At WWE SummerSlam 2026, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi will lock horns in a Hell in a Cell match. The Beast Incarnate attacked the Nigerian star after the Clash in Italy, setting the stage for this rubber match.
Recent reports disclosed that the company originally planned a match between Gunther and Brock Lesnar at the Biggest Party of the Summer. Those plans eventually changed, leading to a major shift in WWE’s creative direction.
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“GUNTHER was supposed to face Brock at SummerSlam, and GUNTHER was supposed to face Roman in the late spring/early summer. For whatever reason, that got changed, so that switched up a lot of creative.”
For a long time, Gunther and Lesnar have been a dream feud for many fans, especially after the former Imperium leader retired Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles.
In this article, we will discuss three possible reasons why the Stamford-based promotion canceled the planned Brock Lesnar vs. Gunther bout for SummerSlam this year.
#3. Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi had unfinished business
Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi’s feud started at WrestleMania 42, where the Mayor of Suplex City defeated The Beast. Following this, Lesnar came out of retirement and attacked the former NXT Champion, leading to a rematch between them at Clash in Italy.
In the rematch, Brock finally conquered The Ruler and picked up the victory. However, Femi didn’t stop calling Lesnar out. After weeks of repeated call-outs, the veteran finally returned, resulting in this Hell in a Cell match.
With their unfinished business still unresolved, Lesnar and Femi’s rivalry could be a major reason why WWE canceled the planned Brock Lesnar vs. Gunther match for SummerSlam.
#2. Saving it for next year’s WrestleMania
Next year, WrestleMania 43 will take place live from Saudi Arabia. Usually, WWE books gigantic matches for international shows, and when it’s WrestleMania, the card is expected to be even more stacked.
There is a possibility that the sports entertainment juggernaut is saving the long-awaited Gunther vs. Brock Lesnar showdown for next year’s Show of Shows. This could be one of the major reasons why the company decided to cancel the match at SummerSlam 2026.
#1. WWE doesn’t see Gunther as a main event star anymore
After WrestleMania 42, the company booked Gunther in the Undisputed WWE Championship picture. However, the former Imperium leader failed multiple times to capture the title on SmackDown.
Even at Night of Champions 2026, Sami Zayn emerged victorious in the Triple Threat Match, while Gunther once again failed to do so. This booking suggests that WWE may no longer view the 38-year-old star as a main-event player in the promotion.
This could be one of the reasons why the company dropped the idea of booking Brock Lesnar vs. The Ring General for the Biggest Party of the Summer. Last year, the former World Heavyweight Champion had strong momentum.
Since AJ Styles’ retirement, that momentum has seemingly declined with each passing month.
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Edited by Angana Roy