Brock Lesnar made his return to WWE programming at SummerSlam on Sunday, attacking John Cena following the main event. On tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw, WWE addressed his return for the first time, and the company has provided a timeline for when they first reached out to him.
WWE’s Official Statement
During the August 4, 2025, broadcast of Monday Night Raw, commentator Michael Cole addressed Lesnar’s return directly. He stated that he had spoken with WWE President Nick Khan and Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque about the decision. “They told me they reached out to Brock a couple of weeks ago and said ‘We believe it’s time for you to come home.’ Brock Lesnar said let’s do it, and here we are,” Cole said on the broadcast.
The Reason for the Hiatus
Lesnar had been absent from WWE programming since SummerSlam 2023. According to reports, he was kept off television after he was named, though not as a defendant, in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE. The lawsuit alleged that McMahon had attempted to use sexual favors from Grant as a negotiating tool to secure Lesnar signing a new contract with the company.
Original Plans Before Absence
Before he was pulled from television, it was widely reported that WWE had significant plans for Lesnar in early 2024. He was scheduled to make his return as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match and then proceed to a high-profile match at WrestleMania 40, reportedly against Gunther. These plans were scrapped in the wake of the allegations in the lawsuit becoming public.
The Road Back to WWE
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that WWE had legally cleared Brock Lesnar to return approximately four weeks ago. A separate report from Bryan Alvarez noted that Lesnar had been internally re-added to WWE’s active roster two weeks ago. This timeline aligns with the on-air statement from Michael Cole that WWE had reached out to Lesnar “a couple of weeks ago”.
Following his return at SummerSlam, where he viciously attacked John Cena after Cena’s WWE Championship loss to Cody Rhodes, a new storyline has been set in motion. It was announced on Raw that John Cena will appear on this week’s Friday Night SmackDown to respond to Lesnar’s attack.
Michael Cole says he asked Nick Khan and Triple H when it was determined to bring Brock Lesnar back.
They reached out to Brock a few weeks ago and said that “we believe it’s time for you to come home.”#WWERAW
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) August 5, 2025
