It might be end of the road for Brock Lesnar. The longtime professional wrestler has possibly retired more than 25 years after originally signing with WWE.
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Lesnar symbolically retired on Sunday evening as part of WrestleMania 42. He faced off with former two-time NXT Champion Oba Femi, who secured a clean pin to kick off the second night.
Yet, Lesnar did not simply exit the ring. He sat on the mat for a few moments before undoing his gloves and tossing them away. He then untied his wrestling boots while showing the emotion of the moment.
Brock Lesnar leaves his gear in the ring. What's next for The Beast?
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Once finished, he piled his gear in the center of the ring and held his arms to the crowd. They responded by chanting, "Thank you, Brock."
Lesnar shared a long embrace with longtime manager Paul Heyman before pounding the mat with his hands and then walking away. He slapped hands with multiple fans before exiting the arena.
This was not advertised as a retirement match for Lesnar, sparking speculation that this isn't really the end for the WWE Legend. Speculation amongst WWE fans and insiders for months has been that "Career Killer" Gunther, the WWE Superstar who recently retired John Cena and AJ Styles in advertised bouts, could face Lesnar in a true last match. Notably, WWE's SummerSlam will be held in Minnesota, the state Lesnar hails from, on Aug. 1-2 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Could Gunther vs. Lesnar be in the cards?
Further complicating matters is that Janel Grant named Lesnar in her sex trafficking lawsuit against former WWE exec Vince McMahon, meaning his presence on WWE programming has caused much controversy. Is Lesnar walking away again before the controversy worsens or is WWE still willing to risk him being a part of the build for another major show?
About Brock Lesnar's Career
Lesnar first signed with WWE in 2000 but departed in 2004 to pursue the dream of playing in the NFL. He spent some time with the Minnesota Vikings but didn't last beyond the preseason.
The veteran wrestler didn't return to WWE after his stint with the Vikings. He actually won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2005. He successfully defended the title for multiple years before ultimately losing it in 2007 to Kurt Angle.
Lesnar spent several years in UFC and posted a record of 5-3. He won the heavyweight title in 2008 by defeating Randy Couture. He then defended his title against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin before losing the belt to Cain Velasquez.
He returned to WWE between 2012 before quietly retiring in 2020. He returned again in 2021 and kicked off his third tenure.
(Editor's Note: This story has been edited for clarity.)
