3 Times Brock Lesnar broke the internet with his WWE returns

Brock Lesnar shocked the wrestling world with his sudden and shocking return at WWE SummerSlam. However, this was not the first time he had put the wrestling industry on notice with a return to WWE.

The Beast has left and returned to the company on three separate occasions, and here are the three times Lesnar shocked the world with his return to WWE.

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#1 Brock Lesnar's first return in 2012

Despite being hailed as The Next Big Thing and having the biggest push in the company, Lesnar's last match of his first stint in WWE took place at WrestleMania 20. He faced Goldberg with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the special guest referee. The fans despised the match as both men were planning on leaving the company, which was heavily reported on.

Brock Lesnar returned in 2012 on the April 2, 2012, WWE RAW episode. He confronted John Cena and wiped him out. His return at SummerSlam 2025 was a callback to this moment. While Brock Lesnar was gone, he tried his hand in the UFC.

This made him a bigger threat when he returned to WWE. He had a massive run with title wins and big matches during this second run in the company. Not only did he look like a monster, but he was booked like one, and fans loved it. He was able to combine WWE with hard-hitting moves from his time in UFC to repackage himself into something fans had never seen before.

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#2 Lesnar's second return in 2021

Lesnar's run in the company lasted till WrestleMania 36 in 2020. He lost to Drew McIntyre on the Grandest Stage of them all. This match was for the WWE Championship, which Lesnar believed he deserved in the storyline. It was reported that after this match, he had no contract with WWE. He reported that he planned on retiring following 'Mania 36, but decided to return the following year.

At SummerSlam 2021, Brock Lesnar returned with a whole new look in his second return to the company, and fans were shocked. The clear-cut Beast now with a beard and ponytail. His farmer/cowboy style blew up with the fans, and he was over once again, but as a babyface. He faced Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel the same year for the Universal Championship.

However, he lost to The Tribal Chief. The most memorable feud from this run came at the hands of Cody Rhodes. The Beast turned heel, and the two wrestled a triad of matches. Rhodes won at Backlash, but Lesnar picked up the submission win at Night of Champions. At SummerSlam 2023, Lesnar lost the final match and ended their feud.

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#1 The latest return at WWE SummerSlam 2025

Following his feud with Rhodes, Brock Lesnar departed from WWE to take some time off. He was rumored to return at Crown Jewel or near the end of the year, ahead of 2024's Royal Rumble.

However, the Vince McMahon sex trafficking lawsuit came out and shocked the world. The Beast's name was linked to the case, and WWE dropped all ties to him. While not firing him from the company, they kept a low profile.

Ahead of WWE SummerSlam, there were reports that TKO had banned the star. This led fans to believe Brock Lesnar would never show up. However, following his two-year absence from WWE, The Beast would return at the end of the Rhodes vs Cena match. WWE turned Cena face so that he could take on the heel Lesnar.

Much like his 2012 return, The Beast did the same. He walked out to an unsuspecting crowd and Cena before hitting the former Undisputed WWE Champion with an F5. This has seemingly set up Cena's next feud with The Beast. Fans were wondering who The GOAT would face after Rhodes, and now they have their answer.

Edited by Angana Roy