Brock Lesnar Enters Minnesota's M Club Hall of Fame After WWE Retirement
The short version
- Lesnar joined the University of Minnesota's M Club Hall of Fame on Oct. 3, 2026, as one of 10 inductees.
- He was honored for a college career that included two All-American selections, the 2000 NCAA Division I heavyweight title and a 106-5 record.
- Shelton Benjamin, Lesnar's college roommate and a former WWE Superstar, attended and appeared in a photo with Lesnar and his family.
- Lesnar beat The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 for the first of 10 world championships, five months after his March 2002 main roster debut.
- He retired from WWE at SummerSlam 2026 after losing a Hell in a Cell match to Oba Femi.
The retired WWE star, one of 10 honorees, was recognized for a college career featuring two All-American selections and an NCAA heavyweight championship.
Brock Lesnar has picked up a fresh honor from his alma mater. The retired professional wrestler joined the University of Minnesota's M Club Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, entering alongside nine other inductees. The recognition follows his retirement from in-ring competition at SummerSlam, which ended a career spanning amateur wrestling, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
His appearance at the ceremony drew attention. Lesnar turned out in a suit and glasses, attire far removed from the MMA gloves and shorts tied to his years in WWE.
The M Club honor is rooted in his college achievements rather than his fame in combat sports. Minnesota recognized Lesnar for earning All-American status twice and for winning an NCAA heavyweight championship while competing for the school.
The national title arrived in 2000, when he topped the NCAA Division I heavyweight field. He had finished second nationally the previous year. By the time he wrapped up his college career, his record stood at 106-5.
Lesnar did not begin his college career in Minneapolis. Born in South Dakota, he started out at Bismarck State College and later arrived at the University of Minnesota on a wrestling scholarship. His years at the school set the stage for the professional career that followed.
Shelton Benjamin was on hand to share the moment. A former WWE Superstar who lived with Lesnar as his college roommate, Benjamin joined the celebration to support his friend and appeared in a photograph with Lesnar and his family.
Lesnar turned to professional wrestling once his amateur days were over. He signed with Ohio Valley Wrestling, then WWE's developmental program, in 2000 and reached the main roster in March 2002. Billed as the 'Next Big Thing,' he was pushed as a headline attraction almost immediately, and within five months on the roster he had won his first world championship, defeating The Rock at SummerSlam 2002. Nine more world titles would follow across the rest of his career.
His first run with the company came to a close in 2004. Lesnar went on to compete for other promotions, including New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and explored both professional football and mixed martial arts, becoming an accomplished fighter in the UFC. He returned to WWE in 2012, and the second chapter of his career there leaned into his fighting background more heavily. From that point, he worked more MMA techniques into his matches and kept MMA gloves as part of his ring attire.
SummerSlam 2026 served as his send-off. Lesnar dropped a Hell in a Cell match to Oba Femi at the event, settling a rivalry that had run for months. Femi, nicknamed the 'Ruler,' got the better of the 'Beast Incarnate' one final time, and the defeat sent Lesnar into retirement from WWE.
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