Report: Brock Lesnar's WWE Return Was Last-Minute Deal
An update on how Brock Lesnar's WWE return came together - and who pushed for it.
Brock Lesnar's WWE return at SummerSlam 2021 was put together at the last minute, reports Dave Meltzer in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The write-up notes that the reason Lesnar didn't look as physically "hard" as he usually does is because he wasn't given advanced notice for the angle. People near the situation have confirmed that it was put together close to the show, with FOX seemingly pushing for it, potentially as a product of CM Punk debuting for AEW and John Cena departing WWE after his loss to Roman Reigns.
Lesnar appeared in SummerSlam's closing slot, confronting Reigns and manager Paul Heyman after the Cena victory. The Universal Champion left the ring, saving a physical throwdown with Brock for another day, while Lesnar destroyed Cena after the pay-per-view had gone off the air.
This was the first time WWE fans had seen Lesnar in well over a year, as he departed after putting Drew McIntyre over at WrestleMania 37 in April 2020. He technically became a free agent when his previous contract expired last summer but returning to WWE always looked likelier than him jumping to another company.
As covered earlier, Lesnar is to be pushed as a babyface on SmackDown for now.