WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025: John Cena vs Brock Lesnar clash ends in brutal outcome as winner emerges battered

The highly-anticipated showdown between John Cena and Brock Lesnar at WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025 lived up to its billing, delivering one of the most ruthless encounters of the night. Fans witnessed a brutal battle that left one competitor standing tall, while the other walked away battered and bruised.

Lesnar’s return sets the stage

The animosity between the two WWE icons had been building ever since Lesnar’s shocking return at SummerSlam 2025, where he delivered a devastating F5 to Cena. From that moment, it was clear the two were destined to collide. The Beast continued his rampage in the weeks leading up to Wrestlepalooza, even taking out WWE commentators Michael Cole and Corey Graves on Friday Night SmackDown.

With tensions at their peak, the clash was set to ignite as Wrestlepalooza opened with John Cena vs Brock Lesnar in a surprising decision by WWE.

Paul Heyman makes a stunning interruption

As the match was about to begin, the arena was shaken by the sudden appearance of Lesnar’s former advocate, Paul Heyman. Cutting off the announcer, Heyman electrified the crowd with his signature introduction: “MY NAME IS PAUL HEYMAN…” — a throwback that added even more intensity to the night.

Heyman’s presence fueled the energy inside the stadium, signaling that Brock Lesnar was prepared to unleash his full brutality on Cena.

A brutal contest from start to finish

From the opening bell, Lesnar dominated John Cena with a flurry of suplexes, tossing the 16-time world champion around the ring in trademark Beast fashion. Cena, however, showed resilience as only he can, mounting a comeback and landing three back-to-back Attitude Adjustments (AAs) that nearly secured him the victory.

But Lesnar’s power proved too much as he fought back while Cena attempted five knuckle shuffle. The Beast countered with multiple F5s, leaving Cena struggling to stand. The referee’s three-count confirmed Lesnar as the victor, but the carnage didn’t stop there.

Aftermath leaves fans stunned

In a shocking post-match sequence, Lesnar delivered yet another F5 to Cena, before turning his rage on the official with a thunderous F5 of his own. The assault left the arena stunned, with many of Cena’s youngest fans in tears as their hero was carried out bruised and battered.

The outcome cemented Brock Lesnar’s dominance upon his return, leaving the WWE Universe questioning what comes next for both him and John Cena.