Brock Lesnar announces retirement; WWE officials say he could still appear at WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh
Brock Lesnar announced his retirement from professional wrestling on Tuesday during an appearance on the Pat McAfee show, following his Hell in a Cell loss to Oba Femi in the rubber match that headlined Night 1 of SummerSlam 2026 at U.S Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WWE acknowledged Lesnar on Raw’s post-show coverage and moved him to the alumni section of its website.
Lesnar and Oba Femi had traded victories before meeting for a trilogy decider at SummerSlam 2026; the Hell in a Cell encounter ended with Femi capturing the win and handing Lesnar his first loss inside Hell in a Cell. WWE paid tribute to Lesnar on the fallout show of Raw, an action that coincided with his reclassification on WWE’s official site.
On the Pat McAfee show Lesnar declared his retirement in plain terms: “I am here today to do this interview and let the whole world know that I am retired. I want to say a big thank you to everybody. Saturday was a very emotional day for me. That’s it for me in the squared circle.”
Lesnar said he plans to prioritise his family and to spend more time with his children after stepping away from wrestling. He also expressed gratitude to a list of organisations and individuals, naming “WWE, the WWE Universe, TKO, UFC and its president Dana White, the Minnesota Vikings, and the University of Minnesota” for opportunities that shaped his career.
Some fans reacted negatively to the retirement announcement, with expectations that Lesnar might continue to make sporadic appearances after his feud with Femi and could feature at WrestleMania 43. Those expectations have been fuel for discussion inside WWE circles and among observers following the announcement.
Per a report from WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, several top WWE officials believe Lesnar could have a role at WrestleMania 43 in some capacity; the report said he may not necessarily compete in a match and that a WWE Hall of Fame induction as part of the 2027 class could be considered. The same source added that they “can’t envision Lesnar walking away before one final payday in Saudi Arabia.”
WrestleMania 43 is scheduled as a two-night spectacle in April 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and WWE has not announced the dates for the PLE yet. The report also noted that the event will mark the first WrestleMania to take place outside North America and only the third edition held outside the United States, with the previous two international shows listed as WrestleMania VI and WrestleMania X8, both staged in Canada in 1990 and 2002, respectively.
WWE has not set dates for the Riyadh PLE, and WrestleVotes Radio reported that several top WWE officials believe Lesnar could have a role at WrestleMania 43, possibly via a Hall of Fame induction as part of the 2027 class.