Brock Lesnar has seemingly concluded his illustrious WWE career.
The wrestling veteran opened night two of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, facing off against Oba Femi. Their rivalry had been building since their first encounter at the Royal Rumble in January, culminating in this heavyweight showdown.
From the outset, Lesnar was dominated by Femi, who controlled the pace of the match and offered little opportunity for Lesnar to mount a significant offense. The bout concluded in under five minutes when the “Nigerian Giant” shrugged off Lesnar’s signature F-5 maneuver, took control, and delivered a chokeslam followed by “Fall from Grace” for the victory.
However, the true shock came not from Lesnar’s defeat, but from the emotional post-match events that left combat sports fans worldwide astonished.
Brock Lesnar Appears to Retire After Shocking WrestleMania 42 Defeat to Oba Femi
Following his loss to Oba Femi, a visibly emotional Brock Lesnar sat alone in the center of the ring. In a gesture often seen as symbolic of retirement in professional wrestling, he removed his gloves and boots and placed them on the mat.
The WWE legend then shared an embrace with his long-time on-screen manager, Paul Heyman, as the crowd chanted “Thank you, Lesnar” while he made his exit, seemingly for the last time in his wrestling career.
There had been widespread speculation that the 48-year-old Lesnar was approaching the end of his professional wrestling career. Reports had suggested his potential retirement match might occur at this year’s SummerSlam in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, possibly against Gunther.
Brock Lesnar made his television debut in March 2002 on WWF RAW and went on to have a highly decorated career across multiple stints with WWE. “The Beast Incarnate” held the WWE Championship and Universal Championship, won two Royal Rumble matches, and headlined WrestleMania on five occasions.
Lesnar famously transitioned to MMA, making his UFC debut at UFC 81 in February 2008, where he lost to Frank Mir by submission in the first round. Later that year, he defeated Randy Couture via knockout at UFC 91 to win the heavyweight title in November.
The American’s final MMA appearance was at UFC 200 in July 2016 against Mark Hunt. Although he initially won by unanimous decision, the result was later overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for a banned substance under the UFC’s anti-doping policy. Lesnar concluded his professional MMA career with a record of 5 wins and 3 losses.