Add as a preferred source on Google Michael Hayes’ role at WWE Wrestlepalooza extended beyond producing the Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena match. Season 3 of WWE: Unreal revealed that Hayes was one of the key figures behind the decision to book the bout as a dominant performance for The Beast Incarnate.
The match took place on September 20, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and opened the first WWE premium live event to air on ESPN in the United States. According to Fightful Select, Hayes served as the match’s producer, while Cena was directly involved in laying out the finish.
The goal was to rebuild Lesnar immediately following his return to the company. Cena explained that a loss like that wouldn’t hurt his image since he was in the final months of his career, and Lesnar needed to be fully built back up so his momentum could eventually be passed on to other talent.
In the ring, Lesnar kicked out of three Attitude Adjustments, answered with a string of F-5s, and won in under nine minutes. After the pinfall, he attacked referee Dan Engler and delivered another F-5 to Cena.
The negative fan reaction, though, had consequences. Cena acknowledged on WWE: Unreal that the audience was upset with the storyline, which contributed to Drew McIntyre being pulled from his plans. AJ Styles ended up taking the spot at the event in Perth after WWE recognized the strong demand for that matchup.
The plan Hayes and Cena had laid out played out clearly months later. Lesnar put his rebuilt credibility behind Oba Femi’s rise, as Femi defeated him at WrestleMania 42. Their rivalry continued at Clash in Italy and is set for another chapter at SummerSlam, inside Hell in a Cell.