Brock Lesnar announced on Tuesday that he is retiring from professional wrestling. The declaration came days after his loss to Oba Femi in a Hell in a Cell match at SummerSlam.
"I’m here today to do this interview to let the world and everybody know that I am retired and I wanted to say a big thank you to everybody," Lesnar said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "Saturday was a very emotional day for me and kinda weird because I did … when Oba Femi slammed me at WrestleMania, I was like, I can’t do this again. I lost, I think I’m done."
Lesnar indicated that despite feeling he might be finished after a previous encounter with Femi, he still had "some fuel in the tank." However, he stated that his match on Saturday marked the end of his in-ring career. "But the business and I still had some fuel in the tank but Saturday for Brock Lesnar – that’s it. That’s it for me in the squared circle and for everything else."
Following the SummerSlam match, Lesnar appeared to acknowledge Femi as the future of WWE, raising his hand and leaving the ring with visible emotion. Lesnar reflected on his journey, saying, "I was just a farm kid from South Dakota with big dreams and a big heart and a big a-- chip on my shoulder. I’m just grateful. Grateful to be 49 years old and to have to be able to do what I did in this lifetime, I think God and everyone that supported me."
This is not the first time Lesnar has signaled retirement. He previously left his wrestling boots in the ring after losing to Femi at WrestleMania 42 in April. However, he later returned to challenge Femi again, defeating him at Clash in Italy.
Lesnar retires as a 10-time WWE champion and a two-time Royal Rumble winner. His career is also noted for his role in establishing Oba Femi as a top star within the company.