SummerSlam couldn’t end without a surprise — or at least that’s what many expected. After Cody Rhodes defeated John Cena to become the Undisputed WWE Champion, The American Nightmare made his way up the ramp, leaving Cena alone in what seemed to be his final moment with the crowd. But something unexpected followed.
John Cena stood in the center of the ring and signaled that his time was up. The 17-time world champion knelt down, kissed the mat, and prepared to leave, but Brock Lesnar made a shocking entrance, surprising the fans at MetLife Stadium.
Brock Lesnar appeared on the stage and slowly made his way to the ring. He circled it, took off his jacket and hat, and stepped inside to attack John Cena. Cena tried to fight back but failed, ultimately falling victim to the F5. Lesnar sent a clear message: he’s coming for Cena one last time — though fans are left wondering when that will be.
Lesnar’s return carries extra weight, as he’s arguably Cena’s toughest rival. The moment evoked his iconic return to WWE on the April 2, 2012 episode of Monday Night Raw, and felt just as impactful. After that return, Cena managed to defeat Lesnar at Extreme Rules, though he was later brutally beaten by him at SummerSlam.
The Beast’s reappearance was surprising, in part because he was implicated in the Vince McMahon scandal when Janel Grant’s lawyers revealed to the media that Lesnar was allegedly involved in some of the inappropriate acts committed by McMahon against the former WWE employee. Reportedly, Vince gave Grant’s phone number to Lesnar, who then asked her for explicit content. According to the lawsuit, a sexual encounter between the two was planned but never happened due to a storm.
With Brock Lesnar’s return, WWE seems to have decided to move on and let the controversy surrounding Janel Grant cool down. However, the lawsuit is still ongoing, and while Lesnar has not been formally charged, his name appears in the amended complaint as someone Vince McMahon allegedly offered Grant to for a sexual encounter. WWE remains a named defendant, and the legal process continues.
