Brock Lesnar’s destructive victory over John Cena at Wrestlepalooza wasn’t just a squash—it could be the opening move in a larger plan. According to WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray, the dominant display is meant to build Lesnar into an unstoppable monster, setting the stage for one man to return as the ultimate hero: GUNTHER.
On Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray outlined a long-term booking strategy and pointed to Lesnar’s history of using his aura to elevate others.
“Look at what he did for Goldberg,” Bully said. “Hey, we might joke around about Goldberg, but Brock Lesnar let Bill Goldberg decimate him in a matter of what, 93 seconds? … It happens in the world of shock and awe, and Brock knew letting Bill do that to him would make Bill a bigger star.”
Bully envisioned a similar, even more menacing path for Lesnar’s current run. He imagined The Beast going on a rampage, destroying everyone in his path like a one-man Royal Rumble, before cutting a chilling promo:
“Brock Lesnar is destroying the entire WWE one by one by one. And then Brock sits there one day and goes, ‘Who? Who, what are you gonna do about it? Nobody can do a d–n thing about me. I’m staying as long as I want. I’ll take championships whenever I want.’”
The payoff, in Bully’s words: “And then GUNTHER’s music hits.” He believes Cena agreed to the decisive loss specifically to trigger this domino effect, setting the stage for The Ring General’s massive babyface return.
Backstage reports give further weight to the theory. Wrestlepalooza marked Lesnar’s first match in over two years, and according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the lopsided main event—lasting under ten minutes—was orchestrated by Cena himself. The 17-time world champion, currently on a farewell tour, reportedly pushed for the outcome to re-establish Lesnar as a top-tier threat for whoever comes next. Meltzer noted that while Paul “Triple H” Levesque had the final call, Cena’s desire to “create big stars” on his way out drove the decision.
While Bully Ray sees GUNTHER as the endgame, other names are being discussed for the marquee spot at WrestleMania 42. A report from Bodyslam mentions Bron Breakker as a potential opponent for Lesnar in Las Vegas. Meltzer also floated Cody Rhodes as a possible challenger to follow up on Lesnar’s demolition of Cena, whose next confirmed appearance is at Crown Jewel in Australia on October 11.
The through line in all scenarios is clear: Cena’s one-sided loss was a calculated step to position Lesnar as the ultimate final boss. Whether the conqueror turns out to be GUNTHER, Breakker, or Cody, the strategy is to use The Beast to forge a new star—one who will finally bring his reign of terror to an end.