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Brock Lesnar's Travel Plans Fuel Speculation Ahead Of WWE SmackDown In Chicago

The Beast may be on his way to Chicago ahead of Friday's episode of WWE SmackDown from the Allstate Arena.
Rick Ucchino|
WWE

WWE appears to be loading up the September 5 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

The show will emanate from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois with John Cena already scheduled to appear in the Windy City for the final time in his career. Moreover, CM Punk has heavily indicated that he will be in attendance, with the expectation that his wife, AJ Lee, will also be making her long-awaited return to the company on this episode of the Blue Brand. 

Now, another major name is reportedly on their way to Chicago ahead of the show, and it's none other than Brock Lesnar.

"Fightful Select has learned that Brock Lesnar has been scheduled to travel to Chicago this week. Friday's episode of Smackdown emanates from Chicago, and sources in WWE that we spoke to said that he was discussed as a possibility for the show," Sean Ross Sapp reported Thursday afternoon.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, WWE uploaded John Cena versus Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship from Backlash 2003, in its entirety, to the company's YouTube Channel earlier in the day on Thursday.

MORE: WWE May Have Spoiled AJ Lee's Upcoming Return

It's been rumored for weeks that these two longtime rivals will have one more match against each other before Cena retires in December.

"According to WrestleVotes, it's slated to be John Cena's last Smackdown," Ross Sapp added in his report. "The two are scheduled to compete against one another at WWE WrestlePalooza on September 20, although it [hasn't been] announced."

Brock Lesnar & John Cena
Brock Lesnar & John Cena | WWE

The Beast made his shocking return to WWE at SummerSlam when he attacked Cena mere moments after he lost the WWE Championship back to Cody Rhodes, but Lesnar has not been seen on television since.

If Lesnar and Cena are going to face each other at WWE Wrestlepalooza, they only have Friday's episode of SmackDown from Chicago and the September 15 edition of Monday Night Raw from Springfield, Massachusetts to feature both stars ahead of that Premium Live Event.

Those are the only two dates left on John Cena's very limited calendar ahead of Wrestlepalooza, which WWE is said to be intentionally loading up as it will be the first to be streamed on ESPN DTC.

WWE Wrestlepalooza Card (announced):

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IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer | WWE

IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the vacated Women's World Championship

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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