Brock Lesnar's face was a mess after he smashed head on an exposed steel turnbuckle

Brock Lesnar suffered a nasty-looking injury at WWE Backlash after he connected face-first with an exposed steel turnbuckle.

The 45-year-old WWE superstar, a former UFC heavyweight contender, went up against "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes in the main event at a sold out Coliseo de Puerto Rico arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

It was a brutal start to the evening for Lesnar, who was attacked with a steel chair before the official had even rang the bell.

But after delivering his trademark German suplex shortly after Rhodes attempted the Cody Cutter finisher, Lesnar started to take control, throwing Rhodes into the exposed turnbuckle.

That being said, the tide turned moments later when Rhodes, the son of WWE legend Dusty Rhodes, sent “The Beast Incarnate” face-first into the steel.

As you can from the footage and pictures below, the 10-time WWE World Champion was covered in his own blood for large spells of the fight after being busted open.

One fan commented on the scene, saying: "Brock Lesnar is an absolute beast for doing that turnbuckle spot the hard way," while another said: "Lesnar overcooked that hardway spot by half. That's a LOT of blood."

A third added: "Lesnar covered in blood might be the scariest sight to behold."

To his credit, Lesnar managed to survive two Cross Rhodes but his opponent eventually pinned his shoulders to the mat, much to the surprise of those in attendance.

After the live show went off air, the WWE legend received a standing ovation from the crowd in Puerto Rico.

One fan said on social media: "Deserves it, we will never see anyone quite like him. Appreciate him while we still can, while he’s still doing this."

Another wrote: "Man deserves it. One of the best ever. Enjoy him while he’s still doing this. There’ll never be another like him again," while a third commented: "One of the best crowds I have ever heard and seen. “Thank you Lesnar!” Crazy respect!"

A fourth added: "He should go back to UFC."

Thoughts on the match?

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