New details are out regarding the booking of the Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena match at WWE Wrestlepalooza, clarifying that Lesnar’s dominant victory was always the intended outcome. In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer debunked rumors that there was a last-minute change to the finish, which had originally favored Cena.
The match, which opened the show and marked the start of WWE’s new era on ESPN, saw Lesnar defeat Cena in a contest reminiscent of their infamous bout at SummerSlam in 2014. The one-sided nature of the bout, especially with Cena’s retirement tour nearing its end, left many fans questioning the creative direction.
Meltzer clarified that, despite any online rumors, there were never any serious discussions within WWE for Lesnar to lose in his first match back since SummerSlam 2023. “We were told that was not the case, and that Lesnar was not brought back to lose his first match. There are always discussions, and the idea may have been broached for Cena to win, as most expected, but it was never a serious discussion or ever the planned finish,” Meltzer wrote.
He explained that the primary goal of the match was to re-establish Lesnar as an unstoppable force, a goal that Cena himself reportedly supported due to his “bulletproof” status with the audience. Meltzer wrote, “The match was all about making Lesnar as strong as possible, getting a last match with Cena, and the feeling Cena more than anyone, is bulletproof no matter what they do with him.”
According to Meltzer, the long-term strategy is to rebuild Lesnar into a “monster” so that a rising star can eventually benefit from being the one to finally defeat him. He suggested potential future opponents who could be positioned to “slay the monster.” There are reportedly no plans for a rematch between Cena and Lesnar before Cena retires at the end of the year.
With only five dates left on his farewell tour, Cena is now scheduled to face another of his rivals, AJ Styles, at the Crown Jewel premium live event in Perth, Australia, on October 11.
