WWE went to great length to keep Brock Lesnar’s WWE return a surprise.
The Beast Incarnate showed up after the SummerSlam Sunday main event between John Cena and Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare had left the ring after winning back the WWE title but Cena was still around. Brock ended up taking John out with an F5 to end the show.
Top WWE officials had kept the plans for the main event and the post-match angle close to their chest. Not many people were aware of Brock’s return and due to Cena and Cody’s history, some wondered if The Rock was going to make an appearance.
Fightful Select revealed that the former UFC Champion was flown into Minnesota on Saturday and then brought to the Teterboro airport via a private plane.
He was kept hidden throughout the day of his appearance and the former world champion was only seen backstage at about 9:15 PM ET when the main event was already underway. Some staff members then made their way to the stage mid-way through the main event to start filming things.
It’s unknown if the company’s legal department got any kind of ‘clearing of wrongdoing,’ before the officials brought him back. Brock Lesnar has been named in the ongoing Janel Grant Lawsuit against Vince McMahon, though he is not one of the parties being sued.
Many media persons had travelled to the city expecting to take part in the post-SummerSlam press conference before it was cancelled last minute. While not officially announced, the expected backlash over Lesnar’s return is largely believed to be the reason behind this move.
It’s not surprising that Brock is planned for a program with Cena in the coming month after his return, though it’s unknown if he’ll be sticking around the company afterward.