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Brock Lesnar has been known as WWE's "Beast Incarnate" ever since he burst upon the scene as "The Next Big Thing" in 2002. However, younger WWE fans may be unaware that there was another beast (incarnate) in WWE with a mixed martial arts background prior to Lesnar at the dawn of the Attitude Era.His name was Dan "The Beast" Severn.
Severn held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for 1479 days between 1995-99, and he would make his first appearance in WWE in May 1997 as a color commentator during one of fellow UFC veteran Ken Shamrock's matches. Severn debuted in the ring in March 1998 as part of the short-lived NWA invasion led by Jim Cornette. With Shamrock experiencing some success in WWE at this time, they tried to push Severn similarly, but he never really caught on with the audience due to a variety of factors. Before we explore his lackluster WWE career, let's give the man his flowers for an outstanding career in amateur wrestling and MMA.
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Dan Severn Was A Decorated Amateur Wrestler And An MMA Pioneer
In 1976, Dan Severn was named "Outstanding High School wrestler in the nation," and placed in the Olympic Trials before his 18th birthday. He attended Arizona State University, where he was a two-time All-American and inducted into their wrestling Hall of Fame. While he never did make the U.S. Olympic team, he was an alternate for both the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.
Severn made the move to MMA, and is considered one of the leading pioneers of the sport. According to Dave Meltzer, he was the first true world-class wrestler to compete in the UFC. He made his debut at UFC 4, losing the finals of the tournament to MMA legend Royce Gracie. He would win the tournament at UFC 5, before losing by submission to future WWE counterpart Ken Shamrock at UFC 6 for the UFC Superfight Championship. Severn would get his revenge on Shamrock at UFC 9, as he defeated him by split decision to win the Championship.
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Severn had his final MMA fight in 2012, and finished with a stunning career record of 101-19-7. He is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, the first and only UFC Triple Crown Champion, and the first man to simultaneously hold titles in both MMA and professional wrestling. Severn began his professional wrestling career in 1992 for UWF International in Japan, followed by working indie promotions across the U.S. and Canada before joining the NWA in 1995, which ultimately led to his time with WWE.
Dan Severn Lacked Charisma During A Time In Which It Was Paramount
Let's face it -- the NWA in 1995 was not your father's NWA. Once WCW left the NWA in the early 1990s, all that remained was a small coalition of indie promotions. But that didn't stop Vince McMahon from attempting an NWA invasion angle in 1998. Jim Cornette led a short-lived NWA stable including World Champion Severn, Jeff Jarrett, Barry Windham, and a repacked Midnight Express of Bart Gunn and Bob Holly. Additionally, UFC's popularity in its infancy was nowhere near what it is today, so having a UFC star on the roster in 1998 wasn't as big of a deal.
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Severn carried himself like the legit tough guy that he was, and had a unique look as he simply wore a sweaty gray t-shirt and trunks while carrying his NWA and MMA championship titles. Severn's main issue was that he couldn't talk, and the Attitude Era was a time in which being able to get yourself over with the audience was of utmost importance. Cornette would often cut promos on behalf and be on commentary during Severn's matches to help put him over, but he could only do so much, and the NWA angle quickly fizzled out.
Dan Severn Was Offered A Controversial Gimmick In 1999 And Asked For His Release
Because of his grounded, technical style, Severn also did not produce the most exciting matches for fans at the time. He would briefly feud with Shamrock, but it would ultimately go nowhere. Severn did make the semifinals of the 1998 King of the Ring, ultimately losing to The Rock. He entered the shoot fighting Brawl For All Tournament, but decided to withdraw after beating the Godfather in the first round. One of the more memorable things Severn did during his WWE tenure was injure D-Lo Brown's chest, causing him to wear a chest protector -- not exactly a great legacy.
In early 1999, WWE management had the idea of making Severn one of the Undertaker's disciples in the Ministry of Darkness. The problem was, they asked Severn to tattoo "666" on his forehead. Severn staunchly refused and asked for his release shortly thereafter, thus ending WWE's inaugural attempt at cultivating a "Beast Incarnate."
