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.
