I'm not sure if I'd call it grotesque, but it is certainly...kind of off. I hear you.
I think mostly it's a jobber thing, which went really over the top in setting up a character as the strongest/best ever. Really, it's got all the hallmarks of comic book jobbery--"I haven't seen a fight this tough since Doomsday!" and "Wow! He can beat up this guy who beat Superman--even after getting blasted by weakening lasers!"