Cody Rhodes Breaks Silence On Brock Lesnar’s WWE Return

Brock Lesnar made a stunning return after a two-year absence on August 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on SummerSlam night two.

The Beast shocked the audience by attacking John Cena moments after Cena lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes, setting up what promises to be a heated rivalry once again.

Brock Lesnar was named in the sexual abuse and trafficking lawsuit filed by Janel Grant against WWE and former chairman Vince McMahon. The suit alleges that McMahon arranged for Lesnar to receive explicit content as an incentive to re-sign with WWE in 2021.

Lesnar faced significant backlash and was distanced from WWE programming during the legal proceedings, though he was not a listed defendant. Despite this controversy, Brock Lesnar was cleared to return in the weeks before SummerSlam 2025.

Cody Rhodes: “Brock Lesnar Fits Right In With the Direction That WWE Is Going”

Cody Rhodes commented on Brock Lesnar’s return in a recent ESPN interview.

When asked about how he felt about Lesnar’s return, he emphasized Lesnar’s unique athletic pedigree, highlighting that Lesnar’s strong sports skills match WWE’s goal of combining real athleticism with entertaining storytelling. Therefore, The Beast Incarnate perfectly fits WWE’s evolving entertainment model that values both the spectacle and the credibility of sport.

“Brock, in terms of athleticism, one of the things — we held tryouts going into SummerSlam weekend and you have so many NIL athletes and so many people coming from the world of sport. Tiffany Stratton is a great example, someone on our roster now who came from the world of sport and has grown into becoming a professional wrestler and part of sports entertainment. Brock is somebody who is a NCAA Champion, UFC Heavyweight Champion, he fits right in with the direction that WWE is going in terms of sport meeting entertainment,” said Rhodes. [H/T Fightful]