“For the people who said he is never gonna return,” the Instagram caption teased. The background image said it all. A menacing Brock Lesnar holding up two middle fingers. On August 3, the wrestling icon shocked the world. Two years after his SummerSlam 2023 appearance, Lesnar made his WWE comeback at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. On Night Two of SummerSlam, he targeted John Cena.

So wearing a Stetson hat and a new hairdo, Lesnar entered to loud cheers. “BROCK. LESNAR. IS. BACK. HERE COMES THE PAIN! 👊,” screamed WWE’s X post. However, the former UFC fighter’s return has ignited a frenzy of online debate. One discussion saw former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen weigh in on Lesnar’s comeback. The former UFC two-division title challenger recently criticized WWE for relying on the star power of icons like Lesnar. Even so, Sonnen couldn’t resist commenting on the Webster, South Dakota–born fighter’s wrestling prowess. It was something that left him feeling more than a little envious.

“Brock Lesnar is back,” began the latest episode of Chael Sonnen’s podcast. With so few voices speaking in Lesnar’s favor, Sonnen reflected on how the legend must have felt resented and why someone needed to take up the cudgels for him. “Nobody did that for Brock. Now I end up going down this Brock rabbit hole,” Sonnen said. Amid the melee of criticism and indifference, he admitted he had forgotten or perhaps never fully realized just how talented Brock Lesnar was as a wrestler.

Chael Sonnen acknowledged. Despite having better skills and putting in a great deal of hard work, he couldn’t help but feel jealous of Lesnar’s achievements. “I was always very critical of Brock and his amateur wrestling days. Now, my criticism was accurate, but it came from a jealousy. It came from a jealousy of what he achieved. I did not achieve that,” Sonnen admitted. And, he added, there were good enough reasons to feel that way.

“One of my contentions was that Brock would go into a match with a 50 lb. size advantage, and he would find himself in a two-point match,” Sonnen explained. “And I’m just looking at that and going, ‘Hey, that can’t be celebrated. There is no one else in the NCAA that could be spotted 50 lbs.‘” However, his viewpoint appears to have shifted considerably. What was once, ‘Brock is big and strong, but not that skilled,’ evolved into, ‘”This is a guy that can keep position. He tries pretty hard. His skills are very limited, but his natural advantage is tremendous.”

It’s a surprising take from someone who once recalled a tense encounter with Brock Lesnar at a NASCAR event.

Brock Lesnar’s return rocks WWE, but doubts still linger

It was a classic wrestling storytelling tactic. A surprise return that builds drama and sets up future matches. However, it doesn’t give away too much at the moment. Right after the John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes match ended and the crowd was still reacting, Brock Lesnar’s entrance music started playing. Lesnar rushed into the ring, grabbed Cena, and executed his finishing move, the ‘F-5,’ a high-impact slam.

The show ended right after that attack, leaving the audience with a shocking cliffhanger.

Sonnen’s take on the former UFC heavyweight champion’s comeback was notably different just a few days earlier. Criticizing WWE, he remarked, “We had a relic in Brock run in and squash a relic in Cena. when, at the end of the day, it’s not believable that either one of those guys could defeat in a shoot the other guys on the roster.”

Nevertheless, for now, diehard fans are likely thanking their stars as the icon makes a poignant return.

Did you catch Brock Lesnar’s latest SummerSlam appearance? What’s your take on it?