Brock Lesnar has been on WWE television for 16 years now, and despite only being with them for half that time, he's certainly made a huge impact in his career.

Lesnar left the company in 2004 to pursue a career in the NFL, but when that failed, he turned to the UFC, becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.

And whilst the 'Beast Incarnate' is a proven money-maker for Dana White whenever he fights, the figures aren't so definitive when it comes to WWE and Vince McMahon.

Roman Reigns made reference to the notion that Lesnar is 'Vince's boy' in a promo on Raw earlier this year, and whether or not that line was scripted, it certainly seems true.

The fact that Lesnar can come and go as he chooses, goes back to fight in the UFC on his terms, and gets special privileges and more money than anyone else must grate on some of the locker room.

Before Lesnar became a multi-sport star, and even before he made it to the main roster in 2002, WWE were pursuing the successful college grappler, who scouts saw big-money in.

Jim Ross was one of the men who played key parts in hiring new talents to the company, and he took a trip down memory lane on his podcast, The Jim Ross Report, to reminisce on McMahon's first-ever meeting with Lesnar, when the fresh-faced rookie was just 22 years old.

"It was the first time Vince McMahon physically laid eyes on Brock Lesnar." recalls Ross of the meeting.

"Brock came to the event. We were recruiting him. He was our number one target and we got him. We got our guy.

"I remember Vince walking out of his office and down [the hall] and I said, 'Brock Lesnar is here' and I had to refresh his memory about who that was. No face, no name - Vince didn't know.

"And so, I said, 'he's standing out here' and when Vince walked by, he gave him a little wave. He saw, 'wait a minute, is that what I think it is? Is that 6'3", 280 [lbs.]? Is that blonde hair? Looks like an angry Viking or a heifer bull.'

"So Vince made a little detour, shook Brock's hand, the rest, as they say, is history."

And from that day onwards, Lesnar seemingly became the apple of Vince's eye, holding him in such esteem that he became the youngest ever world champion at the age of 25 by defeating The Rock at the 2002 SummerSlam.

There's every chance Lesnar could return to the WWE after his projected bout with Daniel Cormier in the octagon, and you wouldn't bet against McMahon giving him another run with the Universal Championship.