This past weekend saw one of WWE's flagship PLE's (Premium Live Event), SummerSlam. This year's edition was unique. This is because it was the first time it took place over two days. The 2nd night saw the return of Brock Lesnar. While it was shocking and unbelievable, not everyone is thrilled. His return is still regarded as controversial.
After a two-year hiatus from the WWE, the seven-time world champion surprised fans at SummerSlam 2025 in New Jersey on 3 August, where he went up against his old wrestling foe, John Cena.
The WWE went to great lengths to keep Lesnarâs appearance a total surpriseâeven to many folks who were working the event.
"The Beast Incarnate" was flown into Teterboro airport on 2 August, according to a report from Fightful, per Newsweek, as the smaller airport would likely attract less attention. The 48-year-old was then hidden throughout the day to avoid anyone accidentally seeing him.
Multiple WWE writers and producers werenât told he would be part of the SumerSlam finale, with the report noting that the organisation even canceled its post-show press conference so as to prevent any leaks.
Luckily, it all went to plan, as Lesnar entered the ring to thunderous applause. The surprise occurred just as Cenaâwho has said heâll be retiring as a WWE performer at the end of the yearâwas taking a moment by himself after losing to Cody Rhodes.
The fans were chanting, "Thank you, Cena" as Lesnarâs entrance music, "Next Big Thing," started playing. Despite Cenaâs loss, Lesnar showed him no mercy, delivering his "F-5" finishing move on Cena to end the show.
The fans at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last weekend were shocked (and delighted) at the return of WWE and UFC legend, Brock Lesnar. 'Cowboy' Brock has been an incredibly popular babyface since he took on the role of a farmer/rancher in 2021, one that closely resembles his real-life persona. Even when he portrays the antagonist, Lesnar is greeted with a rapturous reaction from fans.
According to Fightful Select via Patreon, there are âvery mixed emotionsâ overall to the former UFC maulerâs WWE return. While some are not taking the dark cloud above Lesnar lightly, Sean Ross Sapp opined that it does not necessarily mean that they are going to throw away their job or anything.
It might be a situation that workers in the company will have to deal with, regardless of how they feel about the veteran. At this stage, it is totally dependent on how Brock Lesnar is affected by the law. Aside from that, as long as he is raising good money for WWE, the company is likely not going to care.
As the companyâs Chief Content Officer, Paul âTriple Hâ Levesque stated recently, the sports entertainment capital doesn't shy away from doing what it sets out to do, sans worry about what others might think.
According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, 'The Beast Incarnate' was due to make an appearance at the 2024 Royal Rumble but was pulled from the event. At the time, Lesnar had been implicated and would later be named, in Janel Grant's sex trafficking lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE. He is not a defendant in the case.
The former 10-time world champion had not appeared in WWE since then and had been rarely mentioned by the company, until his shocking return on Sunday night.
Perhaps notably, the 48-year-old has remained as an active member of the roster on the WWE website throughout his absence. Paul 'Triple H' Levesque had previously refused to state that Lesnar had been blacklisted.
He told the Daily Mail in August 2024: "If and when he decides that he would like to do something, we'd be open to the conversation." "My reaction was exactly what I thought it was gonna be, which was, if there had been a roof on this place, it wouldn't be here anymore," he continued.
"The dynamic in the room in WWE changes when The Beast is here. Seeing Brock Lesnar come back, anything that you thought was happening sort of all goes out the window because the factor of Brock now just changes that dynamic so incredibly. It makes it unpredictable."
On Lesnar's seemingly upcoming programme with Cena, Triple H added: "One of the first things I said to him [Cena, before his retirement tour] is, 'Who do you want, and how?' And we're working through that."
Meanwhile, the new WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, who was Brock Lesnarâs last opponent at SummerSlam 2023, openly stated that The Beast fits right into the current landscape of the company.
Interviewed by 'ESPN' a few days after the most important PLE of the summer, Rhodes finally expressed his honest opinion on Brock's return: "I mean, Brock in terms of athleticismâone of the things we did was hold tryouts going into SummerSlam weekend, and you have so many NIL athletes. You have so many people coming from the world of sport. Tiffany Strattonâs a great example of someone on our roster now who came from sports and grew into becoming a professional wrestler and part of sports entertainment."
