There are matches, and then there are Brock Lesnar matches. The sense of legitimate, unpredictable danger that Lesnar brings to the squared circle is a rare commodity, and it’s a feeling that even a 16-time world champion like John Cena is being cautioned against as he heads into their final encounter at Wrestlepalooza on September 20.
The most chilling warning came from a fellow legend who knows the peril firsthand. Speaking on the September 8 edition of RAW Recap, WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio gave a sobering assessment of what Cena is about to face, based on his own in-ring experience with the Beast.
“Brock [Lesnar] is a different beast, though. Godd—n. Brock is–he doesn’t care if you’re on your way out or if you came in or if you’re John Cena or whoever it is that you are,” Mysterio told hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant. “Brock is from another planet! I honestly did not realize I was scared of Brock until I stepped in the ring with him for the first time.” (h/t TJR Wrestling)
Mysterio’s words serve as a heavy backdrop to a rivalry that was violently reignited at SummerSlam. After a two-year absence, Lesnar returned to level Cena with an F5. He repeated the assault on the September 5 episode of SmackDown, hitting both Cena and United States Champion Sami Zayn with his finisher to make his intentions clear for the upcoming PLE in Indianapolis.
What was meant to be a celebrated retirement tour for John Cena has now hit its most dangerous roadblock. With this final chapter against Lesnar, the narrative has shifted from one of legacy to one of survival.