New Delhi: Multi-time world champion and combat sports icon Brock Lesnar has formally announced his retirement from professional wrestling following his defeat against rising Nigerian superstar Oba Femi at WWE’s SummerSlam event on August 1. The 49-year-old veteran confirmed his decision during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, putting an end to a decorated combat sports career that spanned professional wrestling, mixed martial arts, and collegiate athletics. Speaking on the program, Lesnar stated that his trilogy-ending Hell in a Cell match against Femi marked his final outing inside the squared circle, noting that he stepped away to focus on his family and personal life after decades of high-level competition.
The retirement brings a definitive conclusion to a fierce multi-month rivalry between the veteran and Femi that began at WrestleMania 42 in April, where Lesnar initially teased his departure by leaving his gear in the ring following a loss. Although Lesnar returned to secure a victory at Clash in Italy in May, his subsequent defeat inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam solidified his decision to step aside. Following the main event match in Minneapolis, Lesnar endorsed Femi as the future of the promotion while characterizing himself as the past, raising the young star’s hand in a symbolic passing of the torch before WWE officially moved his profile to the alumni section of its platform.
Lesnar leaves behind one of the most remarkable legacies in modern sports history, having achieved elite success across multiple disciplines. After winning the 2000 NCAA Division I national wrestling championship with the University of Minnesota, he signed with WWE and became the youngest WWE Champion in history by defeating Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in 2002. He later transitioned to mixed martial arts, capturing the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2008 in just his fourth professional fight. Upon returning to WWE in 2012, Lesnar cemented his status as a dominant force by ending The Undertaker’s 21-0 undefeated WrestleMania streak in 2014, accumulating ten WWE world championships, two Royal Rumble victories, and a Money in the Bank victory over his legendary tenure.
