Brock Lesnar's Retirement Being Discussed Within WWE

Brock Lesnar returned to WWE programming at SummerSlam 2025 in a moment that caused a lot of controversy both online and reportedly behind the scenes in WWE, taking aim at John Cena before squashing him at Wrestlepalooza. Lesnar was a focal point ahead of Survivor Series, and has featured heavily in the WrestleMania 41 marketing. All this attention surrounding Lesnar may be due to the fact that he is approaching his final moments and matches in WWE. 

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there has been talk of Brock Lesnar retiring in 2026, potentially at SummerSlam. This two-night event will take place in Lesnar’s hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, making it a logical ground for him to bow out on a lengthy career. It is noted that 2026 could be the “year of retirement runs” with the likes of AJ Styles and Chris Jericho in discussions too. With Styles announcing his expected retirement for next year, he is the only one that is considered to be locked in as of yet, with no full confirmation on Lesnar. 

John Cena recently noted that Lesnar would sail off “into the sunset” in the near future, heavily hinting at SummerSlam 2026 next year as the date for this. WWE President Nick Khan also spoke on Lesnar recently, giving high praise to the former world champion since his return to WWE.