Brock Lesnar Shocks with WWE Return at SummerSlam
The wrestling world was shaken on Sunday night at SummerSlam, when Brock Lesnar made an unexpected return to WWE. Lesnar’s appearance came after the main event of the second night of SummerSlam, held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This return marks a new chapter for “The Beast Incarnate”, who had previously been out of action for six months. The return of Lesnar occurred after Cody Rhodes regained the Undisputed WWE Championship in a “street fight” against John Cena. Cena, who has announced his retirement as an active wrestler after this year, was alone in the center of the ring while the fans chanted his name. After an emotional moment, Lesnar’s entrance music resonated, unleashing euphoria among the audience. Lesnar entered the ring and executed his finishing move, the “F-5”, on Cena, thus ending the spectacle. Lesnar, known for his outstanding amateur wrestling career at the University of Minnesota and his time in the UFC between 2008 and 2011, is primarily recognized for his multiple championships in WWE. During his career, he has been a seven-time world champion. The return of Lesnar comes after Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, officially identified him in a court filing on January 31. This filing is related to a lawsuit filed against WWE and former executive Vince McMahon in January 2024. In the original lawsuit, a star wrestler was referenced, but Lesnar’s name was not provided at that time. Lesnar is not included as a defendant in the lawsuit.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. She also 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. In addition, Grant alleges that McMahon sent Lesnar to Connecticut in 2021 for a sexual encounter, which ultimately did not materialize. McMahon resigned in January 2024 as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group, the parent company of WWE, after Grant’s lawsuit was filed. WWE has avoided commenting on the ongoing litigation. No press conferences were held after SummerSlam, as WWE opted for its wrestlers to speak exclusively on the post-event show, rather than answer questions from journalists. Paul Levesque, WWE’s Chief Content Officer, 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 amendment to the lawsuit was called a “publicity stunt.”
McMahon’s lawyer, Jessica Rosenberg
Levesque also spoke about the accusations against McMahon on the UK-based “The Sports Agents” podcast, which launched on Friday.“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,” Levesque commented. “Everything you thought was happening, suddenly goes out the window. The Brock factor changes everything incredibly and makes it unpredictable. It’s incredible to have him back.”
Paul Levesque
“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 now and continues to grow.”“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 a completely separate legal matter and apart from what we do.”
Paul Levesque
