Former WWE head writer Vince Russo recently shed light on the unexpected return of Brock Lesnar to SmackDown, which saw the Beast incite chaos by attacking John Cena. This shocking moment occurred during this week’s episode of the blue brand, marking a significant shift in WWE programming.
Key Moments From SmackDown Highlighting Lesnar’s Return
The episode began with Sami Zayn launching the United States Championship Open Challenge in honor of John Cena, who accepted and engaged in the contest. However, the match ended abruptly in a no-contest when Brock Lesnar stormed the ring, delivering powerful F5 moves to both Cena and Zayn, reigniting a fierce competition between the superstars.
Influence of Scheduling and Triple H’s Booking Philosophy
On the podcast BroDown with host Mac Davis, Vince Russo attributed Lesnar’s return to the strategic decisions of WWE’s creative team, especially Triple H, who Russo referred to as “the king of pops” for his approach focused on maximizing crowd reactions. Russo emphasized that positioning Lesnar’s comeback at the start of the show and AJ Lee’s surprise appearance at the end was a deliberate tactic to counter programming competition.
Russo highlighted the impact of Friday Night Football, explaining that the WWE aimed to retain viewers against the NFL season opener featuring the Kansas City Chiefs. He said:
“I think we should start calling Triple H the king of pops. That’s exactly what Triple H is. Bro, look at the way they did it. Bring in Brock at the top, bring in AJ Lee at the bottom, because the NFL is up against us on Friday night. If there is no NFL game tonight, there is definitely no Brock on the show. There may be AJ Lee, but there’s no Brock on the show. So they made a little extra effort because they knew they were against the Kansas City Chiefs, a Friday night football game. It’s the start of the season. Everybody is gonna be watching the game.”
—Vince Russo, Former WWE Head Writer
Setting the Stage for a Wrestlepalooza Clash
This week’s SmackDown built momentum toward a highly anticipated showdown between Brock Lesnar and John Cena at the upcoming Wrestlepalooza event, scheduled to air on ESPN later this month. The confrontation promises to be a major highlight, with fans eager to see the matchups planned for the landmark occasion.
What Lies Ahead for WWE and Its Audience
As WWE balances competing sports broadcasts like Friday Night Football, strategic programming choices such as Lesnar’s SmackDown return underscore the company’s efforts to maintain viewer engagement. The upcoming Wrestlepalooza event is positioned to capitalize on this momentum, potentially delivering high-stakes matches that will shape WWE storytelling and ratings success in the weeks ahead.
