The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar is scheduled for Monday’s WWE RAW from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA. However, he won’t be alone. Lesnar will be be joined by his Advocate, Paul Heyman, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.
Heyman will be on hand to promote Lesnar’s SummerSlam match against Randy Orton 3 weeks from tonight. As noted last week, WWE is now advertising Lesnar for the 8/15 episode of RAW, just days before the match.
Join us here throughout SummerSlam weekend for our in-person coverage from Brooklyn, New York.
– In addition to appearing on RAW this coming Monday from Atlanta, Brock Lesnar is now also confirmed for the August 15th episode from Corpus Christi, TX, the “go-home” show before SummerSlam.
– Former NXT Champions American Alpha will debut on SmackDown next week:
– The new WWE SmackDown theme song is called “Take a Chance” by CFO$. It can be heard in the new SmackDown intro video, seen below:
WWE has now confirmed earlier reports that the company will not be taking disciplinary action against Brock Lesnar as a result of him failing two US Anti-Doping Agency drug tests prior to UFC 200.
A spokesperson issued the the following statement to TMZ on Tuesday, noting that Lesnar is not a full-time WWE performer and as a result, is not subject to the wellness policy:
“WWE’s talent wellness program does not apply to part-time performers such as Brock Lesnar.”
Lesnar reportedly tested positive for an estrogen-blocker, a substance that would typically result in a suspension for WWE Superstars.
WWE has announced that Brock Lesnar will make his return next week when Monday Night RAW emanates from Atlanta, GA. This will be Lesnar’s first appearance since UFC 200 and the subsequent USADA drug test violations.
Lesnar will be there to promote his upcoming match against Randy Orton at SummerSlam on August 21st.
As seen in the videos below, Randy Orton returned to WWE TV at Battleground tonight for a Highlight Reel segment with Chris Jericho.
Orton had been away for more than 9 months with a shoulder injury. He will return to the ring at SummerSlam next month. A new promo for his match against Brock Lesnar can be seen above.
During a promo tonight at Battleground, Orton referenced Lesnar’s failed UFC 200 drug tests. After teasing a RKO to Lesnar in their match, Orton said: “No enhancement needed.”
Tuesday’s WWE Draft saw Brock Lesnar drafted to RAW in the second round (#8 overall), but original plans called for The Beast to be the first overall pick. The idea was to draft Lesnar at #1 to capitalize on his win over Mark Hunt at UFC 200 and the mainstream publicity that came along with it.
Then news broke that Lesnar had been notified of a potential USADA violation. Earlier this week, USADA announced that Lesnar failed a second drug test, conducted the day of his UFC 200 fight. WWE “no sold” the news, continued to promote his match against Randy Orton at SummerSlam and still included him in the draft.
Lesnar being drafted at #8 instead of #1 did not change any major plans in terms of which Superstars would go to RAW or SmackDown. Had Lesnar gone at #1, WWE Champion Dean Ambrose would have been #2 (SmackDown), followed by Seth Rollins (RAW) and John Cena (SmackDown).
Despite failing two US Anti-Doping Agency drug tests over the past month, WWE is reportedly not planning to suspend Brock Lesnar, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.
Earlier this week, Los Angeles Times writer Lance Pugmire reported that Lesnar tested positive for estrogen blocker Clomiphene, a substance banned by not only UFC – but also WWE’s talent wellness policy.
Lesnar returns to action against Randy Orton at WWE SummerSlam on 8/21. WWE promoted the match on RAW, even after word broke that Lesnar had failed a second USADA test.
John Cena was the guest on Jonathan Coachman’s weekly ESPN segment last night and was asked directly about Brock Lesnar failing two USADA drug tests prior to UFC 200. Cena said:
“Well, there was certainly a lot of hype. I was actually on SportsCenter hyping that fight myself. My thoughts were in Brock Lesnar’s corner, as he was put as the underdog in that fight, and he ended up doing well.
Anytime something like that comes out, it certainly affects your perception of the event. There’s no way that people aren’t going to perceive Brock Lesnar differently, and when something like this happens, you set yourself a long, hard road ahead of you, and Brock’s got a long, hard road ahead of him.”
News broke on Tuesday afternoon that Brock Lesnar failed a second USADA drug test, this one “in competition” and conducted July 9th, the day of UFC 200.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reports the drug Lesnar was flagged for is Clomiphene, an estrogen blocker used to increase testosterone production while cycling off steroids. USADA confirmed this week that Lesnar failed both tests for the same banned substance.
