John Cena’s decisive loss to a returning Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza has sparked fan demand for a redemptive final match, but WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray contends that another encounter would be detrimental to WWE’s long-term booking. Ray argues that Cena gaining a victory over Lesnar now would be a hollow achievement, as the lopsided contest on September 20 was strategically designed to rebuild Lesnar for a different, more meaningful program.
Speaking on the Busted Open Radio podcast, Ray stated that the purpose of Lesnar’s dominant performance, which came after a two-year absence from the company, was to re-establish his kayfabe invincibility. A subsequent loss to Cena would undermine the credibility that was just built.
“It’s pro wrestling, anything can happen, but I think that if John would have faced Brock again, it doesn’t do anything for anybody,” Ray said. “Yay! John got a win. Who cares? I’d rather see John beat somebody else than beat Brock.”
The wrestling legend elaborated that Lesnar’s victory serves a greater narrative purpose. The emphatic nature of the win elevates Lesnar to a level where the superstar who eventually defeats him will receive a significant boost in status.
“Brock destroyed John already, and that was so Brock can move on,” Ray affirmed. “Somebody is going to eventually beat Brock, and it’s going to mean even more because Brock destroyed Cena.”
In fact, Ray has already proposed a specific candidate to be the face who ultimately dethrones Lesnar: a returning Gunther. He outlined a potential angle where The Ring General returns to confront The Beast Incarnate, directly connecting Cena’s sacrifice to the creation of a future main event star.
This speculation is timely, as Gunther has been off WWE programming since losing the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on August 2. Although he was sidelined with a legitimate injury that required surgery, a September 19 report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated that the former champion is “expected back very soon,” making a high-profile return angle plausible.