WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night One has gone down in the history books as one of the best premium live events of this year. There were multiple jaw-dropping moments throughout the show, starting with Liv Morgan successfully making the first Women’s World Title defense of her current reign.
The Bella Twins turned heel on Paige after losing the match to the Fatal Influence stable. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk’s high-profile clash also ended controversially after Randy Orton made his shocking return and RKO’d The American Nightmare. Taking advantage of this, The Second City Saint captured a big victory and retained the title.
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The main event of SummerSlam 2026 Night One featured the trilogy bout between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, this time inside a Hell in a Cell structure. Both Brock and Oba delivered a classic performance, with The Beast Incarnate starting strong, returning to his familiar game plan of sending his opponent to Suplex City. However, The Ruler came prepared, weathering the storm and making a comeback later in the match.
Things took an ugly turn as Lesnar tore up the ring canvas, hit Femi with a Tombstone Piledriver on the exposed boards, and used The Undertaker’s signature pinning pose on him in an apparent tribute to the Deadman.
However, multiple F5s, a Tombstone Piledriver, and several suplexes failed to keep The Ruler down. He recovered, hit Lesnar with his signature Fall from Grace powerbomb, and pinned him to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Following the match, Lesnar showed respect to Femi and seemingly passed the torch, embracing him and telling fans that he was past and The Ruler was future.
Here we take a look at three reasons why Brock Lesnar may have turned babyface after the WWE SummerSlam loss:
#3. Kicking off his retirement tour
On the upcoming episode of Monday Night RAW, Brock Lesnar could appear alongside Paul Heyman and cut a rare babyface promo, where he could finally open up about his true feelings that he had always hidden behind his monstrous persona and announce his own retirement tour, which would end at WrestleMania 43.
Brock showcased a vulnerable side at WrestleMania 42, and WWE could capitalize on it by booking a potentially lucrative retirement tour for a babyface Lesnar, giving fans an entirely different side of The Beast Incarnate.
WWE did a similar experiment with John Cena when they turned him a heel after more than two decades as a babyface. Triple H could try a similar approach with Brock Lesnar by presenting him as a full-fledged babyface again.
#2 To save his WWE heel character
Brock Lesnar’s Beast Incarnate persona has made him one of the most vicious heels in professional wrestling. He has achieved great success with the iconic character.
However, tonight at the Biggest Party of the Summer, Lesnar was once again destroyed by former WWE NXT Champion Oba Femi. The Beast Incarnate may have intentionally shown a softer side to preserve that aura of his dominant heel persona rather than continuing to use it in defeat.
Lesnar might retire the heel version of The Beast Incarnate and adopt a more fan-friendly character, potentially becoming a long-term ambassador for the Stamford-based promotion, following in the footsteps of The Undertaker and John Cena.
#1 A feud awaiting against a top WWE heel
A match between Brock Lesnar and former World Heavyweight Champion Gunther has long been considered a dream bout, but it has never come to fruition.
The Ring General defeated Nick Aldis in a singles match at SummerSlam 2026 Night One and has built a reputation for defeating legends in their retirement matches, having beaten Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles.
WWE could put him against Lesnar next. To set up that feud, Triple H may have presented Lesnar as a babyface opposite the firmly established heel Gunther.
A feud between babyface Brock Lesnar and Gunther would be a treat for WWE fans.
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Edited by Shardul Sant