WWE Superstar John Cena, currently winding down his career with his final match this weekend, has offered unprecedented insight into the long-term creative planning for his rival, Brock Lesnar. Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Cena analyzed the creative logic behind their match earlier this year, which saw Lesnar defeat Cena decisively.
Cena explained that the goal was to use his remaining star power to position Lesnar as an insurmountable obstacle for a future star to overcome, alluding to a specific retirement location for “The Beast.” He noted that the goal was to re-establish Lesnar as a dominant force (“a mountain”) for a future star to conquer, likely in Lesnar’s home state.
“You have to figure out who gets the shine that night,” Cena explained regarding the booking. He continued: “In his return again, only my perspective, [this is an] attraction where we are going to build until he goes into the sunset, which is, I think, in Minnesota. Creatively, it’s very soon to create a mountain to climb for someone; you have to build a mountain”.
That planned career culmination appears to be SummerSlam 2026. Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Lesnar has deep roots as a former NCAA Heavyweight Champion for the University of Minnesota, is officially the host city for SummerSlam 2026, which will take place over two nights on August 1 and August 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Cena elaborated on why he was willing to take a lopsided loss to Lesnar during his farewell tour, viewing his role as a necessary step in the long-term storytelling. He stated he views himself as a “viable commodity” that could be used to heat up Lesnar for that eventual “sunset” moment.
“I’m on my way out. It’s not like it’s going to hurt me, but I’m a viable commodity, and it’s a great main event,” Cena stated. “See these two titans for the last time, and it’s okay. Sometimes your team gets blown out.”.
Cena offered nothing but the highest praise for Lesnar’s unique standing in the professional wrestling industry, calling him “the best” when asked for a one-word description. He rejected the common “once in a generation” label in favor of a more expansive description, stating, “Brock is a once in a genre. There will be one Brock Lesnar in wrestling, and that’s from like carnival time to the time we shut the lights out”. Cena emphasized that if the industry is lucky enough to find another talent like Lesnar, he hasn’t seen them yet.
