Brock Lesnar’s career officially came to an end after he lost to Oba Femi in the Hell in a Cell Match at WWE SummerSlam. Lesnar announced his retirement on The Pat McAfee Show, which WWE later confirmed, bringing his 24-year pro wrestling career to a close.
The farewell helped establish Femi as one of the top names of the new generation. However, it also closed the door forever on three major matches that WWE had let slip away over the years.
3 – Jacob Fatu
Jacob Fatu would have been the most unpredictable opponent on this list. The Samoan Werewolf has already shown, through his rivalries with Roman Reigns and the current war involving The Bloodline, that he can be a destructive force without needing a championship.
His combination of strength, speed and aerial offense would have forced Lesnar out of his usual match formula. A victory over The Beast also would have elevated Fatu to another level, especially after his losses to Reigns in 2026.
2 – Bron Breakker
Bron Breakker seemed tailor-made to face Brock Lesnar. Both have amateur wrestling backgrounds, explosive athleticism and characters built around a handful of high-impact moves.
WWE put them on the same team in the 2025 WarGames Match, both aligned with Paul Heyman, but never turned that connection into a rivalry. The path was already there: Breakker could have grown frustrated with living in the shadow of Heyman’s top client and defeated Lesnar to take that spot.
Breakker’s current program with Oba Femi shows that the company views him as part of its next wave of elite heavyweights.
1 – Gunther
Gunther is the most obvious name and also the biggest missed opportunity. The Austrian himself called Lesnar a dream match for years, while rumors about the match surfaced periodically over the years.
Their confrontation in the 2023 Royal Rumble raised expectations even further. Their styles also matched up well: Gunther’s physical brutality against Lesnar’s explosiveness and legitimate combat experience.
After ending the careers of Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles, Gunther could have capped off his run as the Career Killer by defeating the biggest opponent possible. Lesnar’s retirement has made that match impossible now.