The current World Champion continued: "Brock is somebody whoâs an NCAA champion, a UFC heavyweight champion. He fits right in with the direction WWE is goingâwhere sport meets entertainment. Also, I should point out the last person who beat Brock Lesnar is standing right here."
Following the face-off, fans were overjoyed to have the WWE icon back in the ring. "I woke my parents up screaming," one commented on a 3 August Instagram post from the WWE. Another added, "WWE, YOU HAVE WON MY HEART AGAIN."
Another fan added, "I SCREAMED SO LOUD I THINK I WENT DEAF."
One fanâwho is known online as "Brock Lesnar Guy" for his enthusiastic reaction to Lesnarâs return to the WWE in 2012âshared a video to Instagram of his elated reaction to the most recent return, captioning it, "WE ARE SO BACK!!!!!!!!!!!"
The initial pop from the crowd was undeniable but the mood soured quickly as fans remembered why Lesnar had been absent for over a year. In January 2024, he was quietly scrubbed from the Royal Rumble after being named in a federal lawsuit alongside the companyâs then-CEO, Vince McMahon, accused of involvement in sex trafficking and coercion allegations brought by former WWE employee, Janel Grant. His sudden reemergence, without explanation or accountability, has left a sour taste. Online, the backlash has been swift and severe.
"Goes without saying: fuck Lesnar, fuck the fed," wrote one fan on X. Another demanded, "BROCK LESNARâS GOT A SEX TRAFFICKING LAWSUIT WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?" Grantâs representatives didnât hold back either, releasing a statement that read, "For far too long, abuse was allowed to thrive under WWEâs leadership. Instead of righting this wrong, WWE has done nothing to ensure those responsible are held accountable. This attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug will backfire."
The WWEâs decision to bring Lesnar back raises uncomfortable questions. Is it desperation for star power? A misguided attempt to capitalise on Cenaâs retirement tour? Or worse, a sign that McMahonâs shadow still looms over the company, despite his legal exile? Speculation runs wild â some believe Lesnarâs return was greenlit due to legal technicalities; while Triple H implied it as Cena personally pushed for one final showdown. Either way, the optics are not the best outcomes.
WWE has spent the past year trying to distance itself from McMahonâs scandals, positioning itself as a new-era promotion under Paul âTriple Hâ Levesqueâs creative direction. But Lesnarâs return and the recent honouring of the late Hulk Hogan â who was openly racist and has shown support for the Trump administration â undermines that narrative, reinforcing the perception that the company hasnât truly moved on. In 2025, with current stars Rhodes, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns leading the charge, the need for Lesnar feels obsolete at best, tone-deaf at worst. The audience has made its stance clear: theyâre ready to leave the past behind. The question is, is WWE doing so as well?
While WWE tries to cover the issue up, claiming Lesnar was âcleared,â fans and some media members are calling the company out for its actions. One of the biggest questions is why the company felt like now was the time for Lesnar to return. All indicators point toward the fact that the company did not need Lesnar in any way.
Did fans in attendance lose their mind in New Jersey when Brock Lesnarâs music hit? Absolutely, they did. Did fans race to their social media platforms to show support for Lesnar? Yes, they did that as well. But did WWE "need" Lesnarâs star power? No, the company did not.
By all indicators, WWEâs business is booming. The company just announced a major plan to move to ESPN, one of the several business wins that have occurred in the last two to three years as the promotion surges under new leadership. WWE content frequently scores high marks on its streaming services. Every PLE seems to break a record compared to years past. None of these metrics was down to necessitate a need for Lesnarâs aura to draw fans and revenue.
Thereâs also the question of WWEâs ability to build new stars. This speaks directly to Triple Hâs leadership as Chief Content Officer. WWEâs main event scene is growing older. Beyond just John Cena, who is taking his retirement tour. Roman Reigns is actively talking about retirement or a reduced schedule. Seth Rollins, CM Punk, AJ Styles and others are also getting older. Outside of Bron Breakker and potentially Jacob Fatu (who canât be considered young at 35), WWE has shown a hesitancy to build up any new performers as the future of the company in the menâs division.
