Death Clutch - Brock Lesnar [0]
My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival
Brock Lesnar
with Paul Heyman
Dedication
To my wife, Rena, and my children, Mya, Turk, and Duke.
You are the reason I do what I do.
Contents
Dedication
Preface
DEATHCLUTCH
Part I
RAISED TO BE A CHAMPION
Raised to Be a Champion
Wrestling with My Future
The Cow-Chip Recruit
A Detour on My Road to the NCAA Heavyweight Championship
Senior Year: One Last Chance to Go Out on Top
I'm an NCAA Champion: Now What?
Part II
THE NEXT BIG THING
Faith, Family, Federation
Pro Wrestling 101
Curt Hennig
Louisville
The Next Big Thing
Winning the Title . . . From The Rock
The Undertaker
Next in Line? The Big Show!
Vodka and Vicodins
My FirstWrestlemania
Starting Year Two
The Grind
Brock vs. Rock in Miami
Leaving WWE
Closure
Part III
THE SWORD AT MY THROAT
My Brief NFL Experience
The Sword
"Rena, Will You Marry Me?"
My Not-So-Secret Meeting with Vince
Brock Lesnar vs. WWE
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Getting Started in Mixed Martial Arts
Getting Dana White's Attention
Getting Back on the Horse
UFC 91: My Fight vs. Randy Couture
Road to Redemption
What Is Wrong with Me?
The Long Short Road Back
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Photos
About the Authors
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
PREFACE
DEATHCLUTCH
I was living with a dark cloud over my head for seventeen months. I had gambled every bit of my reputation as a legitimate athlete, and I was determined to erase the stigma of being a WWE entertainer. All I had to do was smash Frank Mir into the ground, but I made a rookie mistake and got caught. These things happen in life, but I’m supposed to be better than that. I handed this guy, who will never be half the man I am, a victory he didn’t deserve.
So for seventeen months, I waited.
For seventeen months, I imagined what would happen in the rematch.
For seventeen months, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this guy again and show him, my family, the world, and God what I was capable of.
When the wait was over, I did everything I intended on doing. I beat Frank Mir to a pulp, took him down to the ground, and smashed in his face so bad, the referee had to stop the fight.
I was not only the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion of the World, I had gotten out from underneath that dark cloud that just wouldn’t go away.
I was so happy. I found my true calling. I was with the woman I love and am going to spend the rest of my life with. I had moved my parents close and given something back to my mom and dad. My wife had just given birth to our happy, healthy baby boy Turk.
Life wasn’t just good, it was great. The best it had ever been. I was never happier.
And then I almost died.
What the hell happened to me? I’m supposed to be hunting and fishing with my kids. I’m supposed to be rewarding my wife for all of her love and support. I’m supposed to be kicking ass, ruling the MMA world, being the Baddest Dude on the Planet.
I’m not supposed to be stretched out, withering away, dying in some hospital in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a bunch of doctors who can’t determine how sick I am because they are waiting on a part for a CT machine to arrive. Even without a proper diagnosis, they want to cut me open.
It’s amazing what goes through a man’s mind when he’s in the clutches of death.
PART I
RAISED TO BE A CHAMPION
RAISED TO BE A CHAMPION
I want you to understand something. It’s real simple. I owe it all to my mom and dad. Who I am. What I am. Where I am.
Parents put a lot of pressure on their kids to succeed in sports, whether they mean to or not. Some kids can handle the pressure and live up to their parents’ expectations. Other kids can’t, and they fail. It wasn’t like I was being given a choice. I had to win.
I was born with the talent and the athleticism—those were God-given gifts. But a lot of talented athletes go nowhere. What made me different? More than anything else, my mom and dad, and the rest of my family for that matter, were willing to make sacrifices for me.
There are a lot