With the WWE looking at holding WrestleMania 41 in Brock Lesnar’s hometown – he’s billed from Minneapolis, Minnesota but he was born in Webster, South Dakota – there are rumors suggesting that the iconic WWE superstar could look at retiring after the event.
A seasoned warrior in the world of combat sports, Lesnar’s retirement, if confirmed, will mark a monumental moment in his career. Is the WWE going to send him off with a farewell match, perhaps with a long-time adversary? Or, is Lesnar going to pass the torch to a rising star? Maybe Lesnar will get the farewell match he’s always wanted. Then again, Lesnar has said in the past that, when the time comes he’ll retire, he won’t want a ceremony – he’d just like to get up and leave, going home to his farm home in Maryfield, Saskatchewan.
Having just turned 46, Lesnar remains as spry and as beast-like as ever, which is why it’s interesting that people are talking about this.
Talks of Lesnar’s retirement are nothing new, though. Ever since leaving the WWE in the mid-2000s to fight in the UFC, only to come back to make sporadic appearances throughout the 2010s up until today, nearly every year sees reports of Lesnar retiring. Every time, these reports are proven false when Lesnar comes in after a big-time match at a Premium Live Event to feud with whoever he wants, most recently pointing his horns at Cody Rhodes.
Lesnar’s short-term contracts with the WWE are partly to blame for these rumors. It’s believed that his contracts have often coincided with WrestleMania, prompting the possibility of another farewell cycle.
Nonetheless, Lesnar’s future intentions remain shrouded in ambiguity. Should Lesnar choose to retire, the wrestling world is left wondering if this is for good or if he’ll still appear occasionally, similar to The Undertaker.
Yet, it’s important to note that Lesnar’s decision to walk away from the WWE may be influenced by more than just in-ring dynamics. Aside from wanting to step away from the spotlight, it’s known that Lesnar has a close relationship with newly-instated executive chairman of the company formed by the merging of the WWE and UFC. Given the reports that McMahon is still as involved with the WWE as if he didn’t just “retire” last year, Lesnar might feel comfortable wrestling for the WWE – at least for now.
Brock Lesnar will likely take a break after losing to Rhodes at SummerSlam, coming back next year at the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber to set up his next feud for WrestleMania 40. If Seth Rollins is still the World Heavyweight Champion by then, it wouldn’t be impossible to see the two of them square up at next year’s Showcase of Immortals with Señor Money in the Bank, Damian Priest, cashing in on whoever is the winner. This would mirror Seth Rollins’ own cash-in a decade ago at WrestleMania 31, which ironically came against Brock Lesnar.
Or, if that’s not on the cards, the WWE can always circle back to the heavily teased feud between Brock Lesnar and Gunther, the latter of which is on a historic run as the Intercontinental Champion.
If the WWE wants to elevate the prestige of a mid-card title belt like the Intercontinental Championship, there’s no better way to do it than to have Brock Lesnar be one of its contenders.
After a dominant two-decade career, the 10-time WWE champion and winner of prominent championships across WWE, UFC, NJPW, and NCAA, Lesnar’s decision could depend on numerous factors.
At this point, it wouldn’t surprise us, as previously mentioned, that Lesnar would just quietly walk away from the WWE. This approach mirrors Lesnar’s unique career trajectory, which was always dictated by his own terms. After making substantial names for himself in UFC and NJPW, Lesnar returned to WWE and has maintained his top spot. His history shows that he doesn’t need WWE – he’s made significant strides independently.
In light of this, it’s clear that Lesnar has always been an influential force, irrespective of where he chose to exercise his skills. His return to WWE didn’t diminish this, maintaining his status as “the guy” despite the rising stars in the industry.
As we approach WrestleMania 41, wrestling fans worldwide find themselves speculating if this could be the event where we see Brock Lesnar, the Beast Incarnate, take his final bow from the WWE stage.
While no official confirmation has come yet, the rumblings about his retirement make for an intriguing discussion about the future of WWE without one of its most influential superstars.
