Brock Lesnar has hinted at a retirement from professional wrestling, after leaving his gloves and boots in the ring on Sunday.
Lesnar, 48, had competed in the first match of the second night of WrestleMania 42 – the latest edition of WWE’s annual showpiece event.
Going up against rising star Oba Femi, Lesnar lost a short but entertaining match, with the fans in Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium showing their delight at the result.
However, there were mixed emotions after the final bell, when Lesnar sat on the ring canvas and removed his boots and mixed-martial-arts-style gloves.
“Thank you, Brock,” was the chant from the crowd as Lesnar embraced his longtime friend Paul Heyman, a writer on WWE’s creative team who has played the role of Lesnar’s manager – on and off – for more than 20 years.
WWE share two clips of Lesnar’s post-fight actions, first writing, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, BROCK?!” then adding: “What’s next for The Beast?!”
It was expected that Lesnar might retire at WWE’s second-biggest show of the year, SummerSlam, given it will take place in his home city of Minneapolis, Minnesota in August.
That could still be the case, especially given fellow WWE star Gunther is currently going by the nickname “Career Killer”.
Sunday’s moment may simply set up a proper retirement angle later this year, with Lesnar taking on Gunther in Minneapolis, as the latter looks to retire another legend – having beaten John Cena and AJ Styles in their final matches over the last several months.
Lesnar made his name in the WWE in the early 2000s, as he was quickly pushed into a prominent position and made a world champion in the promotion. However, this first stint in the company was short lived, with Lesnar leaving in 2004.
An attempted NFL career failed, but he ventured into mixed martial arts and became the UFC heavyweight champion in 2008, holding the title until 2010. He returned to WWE in 2012 and has starred in the promotion on and off ever since.
In 2025, Lesnar was named in a lawsuit filed by Janel Grant against former WWE CEO Vince McMahon, who continues to fight the suit. Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a new 40-page affidavit this month, accusing McMahon of rape, coercion, and physical and mental abuse.
Although the lawsuit alleges Lesnar was complicit, he has not been accused of any direct abuse. He has also never commented publicly on the allegations. The Independent has approached a representative of Lesnar for comment.
