Sheldon Benjamin, 25, was born in Orangeberg, S.C. He grew up watching the World Wrestling Federation. Brock Lesnar, 23, lived his entire life on a farm in Webster, S.D. His family didn't even have a television until he was a junior in high school, and his first glimpse of the Federation was his freshman year in college.How could two guys like this, with seemingly nothing in common, end up becoming such good friends? How could they become two of the top prospects training the Federation's development program, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Ky.? How could they possibly have so much potential that they're both being called the next Kurt Angle?"I take it as a compliment, in that Kurt's obviously doing a really good job and they're expecting good things from us," Benjamin said. "Kurt's opened a lot of doors for amateur wrestlers."That's right. Seemingly the only common bond between Benjamin and Lesnar is the fact that they're two of the finest amateur wrestlers the country has to offer. In fact, Lesnar was the NCAA National Champion last year. They both competed at the University of Minnesota, a top wrestling school. That's where everything started to fall in to place for their arrival in the Federation.Minnesota's Golden Gopher wrestling squad, it just so happens, is coached by J Robinson, who was a college roommate of Federation road agent Gerald Brisco.

You've probably seen Brisco on TV playing Vince McMahon's often-inept sidekick, but behind the scenes he's also a talent scout for the company. Based on the success of Angle, the Federation has become much more aggressive in seeking young men with outstanding amateur backgrounds. Benjamin and Lesnar met Brisco at SummerSlam 1999, which was appropriately in Minneapolis. The 6-2, 240-pound Benjamin already knew that he wanted to be a Federation Superstar, so his decision was easy. He came to the Federation's headquarters in Stamford, Conn., for a tryout during Thanksgiving of 1999. He began his training at OVW in January."This is where I want to be, this is what I want to do," said Benjamin, who starred in three sports (wrestling, track and football) in high school. "This is what I always wanted to do. So to actually be doing it is just a plus. It's just a fun job. Where else can you potentially beat up your boss for a living?"Lesnar was a bit of a tougher sell. He still had more than a year of college remaining when he met Brisco. And he wasn't as familiar with the product as was his friend Sheldon.Last spring, with the NCAA National Championship already in hand, he faced the choice of training for the Olympics, signing with the Federation or another company, or even playing professional football. He had tryouts from the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.

"I had all these different options and I wanted to make sure I chose the right company, and I really wanted my heart to be with it," Lesnar said. "I just wanted to make sure I did the right thing."Today Lesnar says he made the right decision."I'm very happy," he said. "I'm very fortunate that God has blessed me with this talent. I love getting up every day and doing my job. Not everybody can say that." Lesnar started training at OVW on Aug. 1. He shares a Louisville apartment with Benjamin.Because of their backgrounds, the physical aspect of sports entertainment has been relatively easy for them. The only setback thus far has been the separated shoulder that Benjamin suffered two months into his training. Watching their matches, it's clear that they're physically gifted. Lesnar is so powerful that he can do a double suplex -- a belly-to-back suplex on two men, one in each hand. But he can also take to the air."I'm not afraid to do a moonsault or a shooting star press. I'm not afraid to do any of that," Lesnar said, although he added that at 6-3, 295 pounds, those sorts of moves may take a toll on his body in the long run.Meanwhile, Benjamin is reminiscent of Rocky Johnson (father of The Rock) in that both men have well-chiseled physiques but can move around like luchadores. He wants to be a mat technician like Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, and he also compares himself to Edge & Christian and the Hardy Boyz.

"I look at those particular guys and kind of think of myself of being (in the same mold), just because of how young they are and how new they are," he said. "I kind of group myself in that bunch in particular."I want to be good at all (wrestling styles). I want to a versatile."But if they want to be anywhere near as successful as Angle, they must master the non-physical aspects of the business -- ring awareness, mat psychology, and the all-important ability to speak on the microphone. Both men say that the mental aspect has been the most difficult, but they're picking it up."I'm pretty sure I can master it, I just need to get some reps," Benjamin said. "I cut promos on Brock all the time." Added Lesnar, "He does a fine job on me."Lesnar had the makings of a sports entertainer back when he was at Minnesota. "I always taunted the crowd after my matches," Lesnar admits. "I would say I was very arrogant probably. I'm very comfortable in front of a crowd."Still, it could be months or even years before you see Benjamin and Lesnar on Federation television. They need to develop more of their seemingly unlimited potential and continue to work hard. But if you take one glimpse at their resumes, it's clear that working hard is not a problem for them. "For me, any opportunity to get up there anyway that I can, I'll be very grateful," Lesnar said. Concurred Benjamin, "I'm just hoping to improve and I'm looking forward to the future."