Brock Lesnar Destroys John Cena in ESPN Wrestlepalooza Debut: A Crushing Blow to the Retirement Tour

On a night that was supposed to showcase WWE’s big debut on ESPN, the story quickly shifted from corporate celebration to heartbreak. John Cena, the face of WWE for two decades and currently on his highly publicized retirement tour, was mercilessly dismantled by Brock Lesnar in a match that has already become infamous among fans.

The bout, headlining Wrestlepalooza, will be remembered not for pageantry or nostalgia, but for sheer brutality. And for Cena, it may stand as the lowest point of his farewell year.

Lesnar’s Dominance Across Three Decades

For years, the rivalry between Brock Lesnar and John Cena has symbolized two opposing forces in WWE. Cena, the company’s golden boy, built his career on resilience, charisma, and never giving up. Lesnar, the “Beast Incarnate,” has built his legend on raw power, intimidation, and destruction.

Saturday night’s encounter wasn’t just another chapter — it was a definitive statement. With his victory, Lesnar can now claim to have beaten Cena in three separate decades: the 2000s, the 2010s, and now the 2020s. Few rivalries in wrestling history can boast that kind of longevity, and none with such one-sided brutality in their latest chapter.

Seven F5s and a Shattered Crowd

From the opening bell, Lesnar imposed his will. Cena tried to rally the crowd with his trademark offense, but each flurry was cut short by the former UFC champion’s ferocity.

The climax came in a sequence that stunned the arena. Lesnar delivered one F5 after another — seven in total — as the audience gasped in disbelief. By the fourth, fans were begging for mercy. By the seventh, Cena lay motionless, unable to muster even a hint of a comeback.

The devastation was so complete that reports surfaced of children in the audience crying — some of whom had cheered alongside Cena during his entrance, waving signs and chanting his name. Instead of a triumphant chapter in the farewell tour, they witnessed their hero demolished in front of them.

A Debut That Backfired

WWE had hoped Wrestlepalooza’s ESPN debut would legitimize its brand further in mainstream sports. But instead of generating buzz around Cena’s retirement or crowning a new hero, the company left fans deflated.

“This was supposed to be a celebration,” one backstage insider admitted. “Instead, it felt like a funeral for John Cena’s legacy.”

The optics were hard to ignore. Cena, whose career has been built on being “Super Cena” — the man who always finds a way to rise above — was given no chance here. The one-sided destruction left fans questioning whether WWE sacrificed too much in pursuit of Lesnar’s aura of dominance.

The Retirement Tour in Jeopardy

For Cena, who has announced that 2025 will mark his final year as an in-ring performer, the match is a significant setback. His retirement tour was intended to be a celebration of his contributions, with nostalgia-filled moments, heartfelt farewells, and competitive showcases against legendary opponents.

Instead, Saturday’s humiliation risks overshadowing the entire run. While fans expect losses on a farewell tour, they also expect dignity. This was not dignity — it was annihilation.

If WWE does not carefully recalibrate its booking, Cena’s farewell could become defined not by his legendary resilience, but by his destruction at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

The One Path Forward

So what comes next? Fans and analysts agree that WWE must make this right. That doesn’t necessarily mean Cena has to beat Lesnar in a rematch, but the company must craft a narrative that allows Cena to regain his heroic stature before his career ends.

Options include pairing Cena with a younger star he can mentor and elevate, giving him a meaningful redemption story, or positioning him in a marquee farewell match against a different legendary opponent. Without such a storyline adjustment, Wrestlepalooza risks being remembered not for WWE’s ESPN debut, but for humiliating the very man whose career helped bring wrestling to the mainstream.

Legacy at Stake

For Brock Lesnar, Saturday night only adds to his mythos. He has now established himself as one of the few men in wrestling history to defeat John Cena decisively across three decades. His reputation as WWE’s most dominant force remains intact, even enhanced.

For John Cena, however, the picture is murkier. His legacy as one of wrestling’s greatest icons is secure, but the optics of his retirement tour matter. Fans don’t just want to remember him as a champion; they want to remember him as the indomitable fighter who always got back up.

On Saturday night, for the first time in a long time, Cena couldn’t.

The Bottom Line

WWE’s ESPN debut should have been a triumph. Instead, it turned into a spectacle that left fans disheartened, children in tears, and John Cena flat on his back. Brock Lesnar’s dominance was undeniable, but the cost may be Cena’s farewell narrative — and WWE’s credibility with a fan base that wanted to celebrate their hero, not mourn his defeat.

Unless WWE finds a way to repair the damage, Wrestlepalooza will be remembered not as a milestone moment for the company, but as the night John Cena’s retirement tour fell apart.