The some 60,000 WWE fans in attendance at MetLife Stadium were left stunned on Sunday night as night two of SummerSlam saw the return of controversial wrestling and UFC star Brock Lesnar.
The shocking return took place after an epic clash between Cody Rhodes and John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Cena — who is currently on his farewell tour and final run in the company — had the audience chanting “You’ve still got it” as he took Rhodes to the limit, not only brawling in the ring and around ringside, but also taking the fight into the rabid crowd.
Cena looked to make certain his final SummerSlam was a memorable one with iconic moments that saw Cena slamming Rhodes on the massive stage and even refusing to be pinned after suffering three of his adversary’s finishing moves. “Fight forever!” the crowd pleaded in unison.
However, in the end Rhodes proved too much for Cena, sending the movie star through a table before hitting him with one final finishing move and pinning him for the three count. The two men embraced after the match and onlookers yelled out “Thank you, Cena.”
Yet just as the night appeared to have come to a close the familiar music of Brock Lesnar hit and left those in attendance in with open-mouth awe. Lesnar last appeared in the company in 2023 and his future seemed uncertain, which made the return that much more shocking. Lesnar made his way to the ring and attacked Cena, hitting him with the F5.
“The dynamic changes when the Beast is here.”
In a post show interview, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H addressed the return during a post show interview.
“The dynamic changes when the Beast is here,” Triple H said of Lesnar.
Meanwhile the wrestling fans in attendance reacted in disbelief at the appearance.
“Shocked. Brock Lesnar is back. Here comes the pain,” fan Jose Muñoz wrote on X.
Some are already fantasy booking his matches.
“Does this mean we might actually get Gunther vs
Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 42?” Wrestling Pics & Clips asked.
Others say the return and the prior match served as the perfect moment.
“John Cena passed the torch to Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar returned. Two of the greatest SummerSlam moments of all time,” Jesse Hernandez wrote.
