Former WWE Superstar Matt Hardy believes Brock Lesnar is a bigger draw than John Cena and Randy Orton.
Lesnar, Orton, and Cena are three of the biggest names in pro wrestling history. The trio started their journey with OVW, WWE's old developmental program back in the early 2000s. They have been around for over 20 years, during which these superstars have won multiple world championships. While Cena and Orton stayed true to WWE, the Beast Incarnate competed around the world, even competing in the UFC.
Speaking on the latest edition of his podcast, The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the AEW star noted that Brock Lesnar and his two fierce rivals are "head and shoulders" above everyone else.
"The top three that stand out above everyone else, head and shoulders above everyone else, are John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Randy Orton. As far as who was the most influential of all those, maybe in terms of like being the person to build the brand around, it was John Cena, especially with his work ethic and everything else."
Matt Hardy also explained why he believes the Beast Incarnate stands out from the other two:
"In terms of maybe like overall stardom, it may be Brock Lesnar, just because he’s done such and had a crossover career during the UFC deal. He’s just such a freak of nature. But those three stand out above everyone else, head and shoulders above everyone else." [H/T- Inside the Ropes]
Brock Lesnar used to WRESTLE WRESTLE. pic.twitter.com/eaEP8sbdCr
— Public Enemies Podcast (@TheEnemiesPE3) January 3, 2023
Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Randy Orton are from OVW Class of 2022
While NXT may be WWE's developmental territory today, OVW has also groomed plenty of wrestlers for the main roster in the past.
OVW's class of 2002 consisted of some of the greatest wrestlers of the modern era. Some real Hall of Fame stars were produced by this particular set of talents. While some of them are still active in the industry, others have moved on to other careers.
The OVW 4 class of 2002 have now officially all had their 20 year anniversary’s in @WWE this year.
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) June 29, 2022
A total of 46 world championships between the 4.
Greatest developmental class ever and we are getting old. pic.twitter.com/yHXCuANnGs
Some of the top names from OVW's 2002 batch consist of Dave Batista, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Brock Lesnar. All four men went on to dominate WWE at some point in their careers and are widely popular among casual fans.
While Batista moved on to a career in Hollywood, the other three men are still active competitors. However, the Animal's potential return cannot be ruled out for the future.