WrestleMania 41 is around the corner and WWE has started its promotions through videos, banners etc., While the inclusion of some stars creates the perfect hype for the most awaited event of the year , the exclusions of former legends is always a talking point. This year the victim is WWE legend and an Iconic figure when talked about WrestleMania stage - Brock Lesnar.
Brock was brutally snubbed by WWE in the company's latest hype video. Despite his significant history with Roman Reigns on the grandest stage of them all, Lesnar is practically invisible in a new promotional package highlighting Reigns’ decade-long dominance in WrestleMania main events.
Roman Reigns' WrestleMania Legacy Gets Spotlighted
With a video that commemorates Roman Reigns' road to his tenth WrestleMania main event, Reigns is now popularly referred to as “The Tribal Chief.” He has previously main-evented WrestleMania nine times, three of which were against Brock Lesnar. Though fleeting moments in the footage depict Lesnar as Reigns' chief antagonist, front-row appearances for others such as Triple H, The Undertaker, and Cody Rhodes are prolonged.
Exclusion in Relation to Ongoing Legal Controversies
Lesnar, in a way, was relegated to second place due to a situation still weighing heavily in the legal air regarding Vince McMahon, former WWE Chairman. Early in 2024, Lesnar was named as a defendant in a high-profile lawsuit by another former WWE employee, Janel Grant. The suit contains serious allegations, which WWE has slowly and quietly begun to distance itself from Lesnar, at least publicly and privately.
Hence, Lesnar's face has been erased from more promotional materials that WWE has since used as a springboard to showcase other talent in a build-up to WrestleMania season.
When Were Reigns and Lesnar at WrestleMania?
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar have crossed paths at WrestleMania three times.
- WrestleMania 31 (2015): The two battled for the WWE Championship at Levi's Stadium in San Francisco. While Lesnar and Reigns put on a hard-hitting match, neither man walked out the champion. In what is still called "the heist of the century," Seth Rollins famously cashed in his Money in the Bank contract midway through the match and stole the title from both.
- WrestleMania 34 (2018): Their rematch took place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. This time, Lesnar retained the title of Universal Champion in a brutal fight against Reigns.
- WrestleMania 38 (2022): The last time they fought at WrestleMania was at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This "Winner Takes All" main event unified the WWE and Universal titles, which went to Reigns as the new Undisputed Champion.
Lesnar Mentioned on SmackDown but Not Seen
In an interesting twist, Lesnar was mentioned in a recent WWE SmackDown segment. In making his case toward John Cena for WrestleMania 41, Cody Rhodes used past opponents like Lesnar as part of his journey. Yet, visually, Lesnar remains out of WWE's content, signaling that they are treading lightly.
WWE Quietly Moving On From Brock Lesnar
Once one of WWE’s most dominant and highest-paid performers, Brock Lesnar now finds himself in an uncertain position. With the company steering clear of his image amid serious allegations, fans shouldn’t expect to see him — either in person or in archived footage — for the foreseeable future.