Ranking Seth Rollins Injury Ruse, Brock Lesnar Return Among Most Shocking WWE Moments
The 2025 edition of WWE SummerSlam produced unforgettable moments, with the closing moments of Saturday and Sunday's shows dropping jaws and creating buzz for the pro wrestling giant.
Seth Rollins successfully cashed in Money in the Bank against CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship after feigning a knee injury, and Brock Lesnar returned to the shock of the fans and laid out longtime rival John Cena with an F-5.
They were the latest in a long line of surprises perpetrated in the Triple H era of WWE that have caught fans and insiders alike off-guard.
Where do those two show-ending exclamation points rank among the most shocking moments of WWE's last 10 years?
Find out in this countdown.
10. Damian Priest Cashes In (WrestleMania 40)
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Entering WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, only one Money in the Bank cash-in had occurred previously on the grandest stage: Seth Rollins' epic heist that concluded the 31st annual extravaganza.
Enter Damian Priest, who seized his opportunity moments after CM Punk brutalized new world champion Drew McIntyre as part of their heated rivalry, and cashed in his guaranteed opportunity to win the gold.
It was an unforgettable moment that got the second night of the event off to a red-hot start and elevated The Archer of Infamy's star in the company.
Cash-ins had happened before, many of them special in their own way, but there is something special about one that takes place on wrestling's biggest night that sets it apart from others, as Priest and the WWE fans discovered in 2024.
9. He's Here (Extreme Rules 2022)
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Bray Wyatt was released from WWE in July 2021 amid creative frustrations. It was, at the time, one of the most puzzling firings in company history, especially considering the stature of his character on the company's programming.
When Triple H took control of creative following Vince McMahon's first retirement and began reintroducing Superstars who had been part of those mass roster cuts, most expected it was only a matter of time before Wyatt would come home.
He did just that on October 8, 2022 at Extreme Rules as part of the culmination of social media, QR code-based mystery. Fans spent weeks hurtling down online rabbit holes, piecing together hints and clues ahead of the event.
Then, in the closing moments of the PLE, the character from the Firefly Fun House came to life, appearing at different spots in the audience before Wyatt stepped through the door and announced, "I'm here."
Shock dominated in the stands, as fans welcomed back one of the most captivating and popular stars of his era.
Wyatt died less than a year later, but his legacy of unforgettable moments, including his Extreme Rules return, will live on in the hearts and minds of fans.
8. The Hardy Boyz Return (WrestleMania 33)
3 of 10An oddly booked Triple Threat ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championship was set to feature The OC, Enzo Amore and Big Cass, and Cesaro and Sheamus before hosts The New Day sauntered out on stage and announced that the contest would now be a Fatal 4-Way.
Speculation entering the event had Matt and Jeff Hardy finally making their long-awaited returns to WWE, but no pre-show buzz could cover for the enormous pop that greeted the brothers when they made their way to the ring.
The crowd in Orlando, Florida was elated, thrilled at the idea of seeing the legendary tag team back. The support of the fans fueled Matt and Jeff Hardy to another tag team title reign when they outlasted their opponents and secured the win.
7. Ruse of the Century (SummerSlam 2025)
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POST Wrestling's John Pollock revealed the knee injury suffered by Seth Rollins on the July 12 Saturday Night's Main Event was, indeed, an angle and not legitimate.
There was plenty of skepticism, especially with Rollins appearing on crutches, hosting The Rich Eisen Show the Monday after while hurt and disappearing from WWE television.
Could it be a ruse to set up an unexpected Money in the Bank cash-in? Sure, but it had all of the trademarks of the real deal.
It was, in fact, a ruse as Rollins proved Pollock's story correct at SummerSlam, tossing aside the crutches, removing his bulky knee brace and hitting the ring to cash in on an exhausted CM Punk.
One Stomp and three seconds later, Rollins was the new world heavyweight champion.
In an era when storylines are quickly sniffed out, Rollins and WWE protected kayfabe and provided fans with another shocking twist that only served to reaffirm The Visionary's status as one of the greats of his generation.
And it legitimized Pollock's story at a time when the insider had plenty of doubters.
6. Rated-R Return (Royal Rumble 2020)
5 of 10In 2011, Edge was informed he could never wrestle again, forced to retire due to a severe neck injury that threatened paralysis with one wrong bump.
A Hall of Fame career cut short, fans became attuned to the idea of The Rated-R Superstar only returning for one-off cameos and Cutting Edge interview segments.
Then came the 2020 Royal Rumble, where the former WWE and world heavyweight champion exploded through the curtain at No. 21 and drew one of the most natural eruptions from a crowd ever.
Once believed to be done as an active in-ring competitor, Edge was back and ready to compete for the right to headline WrestleMania 36 later that year.
While that did not happen, there was no denying the impact of his return. It was as powerful a moment as any on this list and easily one of the best returns in WWE history.
