Brock Lesnar Signs One-Year Deal To Return To The WWE
Brock Lesnar UFCBrock Lesnar has signed a one-year deal with the WWE. Lesnar is in Miami and expected to make a big impact at WrestleMania 28. The former UFC champion will work multiple dates and appears to truly done with the UFC.
Retirement is a funny thing in sports and rarely do athletes stay retired or who are retired. Lesnar appears to be that rare exception to the rule. After suffering a brutal loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 140, Lesnar announced his retirement from the UFC. This new WWE deal confirms that he won’t be fighting again because there is no way the UFC would have let him make this deal if there was any chance of that happening.
The rumors started swirling on Friday about Lesnar signing with the WWE. Early reports indicated that the two sides were very close to finalizing a deal to bring back the former WWE champion. Dave Meltzer at F4Wonline.com today reports that Lesnar is in Miami and the deal is likely done.
According to Meltzer, Lesnar is in Miami with a heavy security detail. Meltzer also reports that Lesnar will wrestle a somewhat regular part-time schedule. According to Meltzer, Lesnar will wrestle more than The Undertaker yet less than what Bill Goldberg did several years ago when he was a part of the WWE. In other words, Lesnar will likely appear at least once a month barring injury for the next year.
This is a huge signing for Vince McMahon. Lesnar didn’t come cheap and will probably earn more than anyone on the roster as a base salary. Lesnar is leaving MMA as the biggest draw during his prime. Lesnar made close to $6 million in 2010 at his peak in the UFC. Lesnar fought just twice in 2010 to make that money. I can’t imagine him returning to the WWE for more dates to make less, even though the two entities are completely different animals.
The expectation is that Lesnar will play a part in the finish of the Triple H vs. The Undertaker Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania XXVIII. All rumors seem to indicate that the angle will lead into a segment on RAW this Monday night which results in a Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker match being announced one year ahead of time for next year’s WrestleMania. That said, I would not be surprised to see the WWE pull some kind of a swerve now that the cat is out of the bag.