Brock Lesnar Shocks at SummerSlam: Impactful WWE Return

Brock Lesnar Shocks with WWE Return at SummerSlam

In an unexpected turn of events, Brock Lesnar made a shocking appearance in WWE during SummerSlam, marking his return to the ring after a period of absence. The event took place last Sunday, generating great shock among fans. The last time Lesnar competed was at SummerSlam 2023, where he was defeated by Cody Rhodes at Ford Field in Detroit. His recent return came 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, who has announced his retirement as an active wrestler after this year. Cena stood alone in the center of the ring, while the fans chanted his name. Then, Lesnar’s entrance music resonated, provoking an euphoric reaction in the audience. Lesnar entered the ring and executed his finishing move, the “F-5”, on Cena, culminating the event. Lesnar, recognized for his outstanding career in amateur wrestling at the University of Minnesota and as an UFC fighter between 2008 and 2011, is mostly known for his multiple championships in WWE, where he became seven-time world champion, nicknamed “The Beast Incarnate”. Lesnar’s return comes after being identified in a lawsuit filed against the company and former executive Vince McMahon. The original lawsuit, filed in January 2024, referred to a star wrestler in the allegations, but did not mention Lesnar’s name. Lesnar is not a defendant in the lawsuit. In a statement issued by McMahon’s lawyer, the amended lawsuit was called a “publicity stunt”.

“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 ignore the law and the truth.”

Jessica Rosenberg, McMahon’s lawyer

Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, alleges that McMahon forced her to have a sexual relationship to keep her job. Grant claims that McMahon demanded she create “personalized sexual content” for Lesnar in July 2021, at a time when McMahon was trying to keep Lesnar under contract with WWE. Furthermore, she alleges that McMahon sent Lesnar to Connecticut in 2021 for a sexual encounter, which ultimately did not take place. McMahon resigned in January 2024 as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group, 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.

“If there had been a roof on this place, I wouldn’t be here anymore. The dynamic in the room changes when the Beast is here,” said Levesque. “Everything 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

Levesque also spoke about the accusations against McMahon on the UK-based “The Sports Agents” podcast, which was released 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. “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.”

Paul Levesque

“My job is to present the best creative product that WWE can make. Fortunately and happily, it has succeeded. The business is in a good place now and continues to grow.”