
Brock Lesnar made a shocking return at the conclusion of the 2025 WWE SummerSlam Sunday premium live event, delivering a thunderous F5 to John Cena in his first appearance since SummerSlam 2023.
Now, Paul Heyman is speaking out about the circumstances surrounding Lesnar’s return — and the controversy that followed.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show, Paul Heyman revealed that he was not involved in the initial discussions to bring Lesnar back, suggesting that the deal came together swiftly. “That happened real quick. A couple of weeks. Okay. I mean, at least to my knowledge, I got tagged into it after the deal was done. I’m sure there’s a new deal involved.”
Lesnar’s return has not been without criticism, as he was previously named in Janel Grant’s ongoing lawsuit against Vince McMahon involving sex trafficking allegations.
While Lesnar has not publicly commented, Heyman didn’t shy away from addressing the backlash. “I don’t pay attention to that. He’s here. See, that’s a reality of the fact. He’s here. If you were in MetLife Stadium on Sunday, you would understand that return meant a lot… People were just going nuts. That’s our paying audience. They’re happy to see him.”
Heyman went further, comparing Lesnar’s critics to those who have historically criticized iconic leaders and religious figures. “Everyone has criticism in life… There are people who to this day think Abraham Lincoln sucked. They’re wrong, but they think it… Nobody [has] 100% approval. There’s always going to be critiques of anything we do.”
Heyman concluded his thoughts with a clear stance: “Obviously, the decision was made, it’s time to bring back Brock Lesnar… If there are critics of it, get over it. He’s here, and he’s going to be here, and you ain’t going to be able to cancel him. I’m happy to have him back because the audience is happy to have him back.”
.@HeymanHustle on the controversial return of Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam:
"Whatever that decision is based on, I respect it. If there are critics of it, get over it. He's here and he's gonna be here and you ain't gonna be able to cancel him." pic.twitter.com/ivSTyELCJE
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 6, 2025
As of now, no official match has been announced for Brock Lesnar following his shocking return, but the door is clearly wide open for a major feud with John Cena.
Expect more clarity in the coming weeks as WWE builds toward Clash in Paris and beyond.