Steve Carrier on March 27, 2026
Cory Graves knows exactly what it feels like to be on the receiving end of Brock Lesnar’s power, and his description makes it clear that stepping into the ring with The Beast is nothing anyone can truly prepare for.
While speaking to The Sportster about his experience taking multiple F5s from Brock Lesnar, Graves didn’t hold back when explaining just how overwhelming Lesnar’s strength felt in the moment. He compared the experience to something far more dangerous than wrestling, describing the split-second realization that he was already in trouble.
“I would liken experiencing the power of Brock Lesnar to what I would imagine you would feel like if you fell into the tiger enclosure at the zoo. As soon as you realize you're in trouble, it's already too late. I went from looking at Brock to approximately 12 feet in the air in what felt like a fraction of a second. It was a true force of nature just ripped me out. And I'm not a small guy. I mean, I'm 6'1, 200 lb. And I felt like a baby.”
Graves went on to describe the chaos that followed after the first F5, explaining how the crowd reaction made it clear that Lesnar wasn’t done with him yet. That realization came quickly, and the second impact turned out to be the one that did the real damage.
“He launched me so high, so fast. And the first one I landed and it was kind of like, okay, I'm still alive. All right, I'm not dead yet. And I couldn't see where Brock was, but I could hear the crowd. And I heard them getting louder and I'm going, ‘Uh-oh, he's coming back.’ And I was looking in one direction and he came from behind me and you just see this bear paw just come across my face. And again, I went from what I thought was a seated position to once again about 12 ft in the air.”
That second landing didn’t just hurt in the moment — it stuck with him for weeks. Graves revealed that the impact left him struggling to move around normally, even forcing him onto crutches shortly afterward.
“The landing on that second one was absolutely brutal. My hip was messed up for about two weeks after that. Luckily, I had some time off because we were preparing for a baby. But my wife was not real happy with the fact that I couldn't walk around the house for a couple days.”
The situation became even more memorable when he realized just how serious the injury felt days later during a family outing.
“I had tickets for my family to the Pirates game two days after and I am at PNC Park on crutches because I couldn't put any weight on my hip.”
Despite the painful aftermath, Graves still found humor in the situation when discussing whether there’s any real way to get ready for taking Brock Lesnar’s signature move. His answer made it clear that physical preparation might not be enough.
“As far as preparation goes, I would suggest prayer. I think prayer before an encounter with Brock is probably anyone's safest bet. Anyone you pray to is fine. It doesn't even matter who you pray to is irrelevant. Just pray.”
Moments like this continue to reinforce Brock Lesnar’s reputation as one of the most physically dominant forces in WWE history, while also giving fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at the toll even a single sequence can take on performers.
What do you think about Cory Graves’ description of taking Brock Lesnar’s F5? Does this make you see Lesnar’s matches differently, or do you think fans still underestimate how physical these moments really are? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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