WWE Hall of Famer JBL believes Brock Lesnar is not finished with WWE, suggesting his WrestleMania 42 retirement moment could actually be the beginning of a major storyline.
Speaking on Something To Wrestle, he called Lesnar “brilliant” and suggested the retirement angle is part of ongoing negotiations rather than a definitive end to his WWE career.
“I watched him going, Oh my god, this guy is freaking amazing, absolutely amazing. Whether it’s a negotiation technique, whether it’s part of the storyline, whether he actually is retired, whatever it is, his performance was freaking once in a lifetime. That was legendary. What he did. I thought it was just absolutely amazing.”
The former WWE Champion expressed confidence that Lesnar remains in discussions with WWE. The retirement moment at WrestleMania 42 appears to be part of a larger narrative rather than the conclusion of Lesnar’s run with the promotion.
JBL’s Take on Lesnar’s Future
JBL praised Brock Lesnar as one of the smartest and most effective negotiators he has ever seen, recalling how Lesnar strategically improved his leverage during past contract talks. He pointed to a moment when Lesnar showed up backstage at a Dana White event in Las Vegas, which “all of a sudden… got a little bit better” for him in WWE negotiations.
“Brock was the best negotiator, I think I’ve ever seen. I mean, Brock is a really smart human being. And I remember he was negotiating to come back. He flew out to Vegas, I think it was and just went backstage, just to see Dana White backstage. Just happened to be out in Vegas, where he flew on a private jet to go and go backstage.”
Unreal Negotiator
He emphasized that both Lesnar and Vince McMahon needed each other but were constantly “vying” for the best deal, calling Lesnar “an unreal negotiator.”
“All of a sudden, his negotiation got a little bit better with WWE. Brock’s a great negotiator. I mean, that’s what you do, you know, and him and Vince are on different sides of this. You know, Vince wanted Brock. Brock wanted Vince. They needed each other, but they’re both vying for they’re both negotiating with each other. Brock is an unreal negotiator.”
Lesnar has a history of sporadic WWE appearances and contract negotiations that have shaped his career trajectory. The former Universal Champion has worked under unique deals that allow him to maintain flexibility while remaining one of WWE’s biggest attractions.