This is the same substance former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested positive for.
There’s a detailed post on Reddit/r/MMA about Clomiphene, which gets into further detail about what the drug does and why/when it’s used by bodybuilders and fighters.
What doesn’t bode well for his match at SummerSlam is the fact that use of Clomiphene violates WWE’s Wellness Policy. SummerSlam takes place Sunday, August 21st, so if he does get suspended for 30 days, WWE would have to act almost immediately in order for him to be back in time for his match against Randy Orton.
Here’s the latest on Brock Lesnar being flagged for a potential USADA violation stemming from his fight at UFC 200 back on July 9th. The news comes courtesy of Wrestling Observer Radio – visit f4wonline.com for subscription information.
– Whether or not Brock Lesnar wrestles Randy Orton at SummerSlam as scheduled will be almost entirely up to WWE. Depending on what substance Lesnar tested positive for, he could be facing up to a 2 year suspension from MMA in Nevada. This is unlikely to affect him appearing at SummerSlam because New York State does not license pro wrestlers individually, they license wrestling promoters. Since he’s not licensed as a pro wrestler, in theory he could still perform.
– The drug Lesnar was flagged for will be made public during his hearings in Nevada. There is a rumor going around that he got in trouble for using an inhaler, but that’s nothing more than speculation at this point.
– Lesnar passed the first 5 USADA tests and failed the sixth. Since that 6th test that turned up hot, he was tested two additional times and those results are still pending.
– Lesnar had been advertised for Tuesday’s WWE Draft edition of SmackDown, but has been pulled from that show. Dave Meltzer noted that him being pulled from the show is not related to the USADA news and is probably because WWE didn’t want to burn one of his dates by having him just stand on the stage as part of the Draft.
In a brief statement provided exclusively to The Associated Press, Lesnar said, “We will get to the bottom of this.”
The Associated Press also received copies of three letters from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to Lesnar informing the fighter that he had passed tests on three samples submitted over a nine-day period in mid-June.
Having lost to Lesnar at UFC 200, Hunt said he has asked UFC President Dana White for half of Lesnar’s record $2.5 million guaranteed purse or to be released from his contract effective immediately.
“They say they are trying to clean up the sport, but it doesn’t feel like it,” Hunt told MarkHunt.TV. “The UFC is basically saying if you cheat you won’t be penalized.”
He continued, “This is the third time I’ve had to fight a cheater in my career. The other two times I didn’t ask for compensation, but this is the third time and I’m sick of them getting away with cheating. I’ve told Dana that I want a release from the UFC if they don’t sort this out.”
Brock Lesnar has not performed for WWE since WrestleMania and is not scheduled to return until Sunday, Aug. 21.
While it remains unclear whether WWE will discipline Lesnar, their statement indicates that he is still scheduled to face Randy Orton at SummerSlam on August 21 in Brooklyn, New York.
Lesnar made a successful return to MMA on July 9 at UFC 200, defeating Mark Hunt by unanimous decision. The results of the sampling were received by the USADA on Thursday.
WWE Superstar and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar has been informed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on June 28, 2016.
The UFC announced the following Friday night on its official website:
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Brock Lesnar of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 28, 2016. USADA received the testing results from the June 28, 2016 sample collection from the WADA-accredited UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory on the evening of July 14, 2016.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. The Nevada State Athletic Commission also retains jurisdiction over this matter as the sample collection was performed in close proximity to Lesnar’s bout at UFC 200 in Las Vegas.
Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
This news comes six days after Lesnar made a successful return to MMA at UFC 200, defeating Mark Hunt by unanimous decision.
Triple H recently did an interview with ESPN where Brock Lesnar was a big topic of discussion. Despite Stephanie McMahon saying that WWE didn’t necessarily “support” Brock’s return to UFC, Triple H seemed to indicate that he thought the crossover was a good thing for WWE.
“It’s huge,” Triple H said of Lesnar’s UFC return. “I think any time that you can have a WWE performer that can cross over into something else and have that kind of a night or a performance, whether that’s making a movie or television show or competing in the UFC, that’s huge. To me, it speaks to the amazing athlete that Brock Lesnar is.”
The Game continued to put over Lesnar’s athletic abilities. He says that Lesnar, who is featured on the cover of WWE 2K17, amazed him with his ability to get back into MMA at “such an elite level” and be that dominant.
