Brock Lesnar Explains Why He Came Out Of Retirement For WWE Return In 2021

In an appearance on The Michael Kay Show, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar revealed that he had originally not planned for this current run in WWE to occur.

Apparently, Lesnar had decided to retire following his WrestleMania 36 defeat to Drew McIntyre. Originally wanting to retire when he was forty, the then forty-three-year-old Lesnar felt the match with McIntyre, and the environment it took place in, allowed him to come full circle and thus walk away.

"When I was younger I thought 'ah, I'll want to retire when I'm 40,'" Lesnar said. "I actually retired when COVID hit and my contract was up in 2020, I think. So full circle Brock Lesnar story; I had my first pro wrestling match in Hamel, Minnesota in a garage in front of no people. And 20 years later, in the WWE Heavyweight Champion of the world, had my last wrestling match in a warehouse in front of no people. So 20 years, full cycle, full revolution. And I'm like 'alright, cool, I'm out.'"

Brock Lesnar would later change his mind on retirement, returning to wrestling and WWE at SummerSlam 2021 to confront Roman Reigns. When asked what caused him to have a change of heart, Lesnar's answer was simple.

"Cha-Ching," Lesnar said.

When Brock Lesnar returned to WWE this time around, he did so with a new look of a long beard and a ponytail. He explained the reasoning behind the appearance change.

"My whole life I've been wearing a flat top," Lesnar said. "You know, crew cut. I grew my beard out. I had one beard when I fought in the UFC, but I said 'I'm just, I'm just gonna let it all go.' And then last summer before any of this evolved, like, it was so hot. I'm like 'I'm gonna cut my hair.'

"So my kids cut my hair and then they were like 'I'm gonna give you a mohawk.' And then they go 'I bet you won't wear a ponytail.' I was like 'I'm not gonna lose a bet to my kid.' So I wore this, this look that I got. And it wasn't like a mastermind of nothing. It was a joke. Here I am. Brock Lesnar, the biga– joke."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Michael Kay Show and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription