John Cena is set to face Brock Lesnar in a marquee match at WrestlePalooza, but not everyone is sold on the buildup. Veteran wrestling figure Vince Russo has criticized the booking, arguing that the match rests on shaky creative ground.
The bout is positioned as a centerpiece of Cena’s farewell tour. On Raw this past Monday, Cena addressed the crowd with emotion, admitting the fear of stepping into the ring with Lesnar but promising to deliver the fight fans expect. Lesnar, meanwhile, made his own statement on SmackDown last week, dropping R-Truth with a crushing F-5 instead of speaking.
WWE has promoted the clash as a dramatic final chapter, but Russo believes the narrative doesn’t hold up. Speaking on his Writing with Russo podcast, he expressed frustration with how the match has been presented.
“None of this stuff has been set up. Like none of it has been set up properly,” Russo said. “Like if Cena is gonna beat Brock, Brock would need an out but in order for Brock to need an out there would have had to been some kind of storyline prior, which there isn’t. So none of this like, none of this has been set up. So I swear man, when you ask me that, I don’t know.”
His criticism cuts to the core of the issue: without a storyline foundation, a decisive finish for either man risks feeling unearned. As Cena prepares for one of his final headline matches this Saturday, the question looms whether the spectacle alone can carry the weight of a rivalry that, in Russo’s eyes, lacks the narrative support it needs.