NEW YORK: One of the most dominant figures in professional wrestling, Brock Lesnar, has announced his retirement after a remarkable 26-year career that saw him become a multiple-time world champion and a global WWE icon.
Lesnar made the announcement following his defeat to rising Nigerian wrestling star Oba Femi in a brutal Hell in a Cell match at WWE’s SummerSlam event, held in Minneapolis.
The match marked what Lesnar described as his final appearance inside the wrestling ring. The veteran wrestler entered the contest with an impressive record inside the steel structure, having never previously suffered a defeat in a Hell in a Cell match. However, he was unable to overcome the challenge posed by the young and powerful Oba Femi in a hard-fought encounter.
The emotional conclusion saw Lesnar acknowledge the changing of the guard. After the match, he referred to himself as WWE’s “past” and raised Oba Femi’s hand, calling him the “future” of the company.
In a heartfelt farewell moment, Lesnar addressed fans from the ring before walking away from professional wrestling. Oba Femi was also visibly emotional during the farewell.
Later on, Lesnar officially retired from professional wrestling in an episode of The Pat McAfee Show where he thanked his fans and discussed his rise from a young boy growing up in poverty to one of the most famous wrestling stars.
“I have retired and I would like to thank everyone for their support,” Lesnar said in his discussion about his career.
He talked about his upbringing as a boy who grew up on a South Dakota farm with great ambitions and dreams of proving himself.
He announced that his time in wrestling and sports is over and that he will be concentrating on spending more time with his family and nurturing his children’s interests in sport.
