Paul Heyman reveals if he knew Brock Lesnar was retiring at WrestleMania 42

Brock Lesnar suffered an unexpected defeat to Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42. However, what he did after his loss shocked fans and his fellow pro wrestlers even more.

Lesnar returned to WWE at the end of SummerSlam 2025 after a two-year hiatus. He continued his dominant run in the ring for months following his comeback. However, The Beast Incarnate encountered a major roadblock when Oba Femi answered his open challenge for this year’s Show of Shows.

The Ruler outclassed and humiliated the former Universal Champion on numerous occasions on the Road to ‘Mania. Fans expected Lesnar to bounce back at The Showcase of the Immortals, but he fell victim to the wrath of Femi.

Following his loss at WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar removed his gloves and boots in the ring, signaling his retirement from active competition. The move caught everyone off guard, including his longtime Advocate and real-life friend, Paul Heyman.

The Oracle looked shocked and emotional when he embraced Lesnar in the squared circle. Since then, many have been speculating whether Heyman knew that his client would hang up his boots at WrestleMania.

In a recent interview with TMZ, Heyman said he had no idea that Lesnar would ride off into the sunset after losing to The Ruler. The Vision member added that he expected The Beast to dominate WWE for many more years before his sudden retirement.

“No. If I knew he was going to retire, would I have gone on record saying he’s going to dominate for the next 15 years? I was crying. Am I that good of an actor that I can cry on cue? Not I.” [H/T: WrestleTalk]

WWE subtly confirmed Brock Lesnar’s retirement

WWE is set to host the 2026 SummerSlam Premium Live Event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 1 and August 2. Interestingly, Brock Lesnar is billed from Minneapolis in pro wrestling.

Last year, in an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Lesnar’s longtime on-screen rival, John Cena, made a huge claim about his in-ring retirement. Cena said The Beast could hang up his boots following a final match at SummerSlam in Minneapolis. Hence, many fans expected the former UFC champion to wrestle one more time following his defeat to Oba Femi.

However, WWE recently moved Brock Lesnar’s profile to the alumni section of the roster on its official website. The company usually makes such changes when a star has retired from in-ring action or left the organization. Given Heyman’s comments and the change in WWE’s roster page, The Beast might not return to the squared circle for a farewell match.

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