Brock Lesnar made a shock return at WWE SummerSlam almost two years to the day since his last appearance.
The former world champion’s faced Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2023, before being named in the Vince McMahon sex trafficking lawsuit, which was originally filed in January 2024.
Despite being named several times in an amendment earlier this year, Lesnar is not a defendant in the lawsuit, while McMahon has denied all allegations made by former employee Janel Grant.
The 48-year-old star made his return at the end of SummerSlam after John Cena lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes and was soaking up the applause of the fans.
The live crowd went into a frenzy as Lesnar’s music hit, and the so-called Beast Incarnate hit the ring and dropped his longtime on-screen rival with the F-5 move.
It now appears Lesnar and Cena will face each other for one final match during the latter’s ongoing retirement tour, which will conclude in December 2025.
His return also coincides with WWE cancelling its usual post show press conferences this weekend, although a roundup after the event was broadcast without media in attendance.
Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque said: ‘This is John Cena’s wishlist. It’s him writing the last chapter of his book.’
H added: ‘[Cena’s retirement tour is] about John being able to go out the way he wants to go out. To write his chapter.
‘I know what that’s like as a performer. I know what that’s like for everybody to feel that, and I think for John to be able to do what he wants to do. One of the very first things I said to him is “Who do you want? And how?” And we’re working through that.’
Fan reaction to his comeback has been heavily mixed, with many condemning the decision while others have defended the move.
One viewer argued: ‘If you’re complaining about Brock Lesnar’s return, stop watching. Stop watching. Stop posting. Stop buying merch. Stop going to shows. Otherwise, you’re a hypocrite. Complain. Complain. Complain. Stop watching or shut up.’
But a different fan insisted: ‘We as a society have moved past the need for Brock Lesnar.’
According to PWInsider, Lesnar was flown into New Jersey – the site of this weekend’s shows – ‘under the cover of darkness’ and hid from people during the day.
‘There was talk of a surprise for tonight that even the company writers were kept in the dark about,’ the outlet added.
In the amended complaint earlier this year, Lesnar was named by Grant as the wrestler McMahon allegedly offered her to as a ‘sexual pawn’ during contract negotiations in 2021.
Lesnar was written off television and rarely mentioned on screen following the initial allegations, while he was removed from last year’s WWE 2K24 video game.
He is yet to comment on the lawsuit publicly.
It’s alleged that in 2021, McMahon shared explicit photos with Lesnar, telling Grant: ‘He likes what he sees’, while a proposed encounter between the two did not take place after the wrestler was allegedly intoxicated.
The original lawsuit referenced an anonymous superstar, but did not name Lesnar, although the Wall Street Journal did identify him in its report.
After the amendment earlier this year, an attorney for McMahon told the Daily Mail: ‘As expected, the proposed amended complaint is nothing more than the latest publicity stunt in an ongoing smear campaign.
‘It is filled with desperate falsehoods from a team that continues to disregard the law and the truth.’
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