Brock Lesnar retires after SummerSlam 2026; five unforgettable WWE moments

Brock Lesnar was defeated by Oba Femi in a Hell in a Cell match at Night 1 of SummerSlam 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and on the Pat McAfee Show afterward he officially confirmed his retirement from in-ring competition. With Lesnar’s in-ring career concluded, Khel Now presents five of the most memorable moments from his WWE run.

Lesnar arrived in WWE as a blue-chip prospect from his days in OVW and the NCAA Division 1 class. Early in his career, at the 2002 SummerSlam PPV he squared off with The Rock for the WWE Championship and defeated the Great One to become the youngest WWE World Champion of all time. Those accomplishments provided the foundation for a run that produced multiple headline matches across major pay-per-views.

Arguably the most iconic moment of Brock Lesnar’s career occurred at WrestleMania 30 when he faced The Undertaker with The Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak on the line. In the closing sequence Lesnar reversed the Tombstone into a third F-5 and pinned Taker to end the streak. The finish left the audience and millions watching across the world shocked.

The official opening of Suplex City happened at SummerSlam 2014, when Lesnar decimated John Cena and delivered 14 suplexes to him. That sequence has since been referenced repeatedly in coverage of Lesnar’s in-ring style. SummerSlam 2014 remains closely associated with the suplex-heavy assault he used on Cena.

At SummerSlam 2015 Lesnar and The Undertaker met in a No-Holds-Barred match that produced an unexpected moment of levity. As both men lay on the mat, Lesnar mocked The Undertaker by doing the Deadman’s sit-up. Taker responded by doing the same, and both laughed in the face of each other, which became one of the most iconic memes of all time.

The WWE Universe had not seen Brock Lesnar for eight years in the company before a return that registered as a major moment on television. The wait was finally over on RAW after WrestleMania 28 in 2012 when The Beast made his shocking return. He came down to the ring and planted John Cena with a thunderous F-5 to make a huge statement and announce his emphatic return to the entire division.

Nik O Conner is a long-time fan of professional wrestling. After dropping his Engineering regular studies in 2020, he decided to pursue his passion and became a writer. Over the last few years, he has written for multiple webs bringing a lot of skills and creativity to the table.