This was the year of John Cena. This was his farewell tour. The opponents that faced him made sense….until the return of Brock Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate made his WWE return to close out SummerSlam where he unceremoniously destroyed the Leader of Cenation and left him in a heap. Normally, this would have energized any fan of wrestling, if not for the stink that has surrounded Lesnar since 2024 when he was named in Janel Grant’s lawsuit.

This was the same lawsuit that alleged that former WWE owner and CEO Vince McMahon had operated a sex-trafficking ring with some other company higher ups using Ms. Grant for various sexual favors and acts. Lesnar was allegedly the wrestler who had partaken in the conduct and as a result had been removed from any future appearances.

Then, the lawsuit went to a pause pending a federal investigation and for some reason or another, Brock Lesnar makes his return to close out the biggest show of the summer. Per Dave Meltzer, WWE attorneys cleared Lesnar’s return because the felt the status of the lawsuit would lead to it going into arbitration. Regardless, Ms. Grant’s legal team was not impressed and felt Lesnar’s return was an attempt to sweep the misconduct under the rug.

One can understand their position. So, why Lesnar and why the outcome at Wrestlepalooza this past weekend? Given the level of talent on the roster, why was Cena booked with another a part-time wrestler who was engulfed in a lot of controversy? Many fans, myself included, felt the booking should have been on a current heel on the roster. The Beast was just too toxic to bring back this soon.

Even the build was sublime. It was a bit one-sided when the two were on the same show. The promos that Cena delivered were good but it felt underwhelming. WWE wasted a lot of time booking Lesnar to be unstoppable. However, any wrestling fan worth their salt already knew this.

Then, there was the finish. Brock Lesnar had his way with John Cena and delivered six F5s (his finishing move) to put down the former 17-time champion. It was a curious ending. Cena should have been booked to win that match, unless there is a rematch down the road, but he only has five appearances left before his final match in December’s Saturday Night’s Main Event show. The whole thing felt off.

Correction.

It felt wrong. WWE and more notably Triple H, have come under scrutiny for how they have handled Cena’s retirement tour. Why would they let someone like Lesnar win, especially if the initially finish was to have Cena emerge victorious? Given Lesnar’s legal status or involvement in the lawsuit, it seems inappropriate for someone mentioned in sex scandal would have not been the choice to go over in a marquee event.

Truth is, it was inappropriate for him to be involved at all.

Wrestlepalooza was an underwhelming event overall and this match, which kicked off the night, did not deliver. In fact, the only match worth a damn was Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer. Go watch it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

As for the rest, the show was a waste of money and time for wrestling fans who were promised big surprises and got nothing for their investment. The fans deserved better as did John Cena. One can only hope the mismanagement of his final appearances are not bungled like they have been in recent weeks.