Brock Lesnar was last seen at WWE SummerSlam, losing to Cody Rhodes, whom he had no problem embracing and putting over afterward. The contest served as the culmination of a multi-month program between the two men that began on the Raw after WrestleMania 39 and Rhodes’ devastating loss to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Lesnar, for his part, saw more success at Mania, picking up a victory over the gigantic Omos, who had MVP in his corner.
On the Wrestling Observer Radio, it was noted that Lesnar is expected back on WWE TV “very soon.” It was speculated that The Beast did not return to WWE on last night’s Raw because the show was seeing stiff viewership competition against the Emmys and the NFL. The presumption seems to be that Lesnar will be back in time for the Royal Rumble, and he could show up on next week’s Raw to set up an angle.
With the way his match at SummerSlam against Rhodes ended, it would seem unlikely that they will be at odds when Lesnar returns. As it stands, the WrestleMania main event picture is fairly full at the moment, with CM Punk angling for a match against WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freaking” Rollins and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson teasing a collision with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Outside of Rhodes, there are also top names like Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton looking to have a featured match on the big show.
Both McIntyre and Orton have a history with Lesnar, as well. At WWE WrestleMania 36, shortly after the pandemic had taken hold, McIntyre defeated Lesnar in the main event to become WWE Champion. The match infamously took place in an empty arena, and McIntyre has regularly spoken about how he wishes to run that moment back with fans in attendance. Orton and Lesnar’s more notable match took place at SummerSlam 2016, where the former UFC fighter delivered such vicious blows to The Viper that it left the generational star lying in a literal pool of his own blood.