Brock Lesnar made his shocking return to WWE last night, closing out SummerSlam 2025 with a thunderous F-5 to John Cena just moments after Cena had lost the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes. Lesnar’s entrance was completely unexpected. There were no teasers, no cryptic vignettes, and no subtle hints on social media. Just the familiar roar of his music as he stormed to the ring to lay out one of the biggest names in the company’s history. Cena, who had been soaking in what many assumed was a farewell ovation, was left motionless in the ring as the show went off the air.
The return was vintage Lesnar: explosive, violent, and headline-grabbing. But this comeback doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It carries a weight that extends far beyond storyline feuds or part-time appearances. While Lesnar has not been charged with any crime, nor is he a defendant in any ongoing legal matter, his name does appear in the civil lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, a lawsuit that rocked the wrestling world earlier this year.
Grant’s lawsuit centers on allegations of trafficking, abuse, and exploitation at the highest levels of WWE. The complaint accuses former CEO Vince McMahon of grooming and abusing her over several years. One of the most disturbing claims in the suit is that McMahon allegedly offered Grant to a “former UFC heavyweight champion” for sexual purposes, a description widely believed to refer to Brock Lesnar. While the filing does not name Lesnar explicitly, the identification is strongly implied. Again, Lesnar is not being sued, and no criminal charges have been filed against him. But the implications were enough for WWE to quietly pull him from both the 2024 Royal Rumble and his highly anticipated WrestleMania XL match with Gunther. He remained off television for nearly two years.
The fallout from the lawsuit reached the very top of WWE. Vince McMahon resigned from his executive position amid mounting pressure and multiple investigations. Despite attempts at damage control, including a corporate reshuffle and media silence, the scandal cast a long shadow over the company. The return of Lesnar reopens that wound, at least for those who have been paying attention.
What’s striking is the contrast between how different controversial figures in WWE are treated by the public. When Hulk Hogan made his final on-screen appearance earlier this year, the live crowd greeted him with loud boos. That moment was seen as a reckoning for Hogan’s now-infamous racist rant, which had received widespread coverage in the mainstream press. Lesnar, by contrast, was cheered last night. Part of that is due to the sheer spectacle of his return, but it’s also a reflection of just how little the average WWE fan knows, or is told, about what happens behind the curtain.
The allegations connected to Lesnar haven’t received anywhere near the level of mainstream media coverage Hogan’s scandal did. Most WWE fans don’t follow wrestling news sites, legal filings, or interviews with former employees. They see what’s on TV, and last night, what they saw was the return of one of WWE’s most dominant performers.
But behind the roar of the crowd and the slamming of bodies, uncomfortable questions remain. Was now the right time to bring Brock Lesnar back? Has enough time passed? Has enough transparency been provided?
For WWE, the answer appears to be yes. For others, it’s not that simple.
—By Greg Collier