As PWMania.com previously reported, “The Ruler” Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell in the main event of Night One of WWE SummerSlam, a booking decision that surprised many fans given Lesnar’s long-standing preference for opening Premium Live Events (PLEs).
Initial reports from PWInsider.com suggested there was a belief within WWE that Lesnar had pushed for the match to headline the show. Since SummerSlam took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota—effectively Lesnar’s home market and much closer to his Saskatchewan residence than most WWE events—it was thought the shorter trip home may have influenced that preference.
However, Mike Johnson has since clarified those reports after seeing them circulate on social media and, according to him, become “twisted” elsewhere.
Johnson explained that, according to sources with direct knowledge of WWE’s creative plans, the original intention was for the Hell in a Cell match between Lesnar and Femi to open Night One of SummerSlam.
As the week progressed, though, WWE ultimately decided to move the bout into the main event slot because of the attraction of presenting a Brock Lesnar Hell in a Cell match in his hometown of Minneapolis.
Johnson also noted that, to the best of his sources’ knowledge, Lesnar had no involvement in changing the running order or restructuring the event.
For additional context, Johnson’s original comments stated:
“He’s pretty much in his home market when he’s in Minneapolis, so it’s not as far to travel. The belief among those they spoke to is that Lesnar pushed to close the show.”
According to Johnson, that reflected the belief of people he spoke with rather than confirmation that Lesnar personally requested the main event position. His subsequent clarification indicates WWE’s creative team had already made the decision internally as the week unfolded.
Following the match, Lesnar showed respect to Femi by embracing him before leaving the ring, allowing the reigning champion to celebrate his victory in front of the Minneapolis crowd.
It remains to be seen when—or if—Lesnar will make another appearance on WWE television following his SummerSlam showdown with Femi.