5. The Prodigal Son Comes Home (2016)
6 of 10In a desire to forge his own path and career, Shane McMahon departed WWE in 2009 and did not appear on TV or at any major events for the company for seven years.
Then, on the February 16, 2016 episode of Raw, The Prodigal Son returned to a deafening ovation from fans as they celebrated his return.
The former European champion confronted father Vince and sister Stephanie, igniting the latest chapter of McMahon family drama and setting up a date with The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania 32.
While McMahon would go on to take an almost too predominant position on WWE television over the next three years, there is no denying how much energy his initial return brought to a product that badly needed it during that mid-2010s range.
4. The Beast Is Back (SummerSlam 2025)
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Brock Lesnar had not been seen on WWE television since his defeat at the hands of Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam in 2023.
The 48-year-old was named in the federal lawsuit brought by former WWE employee Janel Grant against the company and former executive Vince McMahon. Though Lesnar was not a defendant in the case, it seemed unlikely he would return to the promotion.
In the closing moments of SummerSlam, though, Lesnar stepped through the curtain to the surprise of every fan, headed to the squared circle and laid out John Cena with an F-5.
The moment shocked the wrestling world, led to plenty of social media opinions and generated buzz coming out of the second-most important show on the WWE calendar.
While there was no follow-up on Raw, the return would suggest Lesnar and Cena are destined to clash as part of the latter's retirement tour. What is for certain, though, is that in an era of closely guarded surprises, none was more so than this unforeseen comeback.
3. Cody Rhodes Returns (WrestleMania 38)
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In 2016, Cody Rhodes left WWE to embark on his own path to superstardom.
He worked the independents, performed for Ring of Honor, TNA Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling and produced the biggest indie show in industry history alongside Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks with All In.
From there, he joined Omega, the Bucks and Tony Khan in creating All Elite Wrestling, an alternative to WWE and a destination for fans and wrestlers dismayed by the sports entertainment giant.
Rhodes smashed a Triple H-esque throne with a Triple H-esque sledgehammer at the inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, in a shot fired loudly and clearly across WWE's bow.
If there was any one wrestler for whom it appeared a WWE return would not be in the cards, it was the AEW EVP.
However, Rhodes fell out with the company he helped create. Subsequently, he left and embarked on a return to WWE as a far bigger star than he ever was in his first run with the promotion.
Rhodes ascended from the stage at WrestleMania 38 to the surprise of the fans, his presentation not dissimilar to that of his AEW one, just bigger and with more pyrotechnics.
A packed AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas greeted him with a thunderous ovation that proved Rhodes had accomplished what he set out to do: Change the industry and become a bigger star for it.
Arguably more historic than any other moment on this list, it sparked a main event push for The American Nightmare and was the start of a new boom period for WWE.
2. John Cena's Heel Turn (Elimination Chamber 2025)
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If there was one thing that felt like a certainty in professional wrestling in 2025, it was that John Cena would never turn heel.
Long the superhero of WWE, he spent his career teaching fans the values of hustle, loyalty and respect. And amid a retirement tour, he seemed unlikely to stray from those core beliefs.
Then came Elimination Chamber in Toronto on March 1.
Before the show, The Rock had implored Cody Rhodes to sell him his soul and become his champion. It was a moral dilemma for The American Nightmare, and fans waited with bated breath for his answer.
Rhodes not-so-politely told The Final Boss "no," to no real surprise. What was shocking, though, was what came next.
The Rock, with a single throat-slashing gesture, gave the order to Cena to betray Rhodes and he did, with his trademark smile turning to a scowl before he kicked the undisputed WWE champion low and proceeded to beat him down.
The fans watched in shocked disbelief as Cena, Rock and rapper Travis Scott stood tall to close out the show, with the shape of the veteran's retirement tour changed.
History tells us the turn did not live up to expectations, thanks to a subpar follow-up, but that one moment was as shocking as any return to the company or injury comeback fans have seen since Hulk Hogan dropped the leg on Randy Savage and told his fans to "stick it."
1. Hell Freezes Over (Survivor Series 2023)
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The magnitude of CM Punk's return to WWE in November 2023 at Survivor Series is undeniable. He had a long, and sometimes unpleasant history with the company dating back to his departure in 2014.
There were several back-and-forth jabs from Punk and company officials and bad blood between him and new WWE chief content officer Triple H.
Even amid a departure from AEW that also came with plenty of controversy, the likelihood of Punk returning to the company where he enjoyed his most success appeared unlikely, if only because of the countless burned bridges along the way.
People grow and change, though, and a discussion shortly before the Survivor Series in Punk's hometown of Chicago altered the course of pro wrestling history.
Triple H, on WWE Unreal on Netflix, revealed that both he and Punk had evolved as people since their previous discussions, opening the door for them to do business.
They did just that, and business has been booming ever since Punk walked through the curtain in the closing moments of Survivor Series two years ago.
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