“We have said it a million times about Brock but I think it’s worth repeating. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime athlete that comes along and is just — you can see it when you look at him,” Triple H said. “Guys don’t come along that quick, that big, that fast, that aggressive and with that mentality. He is a once-in-a-lifetime combat athlete. Certainly he helps UFC, banking on Brock Lesnar’s name in the very beginning of him becoming a UFC star and showing his dominance in it. And now it’s the same thing, back and forth. They benefit from it, we benefit from it and it has been great. My hat’s off to Brock, he’s an amazing, amazing athlete.”
You can read The Game’s entire interview with ESPN here.
Brock Lesnar is still under a contract with UFC, according to MMAFighting.com, as confirmed by UFC officials. As a result, Lesnar will continue to be drug tested by the US Anti-Doping Agency as part of UFC’s anti-doping policy. A USADA spokesperson confirmed that Lesnar will be tested until he informs the body that he is retired from UFC competition.
UFC rules stipulate that fighters must inform the promotion 4 months in advance if they plan on coming out of retirement, so they can be placed into the testing pool. In a move that caused some controversy, the rule was waived for Lesnar’s UFC 200 return. Lesnar was tested 6 times in the 4 weeks leading up to the fight but he was not required to do the 4 months of testing. UFC provided the exemption because Lesnar didn’t retire while USADA was in charge of UFC’s anti-doping policy, and because a long period of time had passed since Lesnar stepped away from the sport. UFC treated esnar Las if he were a new athlete that just signed.
No word yet on Lesnar’s UFC future but Dana White confirmed that his Octagon future is up to Vince McMahon and WWE due to the contract Lesnar has with them. Lesnar returns to the ring for WWE against Randy Orton at SummerSlam on 8/21 in Brooklyn.
Now that we’re a few days removed from this past weekend’s UFC 200 pay-per-view, here are some more notes related to Brock Lesnar’s return to the Octagon:
– Brock Lesnar is set to make between $5.5 million and $8 million total for his UFC 200 win over Mark Hunt once all sponsorship and pay-per-view bonuses are factored in. As noted earlier, Lesnar’s $2.5 million downside guarantee was the highest fight purse in UFC history by a long show. (via Wrestling Observer Radio)
– Regarding Lensar’s future with UFC, Dana White is on record saying the decision will be left to Vince McMahon since Brock is still under WWE contract. With Lesnar picking up the win and UFC 200 expected to do huge numbers at the box office, its very likely Lesnar will fight again.
– Following his win over #8 ranked heavyweight Mark Hunt, Lesnar is now holds the #8 rank in UFC.
– Rue-Morgue.com reports that filming has wrapped on horror-action movie “Mohawk” in upstate NY. The movie features WWE Superstar Luke Harper, billed under his real name – John Huber. Harper, who has been out of action with a leg injury, commented on how filming the movie was an incredible physical challenge for him:
“This state park where we’ve been shooting is freaking beautiful, but running around and crossing cricks and running up hills and navigating logs and stuff like that has not been the best times for the leg [laughs]. But I’ve survived.”
– Paul Heyman tweeted this exclusive photo of Brock Lesnar following his UFC 200 victory over Mark Hunt on Saturday:
– The Dudleyz had fans talking on social media this weekend with the following photo, which responds to the “Lives Matter” discussion going on around the country:
– Join us later tonight for the final set of WWE Main Event and SmackDown tapings from the Van Del Arena in Grand Rapids, MI. SmackDown goes live next Tuesday night on USA. Tonight’s show will feature MizTV with Darren Young and Bob Backlund, plus appearances by Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Kevin Owens.
– The planned documentary feature for WWE’s “Brock Lesnar: Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat.” DVD and Blu-ray that comes out 10/11 has been nixed. There will still be new video packaged included in between featured matches, which could end up being documentary-like chapters. This is a recent change as multiple scheduled drafts had the full documentary listed, according to WrestlingDVDNetwork.com.
– Dolph Ziggler will be inducted into the Kent State University Athletics Hall of Fame for his amateur wrestling accolades at the school. The ceremony for the 38th class takes place on Saturday, 9/17.
– Dusty Rhodes will be inducted by Magnum TA into the Hall of Heroes 2016 Class during the NWA Legends Fanfest weekend in Charlotte, NC on 8/5. Cody Rhodes tweeted that his mom and sister will be there for the induction.
