Triple H 'Thrilled' Brock Lesnar Returned at WWE SummerSlam and Explains ESPN Deal

WWE Hall of Famer and head of creative Triple H appeared on ESPN's Get Up on Wednesday to discuss several topics, including Brock Lesnar's return and WWE's new premium live event partnership with ESPN.

Speaking to ESPN's Peter Schrager on Get Up, Triple H said he is "thrilled" to have Lesnar back in the fold, adding, "We hit him up and said, 'Time to come home.' He was into it and here we are. A massive, massive moment for our WWE fans, something that they thought they wouldn't get to see, and making a statement with John Cena."

On Night 2 of SummerSlam on Sunday night, Cody Rhodes beat Cena in the main event to win the WWE Championship. As fans were showing their appreciation for Cena during the aftermath, Lesnar's music shockingly hit, and he made his way to the ring to take out Cena with an F-5.

It marked Lesnar's first appearance on WWE programming since SummerSlam 2023, ending a hiatus that was brought on primarily by Lesnar's name being mentioned in a lawsuit against WWE.

Former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against WWE and former WWE chairman Vince McMahon in January 2024, alleging that McMahon took advantage of her through sex trafficking.

While Lesnar wasn't listed as a defendant, he was named in the lawsuit multiple times. Grant alleged that McMahon offered sexual favors from her to Lesnar as part of contract negotiations.

Grant said in the lawsuit that while she and Lesnar never had a sexual encounter in person, McMahon had her make "personalized sexual content" for Lesnar.

As a result, there was plenty of controversy behind the decision to have Lesnar make his WWE return, but it appears the company is moving forward with a huge rivalry between Lesnar and Cena, as Cena nears the end of his illustrious pro wrestling career this year.

On Wednesday, ESPN and WWE announced a new partnership that will see WWE premium live events stream on ESPN's new streaming service starting in 2026.

Triple H said that he and WWE President Nick Khan have privately believed for "a long time" that ESPN is the "right home" for WWE PLEs, adding: "It's incredible. For what we consider to be the worldwide leader in sports entertainment to be with the worldwide leader of sports and entertainment ESPN, there's nothing bigger. ... On top of that, to be in the Disney family so to speak, we're thrilled and can't wait to get rolling."

Per CNBC's Alex Sherman, WWE and ESPN reached a five-year deal worth $325 million annually for the exclusive domestic streaming rights to WWE PLEs, meaning WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble and other major events will be available only on the ESPN streaming platform in the United States.

The ESPN streaming service is set to launch on Aug. 21 with a monthly subscription service fee of $29.99.