Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/wrestling/article/3161848/wwe-day-1-ex-ufc-champion-brock-lesnar-triumphs-fatal
Martial Arts/ Wrestling

WWE Day 1: ex-UFC champion Brock Lesnar triumphs in Fatal 5-Way match as ‘The Beast’ wins an event he was not supposed to take part in

  • The former UFC heavyweight champion was a last-minute addition to the event, after his previous opponent tested positive for Covid-19
  • “The Beast” bulldozed his way through Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Bobby Lashley to become the new champion
Brock Lesnar won the WWE championship at Day 1, defeating Big E, Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens. Photo: Reuters

Brock “The Beast” Lesnar has emerged the victor of a five-man WWE championship match in the US overnight, winning an event he wasn’t even supposed to be part of.

Roman Reigns, WWE’s biggest star and cousin of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, was set to defend his WWE Universal Championship defence against former UFC champion Lesnar in Day 1’s headline attraction, but was scratched after testing positive for Covid-19.

Organisers made a snap decision to throw Lesnar into the WWE Day 1’s Fatal 4-Way for the WWE title and “The Beast” bulldozed his way through Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Bobby Lashley to become the new champion.

The destruction began immediately as Rollins and Owens jumped Lesnar when the bell rang while Big E and Lashley tumbled outside the ring. Lesnar delivered suplex after suplex until Lashley drove Lesnar through the ropes and into the timekeeper’s area.

Rollins and Owens continued their partnership to lay waste to Lashley and Lesnar with the steel steps before Big E jumped into the fray.

A former UFC heavyweight champion, Lesnar has not competed in MMA since UFC 200 in 2016, when he collected a controversial decision win over Mark Hunt. It was later revealed that Lesnar failed a pair of drug tests taken in the lead up and on the day of their fight and the fight was declared a no contest.

It was not just the men in action on Day 1 of the WWE Championships, the rematch between Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan lived up to the hype as “Big Time Becks” and Morgan left it all in the ring.

Morgan wasted little time taking it to the champion, landing a pair of knees to the face and repeatedly bouncing Lynch’s face off the announcers table. Morgan continued to pummel Lynch with another knee to the face before picking her up off the top rope and throwing her across the ring.

The two heated rivals exchanged knockout blows, including a tremendous modified sunset flip powerbomb from Morgan, but they could only keep the other down for a two-count each time.

Morgan put her body on the line, but it only seemed to further enrage Lynch. As Morgan went for Oblivion, Big Time Becks caught her and pulled her off the ropes to hit the Man-handle Slam for the win.