Brock Lesnar made a stunning return to WWE Raw on May 18 in Greensboro, North Carolina, laying out Oba Femi just six weeks after what many believed was his retirement match at WrestleMania 42.
Femi had entered the ring for another installment of his ongoing open challenge when Lesnar suddenly appeared and attacked him during the celebration. “The Beast Incarnate” delivered four brutal F-5s in total, hitting two consecutive finishers before lifting Femi back up and planting him twice more. After the assault, Lesnar exited without saying a word and walked calmly back up the entrance aisle.
The appearance marked Lesnar’s first WWE television appearance since WrestleMania 42, where Femi defeated him in what was billed as their first-ever singles encounter. Following the loss, Lesnar removed both his gloves and boots inside the ring — a symbolic gesture long associated with retirement in professional wrestling. He then embraced Paul Heyman before leaving the arena, leading widespread speculation that his in-ring career had come to an end.
Those rumors gained even more traction on May 7 when WWE quietly shifted Lesnar’s profile from the active roster section to the alumni section on the company’s official website. The move, typically associated with retired or released talent, fueled further belief that Lesnar was officially done competing.
However, PWInsider later reported that Lesnar remained internally listed as an active WWE talent and was considered a free agent, as he had not been assigned exclusively to either Raw or SmackDown.
Following the commercial break on Raw, Heyman was shown speaking with WWE official Adam Pearce backstage. During the segment, Heyman claimed that Lesnar is officially retired, but revealed he was carrying signed paperwork from Brock himself. According to Heyman, if Oba Femi agrees to sign the contract, the two will meet in a rematch at WWE Clash in Italy.
The angle immediately reignited interest in the Lesnar vs. Femi rivalry and appears to confirm that WWE is positioning the rematch as one of the featured attractions for the upcoming international premium live event.
