The WWE is an entertainment company. It’s the world’s largest entertainment brand in its own industry. Professional wrestling has never been bigger or more profitable than today because of the business model, reach, and impact that the WWE has built over the last half-century.
This weekend, the WWE put on its first-ever two-night SummerSlam event: twelve total matches over two nights in a near-sold-out MetLife Stadium. Between the body slams and theatrics, the result was a massive win for the WWE. Big business matched with headlines that captured the sports world. Jason Barrett said it best in his column on Monday—professional wrestling is now a part of mainstream sports media.
Through all the memories made this weekend, one stuck out over them all: the return of Brock Lesnar, and the end of WWE holding post-event media scrums. In the age of Unreal, where kayfabe is real life, why are so many irate over a scripted and planned-out press conference?
For those not in the loop, let me set the scene.
Why Is It Important To Know Brock Lesnar’s History
Brock Lesnar is a WWE superstar and a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He’s been on (and off) the WWE roster since his debut in 2002. Lesnar has not appeared on WWE programming since 2023, when he lost to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam that year. The reason why wasn’t necessarily in the storyline.
In January 2024, a former WWE employee named Janel Grant sued WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, alleging the wrestling company’s founder took part in sex trafficking and put her through sexual acts that were done with “extreme cruelty and degradation.”
Lesnar is mentioned in the lawsuit as someone McMahon offered sexual encounters to with Grant. Hence why Brock has been missing in action, and McMahon is no longer part of the WWE.
With that background and Grant’s lawsuit still in the court system, it was odd to see Lesnar’s appearance at this weekend’s SummerSlam. The Grant case wasn’t resolved, and Brock’s name had not been reportedly cleared of any wrongdoing.
What’s even more odd is the WWE decided not to hold a post-event press conference that they have done following every premium live event for at least the last two years.
Was this just a matter of timing? Was this planned all along?
This left many on social media puzzled, confused, and very upset. Why would the WWE decide to change course now—especially with a return of this magnitude to the public eye?
Monday, a spokesperson for Janel Grant said this was the WWE attempting to sweep Lesnar’s alleged conduct “under the rug.”
As a frequent viewer of the WWE product, did I find the timing of this decision to be questionable? Yes, I did.
Press Conference or Scene Setter?
However, the post-show press conferences were not designed for hard-hitting questions from real journalists. They were filled with headlines celebrating the success of the event: record attendance, record gate, record social media interactions, etc.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s job is to celebrate the highlights as the content creator that he is. His job is to pivot into storyline without revealing the secret sauce—to provide a ruse while noting the accomplishments of his staff and roster of superstars.
There was one time when Levesque was asked about the allegations in the Grant lawsuit, and he declined to answer, instead choosing to focus on the event and its positives.
Why would last night have been any different?
The WWE is not one to shy away from controversy. They create it for effect.
The WWE is also not shy about speaking with media. They are extremely active, with wrestlers being provided for traditional and non-traditional sports and media outlets all the time. You can’t go a day without seeing something WWE-related on your social media feed or YouTube.
As an entertainment company, you get to choose how you entertain your audience. If the press conferences didn’t provide any additional entertainment from the media who attended, why keep it?
I watched many of those press conferences. There wasn’t much besides attempts to dive into the reasoning of the storyline and favorite foods from the cities that hosted the premium live events.
Are You Not Entertained?
The WWE had to clear Lesnar’s return from Levesque to those higher on the payroll than him. The WWE doesn’t execute anything without proper vetting and preparation. They don’t work day-to-day, as WWE: Unreal has exposed. The WWE works months in advance.
To think the WWE didn’t expect the controversy over ending the press conferences is laughable.
Will Brock Lesnar’s return hurt the business of the WWE? The company is already selling shirts that say “The Beast is Back.”
There has already been outrage over the decision to not share the reason for Lesnar’s return, but at its core, the WWE is an entertainment company. Brock Lesnar is an entertainer who works for the WWE. Brock Lesnar takes orders on the creative story that he’s involved in.
The WWE doesn’t have to tell you why. They just hope you enjoy the story, because it now has your attention. If Seth Rollins faking a knee injury for a month wasn’t evidence enough that sports media can be played like a fiddle, maybe Brock Lesnar’s return to the WWE is just the next fool’s gold for sports media to label Unreal.
It all could just be part of the script.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
