John Cena Breaks Down Why Brock Lesnar Squashed Him at WWE WrestlePalooza

John Cena is finally breaking down what really happened at WrestlePalooza, where he was squashed by Brock Lesnar — and it wasn’t a creative misfire. According to Cena, the one-sided beatdown was part of a bigger plan to rebuild Lesnar as an unstoppable force.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Cena said the short match wasn’t random or rushed — it was strategic. The goal wasn’t to deliver a long bout, but to remind the world who Brock Lesnar is the moment he returned.

“Again, I love the public’s ability to weigh in. You’ve got this guy returning—Brock—who literally looks like he hasn’t aged a day, still moves like it. The man splits his pants, slips on pyro, does a ninja roll, and just keeps going. He’s a beast. It’s his first time back.”

Cena pointed out that WWE often uses him to welcome megastars back into the limelight. When someone needed to look good on their return? He’s the one across the ring — and it’s by design.

“I’ve been in this seat before. It’s always me—Brock’s return? I’m there. Rock returns after Miami? I’m there. SummerSlam with Roman? Yup. After he beats Taker at WrestleMania? Again, I’m the guy.”

The quick loss to the Beast Incarnate wasn’t about burying Cena. It was about making Brock look untouchable as WWE sets up his final run — possibly ending where it all began.

“So what do you do? You gotta figure out who gets the shine that night. From my perspective, if the idea is that we’re building him up again before he rides into the sunset—maybe in Minnesota—then creatively, yeah, it’s going to happen fast. To give someone a mountain to climb, you gotta build that mountain.”

And from Cena’s point of view, he had no problem taking the loss. He knows where he stands and what his role is at this stage of his career.

“I’m on my way out. It’s not going to hurt me. I’m still a viable draw. It’s a great main event. Two titans—see them collide one last time. Sometimes your team gets blown out.”

For fans wondering why the match didn’t go longer, Cena said the decision was intentional — and every move served a purpose. It wasn’t about match time; it was about creating an impact.

“We were first on the card. I did the best I could. We all did. Tried to make it feel like a real fight in the middle. People forget—I was in that arena when Brock fell for the first time off a shoulder tackle. That got people going. Then I gave them all the hits. They were into it. But then… a bunch of F5s. That’s how you build Brock.

The idea was—it’s Brock Lesnar’s night. And when it’s about Brock? I don’t swim upstream. There’ve been nights it was about me. There’ve been nights that were a love letter to pro wrestling—AJ Styles, for example. But this night? This night was about bringing him back and letting the world know: he means business.”

John Cena admitted some fans were thrown off by how one-sided it was, but said it lit a fire under the audience — and set up the next feud perfectly.

“So yeah, we went as long as we could. It was all about building what we needed to out of Brock. And I’ll be honest, it was uncomfortable. People were like, ‘What the F? Why is this happening? I wanted to see Cena do more!’”

Right after the match, Cena changed gears — and immediately knew his next move. That led directly to Cena vs. AJ Styles at Crown Jewel in Perth — a complete 180 from the Lesnar match and a bout that fans actually got behind. But Cena says the story only worked because of what came before it.

“Right after, I asked, ‘Who do I have next?’ They said, ‘We’re going with AJ.’

So I was like, what if I just put it out to the universe? ‘Hey guys, Cena vs. Styles—what do you think?’ And man, everyone was like, ‘Please! Please! Especially after that last one.’

So I went to Hunter—‘You hearing this?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, we hear it.’ I said, ‘Alright. Then make it.’

Cena vs. Cody at SummerSlam doesn’t hit the same without Cena vs. Cody at WrestleMania. AJ vs. Cena isn’t as beautiful if we don’t have Cena vs. Brock at WrestlePalooza. You’ve gotta go through the lows to get the fruit from it.”

Whether fans loved it or hated it, the Lesnar squash was never a throwaway. It was a calculated move in a bigger story — and according to Cena, one that had to happen.

What’s your take on John Cena getting squashed by Brock at WWE WrestlePalooza? Did WWE tell the right story, or should it have played out differently? Sound off in the comments — we want your thoughts.

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