Conflicting Reports Emerge On The John Cena vs Brock Lesnar Finish at WWE Wrestlepalooza

The opening match at WWE Wrestlepalooza this past Saturday left many people puzzled.
In his first match back in over two years, Brock Lesnar dominated John Cena over the course of eight minutes and soundly defeated him after delivering six consecutive F-5's.
The decision to essentially squash the Greatest of All-Time, especially with his retirement date so close, was made all the more confusing when a report surfaced this week that Cena was actually scheduled to go over in the match as of the morning of the show.
The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer is now refuting that report in his latest Friday newsletter.
“Lesnar was not brought back to lose his first match. There are always discussions and the idea may have been broached for Cena to win, as most expected, but it was never a serious discussion or ever the planned finish.”
As far as the rationale behind having Brock look so dominant in his final meeting with Cena, Meltzer said it was more about what that result could potentially do for a younger talent down the line.
“The match was all about making Lesnar as strong as possible, getting a last match with Cena, and the feeling Cena more than anyone, is bullet proof no matter what they do with him. They are spending a ton to get Lesnar and the idea is to make him a monster and have someone slay the monster."
Bron Breakker could potentially face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42

Meltzer mentioned Jacob Fatu or Bron Breakker, who is rumored to be in contention to face Brock in Las Vegas next April, as two superstars who could really benefit from handing Lesnar the first loss of his latest run with WWE.
He also noted that The Beast could be put in a spot to challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at some point in the near future.
Following his loss to Lesnar, John Cena is moving on very quickly. He's set to wrestle AJ Styles at WWE Crown Jewel on October 11, which will leave him with just four dates and four potential final opponents before he retires in December.
His retirement match will reportedly take place at Saturday Night's Main Event in Washington D.C. on December 13. There's been no word on whom he'll face that night in the Nation's Capital. A rematch with Lesnar is said to not be in the works, as of this writing.
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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