After getting crushed by former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 141, Brock Lesnar announced his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts.
Lesnar, a former two-time All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota, saw his name rise to prominence when he made his WWE debut in March of 2002.
Based on the fact that the former “Next Big Thing” was a huge draw as a professional wrestler, many MMA fans and analysts speculated not if Lesnar would return to the WWE, but when.
However, WWE commentator Jim Ross, who has been with the company since 1993, stated in his latest blog that he does not expect Lesnar to rejoin the premiere sports entertainment organization in 2012.
Ross first cites the fact that Lesnar hated the grueling travel and work schedule professional wrestlers endure, as well as why he is not surprised that Brock pursued a career in the UFC:
Brock dislikes, putting it mildly, traveling. Plus, he doesn’t need the money even though he’s smart enough to not turn down a big payday if the lay of the land is to his liking. That’s why the UFC thing was good for him because he could earn big money by traveling 2-3 times per year to fight.
While few expected to Lesnar to return to the ring full-time, many rationalized that the former Golden Gopher would appear at this year’s Wrestlemania, perhaps against the Undertaker.
Good ole’ JR put that rumor to bed as well, although he did not completely rule out Brock making a return in the future:
I could see Brock doing a major, one off WWE appearance a la Wrestlemania, but not this year, and doing so while not even making the live Raw events that lead into it. I could also see WWE traveling to Brock to shoot vignettes to build whatever match that he might be booked.
UFC President Dana White has already addressed the possibility of Lesnar returning to the WWE, something that he did not seem to be opposed to:
When you retire, he retires under contract. I have no idea (how long the contract is). Listen, I’ve had my moments with Brock Lesnar but I’ve had a great relationship with him and we’ll figure it out, no big deal. Never had a situation with a guy where we haven’t done the right thing (via CageSide Seats).
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