Cenaâs retirement tour could have been a chance to correct that. Triple H tried to throw Lesnarâs return at Cenaâs feet, but the 17-time champion quickly ducked that accusation. So, letâs say WWE used this moment to create a new star through an intricate story leading to his retirement. Imagine a performer like Oba Femi smashing Cena and sending the former champion away for good. Or someone like Trick Williams using the opportunity to establish himself as a charismatic performer for years to come. Those were moments WWE could have built to using a new name, instead of going back to the same old tired booking with Brock Lesnar.
WWE consistently misses the mark when it comes to developing new stars. Brock Lesnarâs return points to yet another example. The company didn't need to bring him "home" and in many ways, this is just a tired retread of the same.
Janel Grantâs lawsuit, which was originally filed in January 2024, accused McMahon and former WWE executive, John Laurinaitis, of, "physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking."
An amended complaint filed in January cited Lesnar by name. The lawsuit alleged that in 2021, Grant was used as a, "sexual pawn" to keep Lesnar signed with the WWE. Grant allegedly created "personalised sexual content" for Lesnar at the behest of McMahon.
The two were also allegedly set to have an in-person encounter in December 2021, though Grant was able to "back out" after Lesnarâs travel plans were altered by a snowstorm. Lesnar isn't a defendant in the lawsuit.
A spokesperson for Grant shared a statement to Front Office Sports following Lesnarâs return:
"For far too long, abuse was allowed to thrive under WWEâs leadership. Instead of righting this wrong, WWE has done nothing to ensure those responsible are held accountable. This attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug will backfire. We look forward to the full set of facts, including those about Mr. Lesnar, coming out in a court of law where they belong but, in the meantime, we refer you back to Janel Grantâs updated complaint, which outlines, in detail, the abuse she endured by McMahon and others while employed at WWE."
According to Dave Meltzer of the "Wrestling Observer," WWEâs legal team cleared Lesnar to return, "four weeks ago."
"Either theyâre confident that things are going to arbitration and Lesnarâs not a factor at that point, or theyâre close to a settlement and then, at that point, Lesnarâs not a factor, or somebody there just had a change of mind, and I donât know which one of those it is," Meltzer said.
While itâs not uncommon for WWE talent to take extended breaks, it was unclear whether Lesnar, a 10-time WWE world champion, would return to the promotion following the lawsuit.
Brock Lesnar is back in WWE and if you have an issue with that, there are some within the company who say you need to 'get over it'.
His return, however, was consumed in a cloud of controversy. While many in attendance were excited to see Brock Lesnar get an invite to the 'Biggest Party of the Summer', many others flocked to social media to express their disgust and outrage amid the on-going Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE.
I wrote a piece on the lawsuit which you can check out here.
Brock Lesnar is not a defendant, but he was named 44 times in the suit where McMahon is accused of attempting to leverage Grant as a sexual favor during contract negotiations with the former WWE Champion.
Paul Heyman is happy to see Brock Lesnar return to WWE because he says the paying customers were happy to see him at SummerSlam.
"Everything in life is met with criticism, I donât pay attention to that. I donât pay attention to it. Heâs here. Thatâs the reality of the fact. Heâs here and if you were in MetLife Stadium on Sunday, you would understand that return meant a lot."
Heyman said that the 50 000 plus people who were packed into the duel home of the New York Jets and Giants were 'jacked' to see Brock Lesnar make an appearance, and that was proof enough to him that the company made the right choice.
"People were just going f---ing nuts," Heyman said to Helwani. "Thatâs our paying audience. Theyâre happy to see him. Iâm happy to be a part of a team that presents him. Everyone has criticism in life."
He said very few people make it to the top in life without making mistakes or having a few skeletons in their closet, and that it's time for people to move forward.
"Obviously, the decision was made, itâs time to bring back Brock Lesnar. Whatever that decision is based on, I respect it. If there are critics of it, get over it, heâs here. Heâs going to be here and you ainât gonna be able to cancel him. Iâm happy to have him back because the audience is happy to have him back." h/t Fightful
There's no right side to take. You're either a fan or a hater of this move. As for me, I wouldn't support this if he is in deed involved. Until then, I was thrilled with his return. It was really exciting. I will enjoy his presence for as long as he is around.