10 Matches That Nearly Made Wrestlers Quit For Good

4. Brock Lesnar Vs. John Cena (Extreme Rules 2012)

rusve shinsuke nakamura
WWE

'The Beast Incarnate' was not a happy customer after losing his return match to John Cena at Extreme Rules 2012, and not just because of the outcome.

The bout itself was tremendous. Carried by its stiffness, it presented Lesnar in his best light, with his brutal, relentless onslaught leaving Cena a bloodied mess. Superman prevailed, though. He was devastated, but just as he'd done a thousand times before, 'Big Match John' fought through the barrage, eventually putting the former UFC Champion away.

Cena should have stayed down afterwards, selling the damage Brock had inflicted in defeat. He didn't. Instead, John got up to address the crowd afterwards, totally negating everything 'The Beast' had done during the bout, making the returnee look like an ineffective dork in the process.

According to reports, Lesnar threw an almighty s***-fit afterwards. He was furious with the direction, and it supposedly took a pep-talk from Triple H to calm him down, with the tirade leading to immediate speculation that he was already finished with the company. Fortunately, the two parties soon mended fences, but imagine how vastly different WWE would look today had Lesnar's comeback been one-and-done.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.