheers during the last moments before SmackDown went off the air.
The SmackDown Ring Break Was A Legendary Angle
Brock Lesnar performing the superplex on The Big Show in the final moments of Smackdown is considered one of the greatest moments in the blue brand's history. An angle such as this is not only shown in many flashback replays but influenced other matches where the ring has imploded. And considering this episode is listed as the 200th episode of SmackDown, WWE's creative booking went all out with a money angle that established Brock Lesnar's rivalry with The Big Show as a classic.
Related: Big Show Recalls A Messy Accident He Had While Wrestling Brock Lesnar
