Brock Lesnar made a thunderous return at WWE SummerSlam 2025, assaulting John Cena in the aftermath of the main event on Night 2.
Just moments after Cody Rhodes defeated Cena in a brutal Street Fight to reclaim the Undisputed WWE Title, “The Beast Incarnate” reappeared, delivering a devastating F-5 that left Cena destroyed in the center of the ring.
This marked Lesnar’s first appearance in WWE since SummerSlam 2023, where he lost to Rhodes and offered a rare post-match handshake. That sendoff had many speculating that Lesnar might return as a babyface—but his sudden attack on Cena erased any doubt about his intentions.
Update: Triple H reacts to Lesnar’s return.
Watch the footage:
BROCK. LESNAR. IS. BACK.
— WWE (@WWE) August 4, 2025
HERE COMES THE PAIN! 👊 pic.twitter.com/uR2z9RVoZu
Real-Life Controversy Delayed Lesnar’s Return
Lesnar’s return comes amid controversy stemming from the Janel Grant lawsuit filed earlier this year against Vince McMahon and WWE. The Wall Street Journal identified Lesnar as the unnamed UFC fighter in the legal complaint, which included disturbing allegations involving McMahon and Grant. Lesnar was never formally charged, but the allegations kept him off WWE television for over a year.
Despite the negative press, WWE opted to bring Lesnar back—likely banking on his status as a 10-time world champion and crossover draw from his time in UFC. Whether fans will accept him again remains to be seen, but those in attendance definitely didn’t seem fazed and welcomed Lesnar’s epic return.
Cody Rhodes Reclaims the WWE Title
SummerSlam 2025 ended with Cody Rhodes recapturing the Undisputed WWE Championship from John Cena in a violent and chaotic Street Fight. Rhodes’ win capped off his redemption arc after losing the title earlier this year.
Cody Rhodes just dethroned John Cena at SummerSlam! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/e1XkSZ8qZC
— WWE (@WWE) August 4, 2025
Full Results – SummerSlam 2025
Night 1 – Saturday
- Roman Reigns and Jey Uso def. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed
- Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss def. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
- Sami Zayn def. Karrion Kross
- WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton def. Jade Cargill
- Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul def. Jelly Roll & Randy Orton
- CM Punk def. Gunther to win the World Heavyweight Title
- Seth Rollins cashed on CM Punk to capture the World Heavyweight Championship
Night 2 – Sunday
- Undisputed WWE Championship – Street Fight: Cody Rhodes def. John Cena
- Post-match: Brock Lesnar returns and attacks Cena
- Women’s World Championship – Triple Threat: Naomi def. Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY
- WWE Tag Team Title: The Wyatt Sicks def. The Street Profits, DIY, Motor City Machine Guns, Fraxiom, and Andrade and Fenix to retain the titles
- Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch def. Valkyria to retain
- United States Championship Steel cage match: Sikoa def, Fatu to retain
- Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio def. AJ Styles to retain
What’s Next for Lesnar and Cena?
It’s unclear if Lesnar’s return signals a full-time run or a short-term angle. Will Lesnar be feuding with Cena, or is the door is wide open for Lesnar to make a run at Rhodes?
Tune into WWE Raw tomorrow night for the aftermath, when Raw airs Monday on Netflix starting at 8pm EST.
Watch the Full SummerSlam Sunday 2025 highlights video:
