Brock Lesnar had a close call last Friday on SmackDown in Chicago, nearly suffering an ankle injury just days before his scheduled match against John Cena. Footage that appeared online shows Lesnar seemingly tweaking his ankle as he stepped into the ring during a segment that involved both Cena and United States Champion Sami Zayn.
Despite the apparent injury, Lesnar continued with the planned angle. The incident on SmackDown saw him pull referee Dan Engler from the ring during a United States Championship match between Cena and Zayn, before hitting both competitors with his finisher, the F5.
The scare adds another layer of drama to their upcoming bout at WWE Wrestlepalooza on September 20.
That match is a key stop on John Cena’s farewell tour, who recently signaled through a social media post that he has only seven dates remaining in his career. WWE has officially billed the contest with a “One last time” stipulation, confirming it as their final singles encounter.
This feud was reignited at SummerSlam when Lesnar made his return after nearly two years to attack Cena. The Wrestlepalooza match itself was set up on the September 5th episode of SmackDown, when Lesnar’s interference in the Cena vs. Zayn title match led to him issuing the challenge backstage.
This will be the final chapter in a rivalry that spans more than a decade. Their last one-on-one match was at Night of Champions in 2014, and Lesnar currently holds a 4-2 lead in their head-to-head record.