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5 Reasons Brock Lesnar Retired At WWE WrestleMania 42

By Harikesh Shekhar • Published Apr 19, 2026 20:55 EDT
Brock Lesnar Retired At WWE WrestleMania 42 (Image via X/@WWE)
Brock Lesnar Retired At WWE WrestleMania 42 (Image via X/@WWE)

Brock Lesnar shocked the live crowd at Allegiant Stadium and everyone around the world with a major gesture at WrestleMania 42.

Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi was one of the most anticipated matches on the WrestleMania 42 card, and it ended up being worthy of the hype. The Ruler stood strong in front of Lesnar as he tried to deliver his trademark clotheslines at the onset, and took The Beast Incarnate down with one of his own.

After a quick match that saw offense from both men, Femi emerged victorious after kicking out of Lesnar’s lethal F-5 and executing a chokeslam and Fall From Grace on Lesnar.

Things took a shocking turn, however, when a battered Lesnar slowly began undoing his gloves and boots. He left them in the ring and said goodbye to the fans, potentially announcing his retirement from the world of wrestling.

This came as a complete surprise to the WWE Universe, as there was no word or rumour about it. There could be several reasons behind Lesnar’s retirement at WrestleMania 42, and today, we look at 5 possible ones.

#1: Age

Brock Lesnar began his career in WWE in 2002 when he was billed as the Next Big Thing. After over two decades, he is now 48 years old and is someone who has achieved heights of stardom in the industry. Many wrestlers like to quit when they are ahead, and Lesnar was at the top of his game in WWE of late, even though he was working as a part-timer. This could have led to retirement on the grandest stage of them all for the star.

#2: Lawsuits

Lesnar’s name came up in the s*x trafficking and assault lawsuit leveled by former WWE employee Janel Grant against Vince McMahon. The details were made clear in Grant’s recent court filing from April 1st, where she was allegedly asked by McMahon to do whatever pleased Brock Lesnar via photos and video communications. Although a s*xual encounter never happened between the two of them, according to Grant, Lesnar’s name came up in the high-profile lawsuit, which may have resulted in him retiring slightly earlier than expected

#3: The Grandest Stage of Them All

Lesnar was rumoured to retire sometime this year or early next year, and there was even talk about Gunther possibly retiring him at some point. However, it’s possible that Lesnar chose the Showcase of the Immortals as his go-to for retirement. He has had memorable WrestleMania moments over the years, most notably ending The Undertaker’s undefeated streak, making it 21-1.

#4: More Time With Family 

Brock Lesnar has been a part-timer for a while now in WWE, and recently said that he got back to work so that he could feed his kids. However, that may have been a bit of hyperbole as Lesnar has made a name and fortune for himself with his time in WWE and UFC. Long weeks on the road separate wrestlers from their families for prolonged periods. It’s possible that Lesnar wanted to dial it down a bit and spend more time with his family.

#5: To Explore Other Options

Lesnar is one of the few stars that has achieved heights of success in both an entertainment sport like pro-wrestling and an actual fighting sport like MMA with UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). He has a background in college football as well. Lesnar is never shy of exploring things beyond wrestling, and he may have thought of looking at new ventures after doing it all in WWE.

Also read: Huge Backstage Update On Brock Lesnar’s Retirement After WWE WrestleMania 42 Moment

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