Brock Lesnar finally reveals crazy story behind terrifying sword tattoo

WWE superstar Brock Lesnar has finally revealed the meaning behind his terrifying iconic sword tattoo on his chest.

The former UFC heavyweight champion has a number of tattoos on his body, including on his back, arms and shoulders.

But it is his gigantic sword tattoo which has regularly caught the eye whenever he has competed in WWE or the UFC. The ink is an integral part of Lesnar's look and persona, only adding to the frightening aura he has as a 6ft 3, 286lbs specimen.

Fans have been accustomed to seeing Lesnar take opponents like John Cena and The Undertaker to 'Suplex City' with the tattoo in full view.

Yet details as to why Lesnar got the ink have been not been revealed until now, with the 48-year-old making a rare podcast appearance on the Spittin’ Chiclets hockey show.

Lesnar was asked about the story behind the sword and revealed it came about when was trying to get a contract with the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL. He got it when he was down in the dumps and drunk off vodka and did not know he had the tattoo until he woke up the morning after.

“I was s***faced drunk in Scottsdale, Arizona," Lesnar explained.

"I was in Scottsdale, training for the NFL and had just gotten in a motorcycle accident.

“I was just kicked down hard. I was going through all that stuff and there was a tattoo shop across the street from a biker bar and that’s not a good place to have a tattoo shop. I got this tattoo and I didn’t even know I got the damn thing. I woke up the next day and thought, 'What is this thing?'"

Brock Lesnar's tattoo has a wild story attached to it. Image: Getty

Though the tattoo wasn't exactly planned like some of his other tattoos, there was still a partly sentimental meaning to Lesnar getting the sword on his body as it was a reflection of how he was feeling during that period in his life.

He continued: "But the meaning behind it was, I felt like my back was against the wall and somebody had a sword, a knife, stuck to my throat. Like, what are you going to do now, you know what I mean? "So I walked over there and said, ‘Yeah, let’s put a big-ass, ugly sword on my chest. I decided to get it randomly but it’s excellent. No planning whatsoever. It was half a gallon of vodka and maybe a few Vicodin.”

Lesnar set for retirement

Lesnar returned to WWE to attack John Cena at SummerSlam in 2025 after a lengthy hiatus and is set to face fellow behemoth and up and coming star Oba Femi at this year's WrestleMania in Las Vegas.

But after recent retirements from Goldberg, Cena and AJ Styles, father-of-four Lesnar has confirmed that he is only back in the fold for a "short time" and to "feed my kids".

He stated: “I went back to work there so I could feed my kids. You guys should see my grocery bill. I had left the company years ago, and I’m grateful that I’m back for a short time here, so I’m really grateful for all the opportunities that I’ve had in my life.”