The Brock Lesnar Situation Explained.

Content Warning.

This article this contains references towards abuse and grooming, that some readers might find distressing, reader discretion is advised.

This Past Weekend.

Over the stretch of last weekend WWE presented its Summer opus Summerslam, which took place over two nights, Night one was a reminder of what an uneven mixbag looks like, with night 2 acting like a well run machine, with the added disclosure of be careful what you wish for. I just need to say that this isn't a Brock Lesnar hit piece. This is a look at how fans have been divided under the face of scrutiny. I'm going to delve into the why's and hows, when it comes to how we get got to this situation.

The Start.

Before we get into the serious side of things, we have to go back to when he debuted for the WWE, he made his debut on the 18th of March 2002, and from that moment he had the rocket strapped to him. The terms The Next Big Thing. Suplex City. Here Comes The Pain, and. The Beast Incarnate, were not just clever things to put on t shirts, it was a clever way of telling fans that this guy was a looming threat, it was the direction that WWE's creative was going under at the time. This was when Vince Mcmahon came into the Picture, it was known that Lesnar saw the former chairman as a mentor. I think this is were the lines could have started to get blurred.

The Threads Of Abuse.

Vince Mcmahon has been called a lot of things over the years, but his image nowadays is mered in Controversy to the worst degree. In 1985 he was accused of rape by former WWE referee Rita Chatterton, this would be a common trend for Mcmahon in  the coming decades. It was known that he didn't have the best of up bringings, from abuse in the family home, to his own dad Vince Snr not being around. I feel that this could have played a part in what was to come. This has left me with questioins when the Janelle Grant Lawsuit came about. Can the abused, become the abuser? And has Brock been groomed to think that certain behaviours are ok. This could be the routine that groomers take. The phrase I blame parents used to get thrown around, but to me this only part of the excuse, because it's the individuals that need to held accountable.

Not The First Time.

On June 8th The Wall Street Journal primarily reported findings on Vince Mcmahon, this would get picked up by the New York Magazine on the 26th of January 2024, this would contain allegations surrounding hush money pay outs, and Sexual abuse. The first accounts that echoed throughout the Summer of 2022, saw Vince Retire in disgrace, only to come back in January of 2023, this was to facilitate the sale of WWE to Endeavour, this would come to completion as 2023 rolled on, as the WWE merged with the UFC to form TKO, a mega force in Combat Sports. On the 25th of January 2024 the Janelle Grant Lawsuit was filed in the United States District of Connecticut, this detailed years of abuse, as the suit was directed at Vince Mcmahon. John Laurenitis, and WWE, on the grounds of Sexual Abuse, and Sex Trafficking, and harbouring a toxic work envirioment. The document resulted in 68 pages detailing what Grant went through, and as the pages got worse, you could see the parental pattern come to light. The documents also detailed times when Vince would traffic Janelle to resign a former UFC Champion, who the WWE were trying to resign. The filing was later amended to name Brock Lesnar 44 times. Back in 2021 an episode from season 3 of Darkside Of The Ring centred around what actually happened on the plane ride from hell. Ric Flair was accused of Sexual Assault, and it brought forward industry failings when it came to how wrestlers interacted with each other. Terry Runnels accused Brock of indecent exposure. She was told to not make a big deal of it, when the words don't sell it was advised to her. When you balance all of these things together, it paints a picture of a situation, in which the attitudes of men needed to be a lot more sympathetic towards those who just wanted the situation that they were to stop.

TKO.

Flash forward to the Summer of 2025. In the aftermath of Summerslam. John and Cody had finished, and as the dust was settling Brock's theme could be heard echoing around Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. In the Stadium this was met with a huge pop, however the online community told a different story. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I felt unsettled, and I had every right to be. In the aftermath I googled whether this was a TKO move, and as it turned out TKO was rumoured that he on was a band list. This was loosely mentioned by Dave Meltzer, and told as truth by former UFC Fighter Daniel Cormier. So this means that it was a WWE call. I feel that this was a complete mis step, and a bad look. I have friends who have gone through these issues, so if someone like me felt unsettled, then I can't imagine how they must've felt, because like me they're Pro Wrestling fans.

Don't Shame Fans.

In the aftermath of Brocks return I looked into the legal side of this case, and I was feeling bemused. WWE's legal team cleared Brock to return, this is due to the fact that WWE think that this case could be going in the direction of arbortration, which means that both parties can't meet in the middle. I can see things from both sides. Janelle Grant has done nothing wrong, so taking this case to the public is a way of saying that she has nothing to hide, whilst WWE wanting  to keep this private, this could be due to a mariad of reasons, mainly the protection of their brand, that was tainted by the old regime. As the days went by. I started to research this. I was met with everything from. Tone Deaf responses, to overblown merchandising. I'm not going to tell people how they should feel about this. I can only state my own opinion. So if fans want to buy Brock Lesnar merch, then that's their right, and it's not up to anyone to say otherwise. My main inspiration for writing this piece, was on Monday their was lot's of misinformation going around on X, and I don't think that's right, because that can be damaging when it comes to public perception. The only thing I can say is this. We have our own thoughts on this subject. I just think Brocks return has a nasty asterix against it, that has made me feel unsettled.

If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this article here in the UK you can call Rape Crisis on 0808 500 222, and if worried about the safety of a child you call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 these lines are available from Monday to Friday.