Backstage Reaction to Brock Lesnar’s WWE Return Revealed

Brock Lesnar’s shocking return at SummerSlam 2025 had fans screaming — but not everyone backstage in WWE was thrilled.

After being scrubbed from all WWE programming for over a year, Lesnar returned during Night Two of SummerSlam in dramatic fashion, laying out John Cena just moments after Cody Rhodes captured the Undisputed WWE Championship. The crowd erupted, but behind the scenes, the reaction was far more complicated.

Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp revealed during a Q&A session that emotions backstage were all over the place when Lesnar returned.

“Very mixed emotions. Not everyone is sweeping it under the rug, but if you’re asking if people are actively going to walk out of the company, I don’t see that happening.”

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Lesnar’s return comes after he was removed from WWE programming due to being named — though not formally accused — in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon. The lawsuit alleged McMahon forced Grant to send sexually explicit content to Lesnar, including a request for urination videos during contract negotiations.

Lesnar hasn’t been charged or officially accused of wrongdoing, but the allegations were enough for WWE to go into PR lockdown. His name was banned from being mentioned on air, and his WrestleMania match against GUNTHER was scrapped. As one WWE insider told Ringside News earlier this year, “He will not return to WWE television until this legal situation is over.”

That tune has clearly changed. In recent months, WWE slowly started testing the waters — first with Paul Heyman referencing Lesnar during his Hall of Fame speech, then with Michael Cole name-dropping him during King and Queen of the Ring. Legal clearance eventually came through, and WWE moved forward with the return, flying Lesnar into New Jersey the night before SummerSlam under heavy secrecy.

According to Michael Cole on RAW, WWE reached out to Lesnar “a number of weeks ago and said, ‘We believe that it’s time to come home.’ Brock Lesnar said he’d do it, and here we are.”

While fans were caught off guard, Grant’s legal team wasted no time issuing a strong statement to Ringside News:

“For far too long, abuse was allowed to thrive under WWE’s leadership. Instead of righting this wrong, WWE has done nothing to ensure those responsible are held accountable. This attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug will backfire.”

“We look forward to the full set of facts, including those about Mr. Lesnar, coming out in a court of law where they belong but, in the meantime, we refer you back to Janel Grant’s updated complaint, which outlines, in detail, the abuse she endured by McMahon and others while employed at WWE.”

So while Lesnar may be back in WWE’s good graces on-screen, his return has left some backstage talent with more questions than excitement.

WWE took a gamble by bringing The Beast back into the fold — but will it pay off, or implode behind the curtain?