Brock Lesnar Seemingly Retires at WrestleMania 42 in Shocking Moment

It might be the end for one of the most prominent pro wrestlers of the 21st century.

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In the opening match of WrestleMania 42 Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar faced off with rookie supernova Oba Femi in a battle of the titans.

After losing a test of strength to the former NCAA shotput champion from Nigeria, Lesnar did his best to hang with the young upstart to no avail.

Lesnar hit Femi with his patented finisher move, the F5, but “The Ruler” bounced up from the move and then delivered a chokeslam to the veteran before putting him away with a ring-shattering powerbomb.

The crowd erupted at the sight of one of the most dominating wrestlers in WWE history getting put away by one of the youngest competitors on the WrestleMania roster, putting over Femi as arguably the next face of the company.

But while Femi celebrated, Lesnar lingered in the ring before breaking down in tears. The hulk of a man then took off his fighting gloves and then his wrestling boots, leaving both pairs in the ring, while hugging and walking up the ramp with longtime manager Paul Heyman.

Leaving boots in the ring is a common pro wrestling trope when a wrestler is calling it a career.

Lesnar was expected to retire in 2026, but at the upcoming SummerSlam event in his home state of Minnesota.

Yet, as it seems right now, Lesnar is finished with his time in the WWE, having put over Femi as his possible successor as the sport’s unstoppable big man.

We will keep you up to date if this story progresses.

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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 4:37 PM.