Backstage Update on Brock Lesnar’s Surprise Return at WWE SummerSlam 2025

As noted before, Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam 2025 Night 2 event at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey featured Brock Lesnar making his surprise return. This was Lesnar’s first appearance in WWE since SummerSlam 2023 due to WWE dropping all plans for Lesnar over his involvement in the Vince McMahon sex trafficking lawsuit.

Following the show, WWE held a SummerSlam post-show featuring WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” as one of the guests. One of the topics discussed included Levesque implying that it was John Cena who had requested for Lesnar to return for his retirement tour.

“This is John Cena’s wishlist. John Cena’s… it’s him writing the last chapter of his book, and I think people saw a conversation with us where he said we’d have to screw it up pretty badly to ruin his career. But it’s not about that for me. It’s about John being able to go out the way he wants to go out. To write his chapter. I know what that’s like as a performer. I know what that’s like for everybody to feel that, and I think for John to be able to do what he wants to do. One of the very first things I said to him is ‘Who do you want? And how?’ And we’re working through that. “

Levesque also gave his thoughts about Lesnar’s surprise return to WWE.

“My reaction was, exactly what I thought it was going to be, if there had been a roof on this place, it wouldn’t be there anymore. The dynamic in the room changes when The Beast is here. Seeing Brock Lesnar comeback…anything you thought was happening sort of all goes out the window because the factor of Brock now just changes that dynamic. It makes it so unpredictable. Incredible to have him back.”

In regards to Lesnar’s surprise return, Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that Lesnar was flown into Minnesota on Saturday and then brought to the Teterboro airport via a private plane. Lesnar reportedly was kept hidden throughout the day of his surprise return and was only seen backstage at around 9:!5PM EST when the main event match between Cody Rhodes and Cena was already underway. It was reported that some staff members made their way to the state mid-way through the main event match to start filming things.

It was reported that it was unknown at the time if WWE’s legal department got any kind of “clearing of wrongdoing” before WWE officials brought him back.

It was also reported that many media personnel had traveled to the city expecting to take part in the post-SummerSlam press conference before it was cancelled at the last minute. It was reported that the expected backlash over Lesnar’s return is believed to be the reason behind this decision.

Dave Meltzer reported in a recent episode of the Wrestling Observer Radio that his sources stated that WWE’s legal department had cleared Lesnar for a potential return around four weeks ago. Meltzer reported that the reason for Lesnar’s clearance is currently not known. Meltzer speculated that either WWE officials are that confident things are going to arbitration and Lesnar is not a factor at that point or they are close to a settlement deal and Lesnar is not a factor or somebody within WWE just had a change of mind.

Meltzer reported that those spoken to confirmed that the backlash over Lesnar’s return was the reason why WWE cancelled doing a Q&A post-show press conference. Bryan Alvarez speculated that Levesque’s recent involvement with the White House’s presidential fitness program may have factored into that decision as well.

In a follow-up report, Alvarez reported on Twitter that his sources stated that Lesnar had been considered as part of the active roster for about the past two months. Alvarez reported that while WWE officials kept Lesnar hidden throughout the day, several of Lesnar’s friends were seen in attendance backstage who had not been there since he left which led to some people figuring out he was going to return that night.

Transcript h/t: WrestlePurists, Fightful.com