– Paul Heyman tweeted these details on an exclusive Brock Lesnar WWE 2K17 contest with WWE Games and Game Stop. Fans can visit their local Game Stop store to take a photo with the 2K17 Lesnar standee, then tweet that out with the proper hashtags. The winner receives two WrestleMania 33 tickets, airfare & hotel, $500 spending money and more. Full details are at this link from Heyman:
– Apollo Crews and Sami Zayn fill out their WWE Cruiserweight Classic brackets in these new videos. Crews has his friend Akira Tozawa going all the way while Sami believes Kota Ibushi has the upperhand.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Daniel Cormier is a WWE fan and believes that the company should change their plans for Brock Lesnar following his UFC 200 victory over Mark Hunt.
In an interview after UFC 200, Cormier was asked about Lesnar being scheduled to face Randy Orton at SummerSlam next month. Cormier believes WWE should take advantage of Lesnar’s real-life combat abilities by making his character more unbeatable on TV. Cormier suggested that WWE pulls Lesnar from his match with Orton, and instead have him wrestle for the WWE World Heavyweight Title next month.
“They call him the Conqueror, the Beast Incarnate, you know, he can’t be beat, I’d make him more unstoppable now,” Cormier said. “Because he just did something that I’m not sure anyone else over there can do, he came over here and beat a Top 10 heavyweight. I say to hell with Randy Orton and throw the belt on [Lesnar] again, because it legitimizes him because of what he did [at UFC 200.]”
– John Cena was on SportsCenter this past weekend to promote the 2016 ESPYs on Wednesday night. Cena talked about Brock Lesnar during his appearance, and suggested that ESPN do one of their 30 For 30 documentary specials on Lesnar. Cena referred to Lesnar as the most amazing athlete he’s encountered.
– Jim Ross was also talking about Lesnar following his UFC 200 victory over Mark Hunt. In an interview with Sporting News, the WWE Hall of Fame announcer explained why he feels Lesnar is so skilled. J.R. said he feels Lesnar is “absolutely, no doubt” the greatest combat athlete ever.
“People don’t understand how unique the skillset is to be a sports entertainer. It’s a real niche world, and you got to be really skilled, have a good feel for the charisma side and the showbiz side,” Ross said. “There deal there is he’s got to look like he’s killing somebody and not even though he’s more physical than anybody on the WWE roster even in the showbiz presentation of the genre. There’s nobody probably more physical than him. And when you are one of the pro wrestlers working with him in that showbiz presentation, you got to know you better lace your boots up because it’s not going to be a ballet.”
The above video features ESPN’s Jonathan Coachman revealing comments from top WWE officials after Brock Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt at UFC 200 last night.
Vince McMahon praised Lesnar: “Brock is the most formidable combat athlete in the history of the country.”
While Triple H commented, “To come back after all this time and put on that kind of performance speaks to the once in a lifetime type of athlete that Brock is.”
– UFC President Dana White appeared on FOX Sports last night after UFC 200 and said Brock Lesnar’s future in the Octagon depends on WWE and Vince McMahon as Lesnar is still under contract to them.
– WWE posted the following after Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt last night:
LAS VEGAS — Brock Lesnar made a successful return to MMA at UFC 200, defeating Mark Hunt by unanimous decision. Despite an extended absence from the sport, Lesnar showed no signs of rust as he pressured the veteran Hunt with multiple takedowns, dominating strength, and destructive punches.
– Below are Lesnar vs. Hunt fight highlights from FOX:
On Saturday night, Brock Lesnar will be earning a healthy payday for his highly-anticipated Octagon return.
The WWE Superstar, who is fighting in what WWE has called a “one-off” match for the UFC at their landmark UFC 200 event on pay-per-view on Saturday night, will be earning a $2.5 million purse, according to veteran fight reporter Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports.
Iole did not specify whether or not Lesnar’s deal calls for a percentage of the profits generated on pay-per-view, a perk he enjoyed while fighting for the UFC in the past. The UFC financial model for fighters also generally includes a number of undisclosed bonuses, so when all is said and done, Lesnar will likely earn well beyond the reported $2.5 million figure.
It’s also worth noting that because of the unique situation of an active contracted WWE performer fighting on a major UFC pay-per-view, UFC President Dana White noted that the deal, which was negotiated between himself on the UFC side and Vince McMahon and Triple H on the WWE side, will also call for some promotion for WWE on the actual UFC 200 pay-per-view broadcast.
For live coverage of the UFC 200 pay-per-view, which is underway now, click here.