At September's Wrestlepalooza PLE, John Cena faced Brock Lesnar in what proved to be a fairly one-sided beatdown. The returning Beast made short work of the 17-time WWE Champion, and with just hours to go until Cena's retirement, it's clear there was never any intention to follow up on their latest—and final—clash.
It's been widely reported that WWE wanted to make Lesnar look strong following his two-year absence from the company, and he's since competed in a WarGames match at Survivor Series amid claims that his in-ring retirement is looming.
Dave Meltzer has shared an update in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, confirming that WWE is indeed building to Lesnar's send-off, and that 2026 could feature not one, not two, but three major Superstars hanging up their boots.
"There is a story going around that Lesnar will retire at SummerSlam 2026. I can’t confirm that date but did at least a month hear that the working plans for 2026 would be the WWE retirement runs for Lesnar, [AJ] Styles and potentially [Chris] Jericho if he signs."
"I didn’t get the impression it was locked in except for Styles, who has made it clear it will be in 2026 but not when. But the Lesnar name has been talked about, which is probably where the story came from."
Jericho is expected to sign with WWE (if he hasn't already) for one final run, and while Styles is currently one half of the World Tag Team Champions on RAW, he's talked openly about the end of his in-ring career looming.
As for Lesnar, Cena seemingly confirmed when and where he'll retire during a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet. During that conversation, Cena appeared to confirm that Lesnar will indeed head into the sunset after SummerSlam 2026, which takes place over two nights on August 1 and August 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Who will Lesnar face in his final match? It's far too soon to say, but Bron Breakker has to be the most likely contender, and WWE using Cena as a stepping stone to however The Beast's WWE career ends next summer is likely to remain a divisive decision.
It's a little surprising that Lesnar isn't sticking around for what will surely be a lucrative WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia in 2027. Still, SummerSlam makes sense for his farewell, given his connections to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Stay tuned for updates as we have them.