Brock Lesnar Shocks with WWE Return at SummerSlam
The wrestling world was shaken last Sunday at SummerSlam when Brock Lesnar made an unexpected return to WWE. This event marks his return after a six-month period, after being mentioned in a lawsuit filed against the company and former executive Vince McMahon. Lesnar, known for his brutality in the ring, hadn’t wrestled since SummerSlam 2023, where he was defeated by Cody Rhodes at Ford Field in Detroit. His reappearance occurred at the end of the main event of the second night of SummerSlam, held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Cody Rhodes regained the Undisputed WWE Championship in a “street fight” against John Cena. Cena, who has announced his retirement as an active wrestler this year, was alone in the center of the ring when the crowd chanted his name. After kneeling and kissing his hand, he placed it on the canvas. At that moment, Lesnar’s entrance music resonated in the stadium, unleashing euphoria among the fans. Lesnar entered the ring and executed his final move, the “F-5”, on Cena, marking the end of the show. Lesnar, with a distinguished past in amateur wrestling at the University of Minnesota and in the UFC between 2008 and 2011, is mostly recognized for his multiple championships in the WWE, where he was crowned world champion on seven occasions, earning the nickname “The Beast Incarnate”. Lesnar’s reappearance in WWE comes after being officially identified in a presentation on January 31st in the United States District Court. This presentation relates to the lawsuit filed by Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, against the company and McMahon in January 2024. In the original lawsuit, a star wrestler was mentioned in the accusations, but Lesnar’s name was not provided at that time. Lesnar is not a defendant in the case.Grant, who worked in the company’s legal and talent departments, alleges that McMahon forced her to have a sexual relationship to keep her job. In addition, she claims that McMahon demanded that she create “personalized sexual content” for Lesnar in July 2021, at a time when McMahon was trying to keep Lesnar under contract with WWE. Grant also alleges that McMahon sent Lesnar to Connecticut in 2021 for a sexual encounter, which ultimately did not happen. Vince McMahon resigned in January 2024 as Executive Chairman of the TKO Group board of directors, the parent company of WWE, following the filing of Grant’s lawsuit. WWE has avoided commenting on the ongoing litigation. There were no press conferences after SummerSlam, as WWE opted for its wrestlers to speak exclusively on the post-event show instead of answering questions from reporters. WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul Levesque, was not questioned about the lawsuit on Sunday night, but he did address Lesnar’s return.In a statement issued by McMahon’s lawyer, the amended complaint was called a “publicity stunt.”
Jessica Rosenberg, McMahon’s lawyer
Levesque also discussed the accusations against McMahon on the UK-based podcast “The Sports Agents”, which launched on Friday. “All we can do is move forward, for us as a company and creatively,” said Levesque, known as Triple H during his days in the ring. “The accusations are accusations, right? It’s a complicated relationship for anyone in life. Nobody’s perfect. But accusations are made and that’s something totally legal that is totally separate and apart from what we do.” “My job is to present the best creative product that WWE can make. Fortunately and happily, it has been successful. The business is in a good moment right now and continues to grow.”If there had been a roof on this place, it wouldn’t be here anymore. The dynamic in the room changes when the Beast is here. Anything you thought was happening, goes out the window. The Brock factor changes everything incredibly and makes it unpredictable. It’s incredible to have him back.
Paul Levesque
