Brock Lesnar made a surprising return to WWE at SummerSlam on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, leaving fans and John Cena in shock.
The 48-year-old, known as “The Beast Incarnate,” appeared after the main event of Night 2, marking his first WWE appearance since SummerSlam 2023, where he lost to Cody Rhodes. Lesnar’s return comes just over six months after being named in a lawsuit against WWE and former executive Vince McMahon.
The main event saw Cody Rhodes reclaim the undisputed WWE championship in a “street fight” against John Cena, who has announced his retirement from in-ring competition by the end of 2025.
As Cena stood in the ring, receiving a heartfelt “Thank you, Cena!” chant from the crowd, Lesnar’s entrance music blared, igniting a frenzy. Lesnar stormed the ring and delivered his signature “F-5” finishing move to Cena, abruptly ending the show.
Lesnar, a former University of Minnesota champion amateur wrestler and UFC fighter from 2008 to 2011, is a seven-time WWE world champion. His return follows a period of controversy after former WWE employee Janel Grant identified him in a January 31, 2025, filing related to her lawsuit against WWE and McMahon, filed in January 2024.
BROCK. LESNAR. IS. BACK.
HERE COMES THE PAIN! 👊 pic.twitter.com/uR2z9RVoZu— WWE (@WWE) August 4, 2025
Grant alleges McMahon coerced her into a sexual relationship to maintain her job and pressured her to create “personalized sexual content” for Lesnar in July 2021 to secure his WWE contract. She also claims McMahon arranged a sexual encounter with Lesnar in Connecticut in 2021, which did not occur.
Lesnar is not a defendant in the lawsuit, and McMahon resigned as executive chairman of WWE’s parent company, TKO Group, in January 2024 following the allegations.
McMahon’s attorney, Jessica Rosenberg, dismissed the amended complaint as a “publicity stunt” filled with “desperate falsehoods.” WWE has avoided detailed commentary on the litigation, opting to forgo post-event press conferences at SummerSlam and instead featuring performers on a postgame show.
WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque, formerly known as Triple H, addressed Lesnar’s return on the show, stating, “The dynamic in the room changes when the Beast is here. The factor of Brock changes everything incredibly and makes it unpredictable.”
In a recent interview on “The Sports Agents” podcast, Levesque emphasized moving forward creatively despite the allegations, saying, “Allegations are allegations… My job is to put on the best creative product that WWE can do, and luckily, it’s been successful.” The WWE continues to navigate the fallout from the lawsuit while capitalizing on Lesnar’s return to boost its momentum.
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