For the past week, WWE has been selling one massive question heading into SummerSlam: Is Brock Lesnar about to wrestle his final match? Behind the scenes, though, that apparently isn’t what people are expecting.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, the belief inside WWE is that Lesnar is not heading into retirement when the Hell in a Cell door closes on Saturday night. In fact, one source reportedly said they’d be surprised if this wasn’t simply another classic Brock Lesnar disappearing act.
That’s the important distinction. The expectation isn’t that Lesnar rides off into the sunset. It’s that he beats up Oba Femi—or gets beaten by Oba Femi—walks out of SummerSlam, vanishes for months, and then suddenly shows up again when WrestleMania 43 rolls around in Saudi Arabia.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s exactly how Lesnar has operated for years. The report adds that Lesnar still keeps everyone guessing behind the scenes. Even within WWE, very few people know what he’s planning until he’s ready to make it happen, which is why speculation about his retirement reportedly hasn’t gained much traction backstage.
That update is especially interesting because Triple H spent this week refusing to give fans a straight answer. Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, WWE’s Chief Content Officer insisted the only person who knows Brock Lesnar’s future is Brock Lesnar himself. He even suggested Lesnar believed he was finished after WrestleMania before Oba Femi gave him one last reason to come back, setting up a Hell in a Cell fight in his home state of Minnesota.
“It’s really in his court as to what he wants to do. Like I said, for Brock, there’s always gas left in the tank, I believe. He is one of those generational athletes. It’s just a matter of: is this the right time for him? It all comes down to what does he see next for Brock? The great ones know when to call it a day. Brock will know, but he’ll tell us in real time, live, in Minnesota at SummerSlam—or say never.”
So, don’t expect a retirement speech. Expect Brock Lesnar to do what Brock Lesnar has always done—leave everyone wondering where he went, only to reappear months later when WWE needs its biggest attraction again.
Do you think Brock Lesnar should return after another hiatus, or should SummerSlam be the final chapter of his legendary WWE career? Let us know in the comments below.
