The August 22 edition of WWE SmackDown, broadcast from Dublin, Ireland, ended on a cliffhanger as a message from Brock Lesnar to John Cena was interrupted by an ambush from Logan Paul. In the show’s final moments, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis informed Cena, “I just heard from Brock Lesnar.” Before the message could be revealed, Paul attacked Cena backstage, leaving the contents of Lesnar’s communication unknown.
The segment builds on the renewed hostilities between Cena and Lesnar, which ignited at SummerSlam. Following Cena’s match against Cody Rhodes at the event, Lesnar made a surprise return and assaulted Cena. On the August 8 episode of SmackDown, Cena addressed the attack, stating, “Brock Lesnar just got himself a John Cena problem.”
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This developing storyline is widely expected to lead to a match at the inaugural Wrestlepalooza premium live event on September 20 in Indianapolis. The event is notable as it will be the first WWE PLE to stream on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service. A match between Cena and Lesnar is the rumored main event for the show.
A potential match at Wrestlepalooza would be the latest encounter in a rivalry that dates back to their original WWE debuts. Their history includes a brutal match at Extreme Rules in 2012, which marked Lesnar’s return to the company. Their most memorable encounter occurred at SummerSlam in 2014, where Lesnar defeated Cena in a dominant performance to win the WWE Championship.
While the focus has been on Lesnar, Logan Paul’s attack positions him as an immediate obstacle for Cena. Earlier in the broadcast, Cena and Paul engaged in a promo battle, indicating that The Maverick is a primary focus for the 17-time World Champion during his current retirement tour.
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