John Cena lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes in the main event of SummerSlam Night 2 last month. Moments later, Brock Lesnar made his shocking return, taking Cena out with an F5, and setting the stage for their longtime feud to be reignited.
While The Beast's return has excited many fans (his new t-shirts immediately shot to the top of the best-seller charts on WWEShop.com), others have criticised WWE for bringing Lesnar back. Why? Well, he was named over 40 times in Janel Grant's sexual abuse and trafficking lawsuit filed against former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
It was alleged that Lesnar agreed to meet with Grant as a bonus, of sorts, for signing a contract. However, Lesnar isn't being sued, and WWE reportedly felt that he's far removed enough to finally be brought back to television after a two-year absence.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Lesnar is scheduled to travel to Chicago for tonight's episode of SmackDown. WWE sources have indicated that he's been "discussed as a possibility for the show," likely to set up September 20's Wrestlepalooza PLE.
The site adds, "Based on what we heard, WWE intentionally hoped to load up this episode of SmackDown ahead of a WrestlePalooza show that they also intentionally loaded up."
Tonight's episode of SmackDown looks to be a big one on several fronts, as AJ Lee is expected to make her long-awaited WWE return to team with CM Punk against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Women's Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch at Wrestlepalooza.
For what it's worth, it might be the last time we see Cena on the blue brand, as well. @WrestleVotes is reporting, "We’re told some within WWE are quietly expecting tomorrow night to be John Cena’s final SmackDown."
"According to a source, with only seven remaining dates left—and just two yet to be announced—it’s unlikely another will be a SmackDown event, meaning Cena will have debuted and ended his run on the blue brand in the very same building, Chicago’s Allstate Arena."
Despite the social media backlash, the majority of mainstream media outlets don't care enough about professional wrestling to cover Lesnar's controversial comeback. As long as crowds react the way they did at SummerSlam, WWE no doubt feels it has all the justification it needs to bring Lesnar back into the fold.
Cena vs. Lesnar will likely headline Wrestlepalooza, though it's still not clear what the plan is for The Beast in WWE beyond that. However, there are rumblings that he intends to retire at SummerSlam in Minneapolis, Minnesota, next year.