Brock Lesnar Not Retired?

Brock Lesnar’s post-match actions at WrestleMania 42 — removing his gloves and boots, embracing Paul Heyman, waving to the crowd as fans chanted “Thank you, Brock” — read as a retirement to virtually everyone watching. But according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the belief within WWE is that Lesnar has not actually retired yet.

“I will only say that based on people in WWE, they believe he’s not retiring yet, although he is retiring at some point probably this year. I don’t know that anyone knows. This might be one of those things where everything is being kept quiet. A couple of people have mentioned it — that’s the belief. We’ll see. I’m not saying this is for sure because I don’t know if anyone knows for sure,” Meltzer said.

WWE Planned a Multi-Match Lesnar vs. Femi Feud Before Changing Course to a One-and-Done Affair at WrestleMania

Meltzer also revealed that the original plan for the Lesnar versus Oba Femi program was a multi-match feud before the decision was made weeks ago to make it a single encounter at WrestleMania — with Femi defeating Lesnar in four minutes to establish the new star as definitively as possible. On the Raw after WrestleMania, WWE aired a video package celebrating Lesnar’s career while Paul Heyman put over his longtime friend, saying Lesnar should be moved to the “Forever” section of WWE’s “Then. Now. Forever” opening. The internal belief that Lesnar may return for one final appearance — with SummerSlam in Minneapolis, Minnesota representing a logical setting — makes the WrestleMania moment feel more like a dramatic pause than a permanent goodbye.