WWE in Talks With Brock Lesnar to Return for Live Events, Plus He Sports New Bearded Look

Martin Holmes July 12, 2021

WWE is heading back on the road this week, starting with Friday Night Smackdown, and is looking to bring back some of the company’s biggest names as live crowds make their return.

One of those stars the billion-dollar wrestling corporation is hoping to entice back is Brock Lesnar, who hasn’t appeared on WWE television since losing the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36 in April 2020. Lesnar’s contract quietly expired in the summer of 2020, and as of this moment, he has yet to sign a new deal with the company.

According to Mat Men podcast host Andrew Zarian, WWE wanted the former UFC Champion to return for its upcoming SummerSlam event at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 21. However, the two parties have been unable to come to an agreement. “I believe it was creative-wise; it just wasn’t fitting,” said Zarian.

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Despite a SummerSlam appearance seemingly off the table, Zarian was confident that Lesnar will be returning to WWE in the near future. “Financially, [WWE] want Brock to commit to live shows. They are working it out; it’s gonna happen,” he stated. “It’s not that it’s not gonna happen; it’s gonna happen unless something goes tremendously terrible, which I don’t think it will.”

If Lesnar does return to the squared circle soon, fans could be seeing him with a new look. The multi-time WWE champion recently dropped into the Bearded Butchers, a butcher shop based in Creston, Ohio, where he chopped some meat and posed for photos. As can be seen in the photos, the usually clean-cut Lesnar is sporting a goatee, perhaps to fit in with his bearded buddies.

Brock Lesnar joins the Bearded Butchers! The bonds of butchering are what brought the Beast to spend a few days honing his butchering skills as we showcased techniques and tricks for this Viking. Full video coming to YouTube so stay tuned!!! @HeymanHustle #brocklesnar #ufc #wwe pic.twitter.com/A485mPXcC1

— BeardedButcherBlend (@_Beardedbutcher) July 12, 2021

Last month, WWE icon and upcoming Peacemaker star John Cena told Jimmy Fallon that he is planning to return to WWE, though he didn’t have an exact timetable as to when. Zarian and other pro-wrestling journalists have said to expect Cena back for SummerSlam to wrestle current Universal Champion Roman Reigns in the main event.