Brock Lesnar reveals how Oba Femi made him realize he had to retire from WWE
· Yahoo Sports
Brock Lesnar confirmed what many had suspected after his SummerSlam main event loss to Oba Femi.
Lesnar ended what had been a two-decade-long career in professional wrestling with the third match of his trilogy with Oba Femi this weekend.
Visit sportbet.rodeo for more information.
Locked inside Hell in a Cell, a stipulation Lesnar had been undefeated in across his career, Lesnar lost to the Ruler and followed it up by calling himself the past and dubbing Femi the future.
Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty ImagesBrock Lesnar confirms WWE retirement on Pat McAfee Show
In a rare interview on the Pat McAfee Show, Brock Lesnar confirmed that his match with Oba Femi at SummerSlam was his final outing as a wrestler.
Lesnar noted that the final bump he took from Femi on the superstar’s Fall From Grace powerbomb at WrestleMania 42 was the sign he needed to walk away from the sport.
“I’m here today to do this interview, to let the world and everybody know that I am retired. I wanted to say a big thank you to everybody. Saturday was a very emotional day for me. It was kinda weird.
“My heart, when Oba Femi slammed me at WrestleMania, I was like, ‘I can’t do this again. I think I’m done.’ I still had fuel in the tank.
“But Saturday, for Brock Lesnar, that’s it for me in the squared circle and everything else, too. I just want to give a big shoutout to everybody on this universe that has followed me since I was a little kid all the way till Saturday.
“I was just a farm kid from South Dakota with a big dream and a big heart and a big-a– chip on my shoulder.
“I’m just grateful to be 49 years old and to be able to do what I did in this lifetime. I thank god and everybody that supported me.”
Brock Lesnar leaves combat sports as one of the most decorated athletes of all time
Lesnar’s foray into combat sports began at an early age, when he was recruited to the University of Minnesota on a wrestling scholarship after two years at a junior college.
Lesnar would manage to win the NCAA heavyweight championship as a senior, which caught the eye of WWE talent scouts, who promptly signed him to a developmental contract.
Sent to WWE’s then-development system, Ohio Valley Wrestling, Lesnar would be the standout prospect out of the fabled ‘Class of 2002.’
The ‘Class of 2002’ featured several prospects that went on to become huge WWE Superstars, like John Cena, Dave Bautista, Randy Orton, and Shelton Benjamin.
Upon making his WWE debut in 2002, Lesnar catapulted to the top, becoming the youngest WWE champion at the time by defeating The Rock.
However, two years later, after frustration with the company’s gruelling schedule, Lesnar left WWE to pursue an NFL career, even making the Minnesota Vikings’ practice team.
His NFL venture didn’t pan out the way he had hoped, and after a brief excursion with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Lesnar committed himself to MMA, signing with the UFC in 2007.
Despite only fighting in the UFC for four years, Lesnar cemented himself as one of the all-time great heavyweight wrestlers, even winning the UFC heavyweight championship.
After a bout with diverticulitis seemingly ended his UFC career, Lesnar returned to WWE on a limited-date schedule, where he racked up several accolades.
While Lesnar won numerous world championships and main-evented multiple WrestleManias, no accolade ranks higher than him ending the Undertaker’s 21-0 undefeated streak at WrestleMania 30.
In 2024, many felt Lesnar’s WWE career came to an abrupt end, as his name being mentioned in the Vince McMahon lawsuit led to him being removed from television and on-screen references to him coming to an end.
But Lesnar would return at last year’s SummerSlam event and attack John Cena, embarking on his own one-year retirement tour.
Read more: