WWE’s original SummerSlam blueprint reportedly looked nothing like the card fans are about to see.
As per a new backstage report, the promotion had penciled in Brock Lesnar to face Gunther, not Oba Femi, before a creative reshuffle changed the direction of several top storylines.
The claim comes from Self Made Session, where Self Made Pro said the initial plan paired Lesnar with Gunther for the summer event while Gunther was also lined up to work Roman Reigns earlier in the year.
GUNTHER was supposed to face Brock at SummerSlam, and GUNTHER was supposed to face Roman in the late spring/early summer. For whatever reason, that got changed, so that switched up a lot of creative,” he said.
Brock Lesnar Reportedly Didn’t Push For Oba Femi Matches
With Lesnar now heading into a Hell in a Cell match with Oba Femi, some assumed he had lobbied to keep that rivalry going. Self Made Pro pushed back on that idea.
Like I said, GUNTHER was gonna work Roman and Brock. I don’t think it was a case of Brock saying, ‘Give me two more Oba matches.’ That’s not what happened,” he said.
He added that the current version of Lesnar has been unusually easy to deal with behind the scenes:
This period right now has been the least creatively picky that Brock Lesnar has ever been.
What Is Actually Booked
What is confirmed is the destination, if not the road WWE took to get there. The company has officially announced Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell match, billed as the third meeting in their series, for SummerSlam 2026.
The Minneapolis setting has fueled speculation on social media that the show could mark Lesnar’s final WWE appearance, though the promotion has made no such announcement. WWE creative has faced scrutiny over the direction of the Lesnar storyline, and his televised build toward the event continues in the coming weeks.
