Brock Lesnar's WWE status explained following retirement claim

Brock Lesnar's WWE return stands quite uncertain under the present circumstances. The Beast Incarnate last appeared in the promotion in a bout against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2023, which he lost to put Cody over. He was slated to return at Royal Rumble 2024, but things turned upside down for the superstar when Janel Grant's lawsuit alleged impropriety on the part of Vince McMahon. It also alluded to the involvement of Lesnar.

Although he was not officially initially named in the lawsuit, Lesnar is believed to have been involved in the controversy, and that was the reason why WWE put on hold all his future appearances. This was proven right when Ms. Grant's lawyers amended the charges in early 2025, and this time, named Brock directly.

Now, there is a bigger heartbreaking news for all the Lesnar fans. Their champ might have already retired, and it has come straight from the horse's mouth, although the source is not quite official.

A fan on social media raised eyebrows recently when he revealed his recent interaction with Lesnar, where the 47-year-old superstar supposedly spoke on his wrestling status. The fan said that he asked Lesnar about his return to WWE, to which The Beast replied that he had retired from in-ring competition and wouldn't be back in the Stamford-based promotion anytime soon. However, the post has now been deleted and therefore one can't verify the authenticity of the tweet.

In essence, Lesnar might never be able to make it back to WWE because of the ongoing lawsuit. WWE is already doing good without him, and any association with him might backfire as the fans can take on the Stamford-based promotion over their stand on the Janel Grant lawsuit.

Also, Brock Lesnar has not been legally cleared by WWE to make a return, which might be another hint that he may have retired from wrestling. In fact, many reports suggested that Brock Lesnar wanted to retire from wrestling in 2020, shortly after losing his title to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36.

That, according to Brock Lesnar, was his end in WWE, where he had his last match in an empty arena, induced by COVID-19 lockdown. During an appearance on The Michael Kay Show, Lesnar said that life had come full circle for him after his last match happened in front of no audience at WrestleMania.

"I actually retired when COVID hit and my contract was up in 2020, I think. So, full circle Brock Lesnar story; I had my first pro wrestling match in Hamel, Minnesota in a garage in front of no people. And 20 years later, in the WWE Heavyweight Champion of the world, had my last wrestling match in a warehouse in front of no people. So, 20 years, full cycle, full revolution. And I'm like 'Alright, cool, I'm out," Lesnar said. [H/T - WrestlingInc.]

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Brock Lesnar revealed that Vince McMahon brought him back to WWE

Lesnar was seemingly done with wrestling after WrestleMania 36, but Vince McMahon had other plans for him. Brock revealed in the same interview that it was the former WWE Chairman who ultimately called him and brought him back to the company.

This time, Brock Lesnar returned in a new avatar altogether, with a beard, ponytail, and sporting a cowboy hat. He feuded with Roman Reigns and also won his sixth WWE Championship after his return when he defeated Big E and three other superstars in a match at the Day 1 event in 2022.

Lesnar, however, turned heel when he attacked Cody Rhodes in 2023 and later went on to feud with him at SummerSlam. After a hiatus following SummerSlam, he was expected to square off against Gunther, but the storyline never kicked off.

As of now, there is no timeline for his return, and it seems Brock has already hung up his boots. Fans will have to wait for an official confirmation from either WWE or the star himself about the veracity of this news though.