The biggest news coming out of a packed weekend of WWE action was Brock Lesnar’s surprise WWE return. The reaction to his return is mixed, with several fans expressing outrage that he’s back while being named in a serious legal proceeding against WWE and Vince McMahon. Others are claiming the opposite. As more details come out, it looks like John Cena’s impending retirement plays a part in The Beast’s return.
“For me, this is sort of, this is John Cena’s wish list,” said WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H during the post-show coverage. “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.”
That is quite the statement from the man who guides WWE Creative in every way. Brock Lesnar wasn’t removed because of an injury or because of other commitments. He was removed because he is mentioned 44 times in pending litigation that points to his potential involvement.
It would make sense for an organization to remove a top performer facing those types of allegations and keep them off television until they are fully solved. WWE electing to do the opposite is surprising, but also not when looking at the history of the company. The company knew there would be blowback and questions about the move, so it is not a coincidence that this change happened the same weekend the company stopped holding press conferences after PLEs and major events. What’s surprising is to see Triple H, knowing the outrage would be coming, take that moment to make it seem like he had Cena not want Lesnar to return, and he would not be back.
John Cena’s retirement tour should not trump a legal proceeding as serious as Janel Grant versus the WWE and Vince McMahon. While Lesnar is not accused of doing anything illegal or even having a physical interaction with Grant, one could openly question the intent of involvement based on the evidence that is laid out in the legal documents.
Triple H’s response now places all the questions firmly at Cena’s feet. This is especially important when looking at Cena’s comments about his relationship with McMahon, as those allegations stand. Instead of focusing on the end of his career, he’ll have to face questions about his stance on sexual assault allegations and his colleagues. This is something that cannot be ignored, but with WWE changing its stances on media access and who the company does media work with, do not expect Cena or any of those in power to have to answer any serious questions about the matter.
Brock Lesnar’s return isn’t a laughing matter. It is the latest step in a growing undercurrent, not just in the WWE, but across several major sports leagues, promotions, and outlets. John Cena was seen as one of the “good guys” in the space, but if his word is what brought Lesnar back into the fold, it is time to have questions about how this will impact the perception of the end of his career.