Brock Lesnar is one of WWE’s biggest stars, and it should come as no surprise to hear that he is one of the highest earners in the company. Lesnar made a shocking and controversial return at SummerSlam on August 3, his first appearance in two years.
The 48-year-old had spent years away from the promotion after he was named in a federal lawsuit against former WWE chairman Vince McMahon. But he is back on WWE TV, and Triple H hailed his return on the post-show saying that “the dynamic in the room changes when The Beast is here.”
How Much Does Brock Lesnar Make in WWE?
While the dynamic in the room may have changed now that Lesnar is back, his earnings from WWE remained the same during his two-year hiatus. He is reportedly the highest-paid wrestler under contract with the company, earning an estimated $5 million per year, per Sports Illustrated.
They claimed in November 2024 that despite the former 10-time world champion not making a single appearance last year, he was still making “between seven and eight figures every year”. It’s a staggering amount of money that speaks volumes about just how big a box office draw the former UFC Heavyweight Champion is.
WWE’s top brass haven’t been afraid to put their money where their mouth is since the merger with UFC under the TKO umbrella in September 2023. Another of their top stars, CM Punk, made an unlikely return just two months later, and he is reportedly earning $1.5 million per year, the ninth-highest-paid wrestler on the roster.
Lesnar will undoubtedly attract big numbers, which is what WWE want amid their deal with Netflix thought to be worth more than $5 billion. He is set for a feud with Cena, and their brawl from back in 2012 is one of WWE’s most-viewed YouTube videos, with 233 million views.
Why WWE Decided To Bring Lesnar Back
There was a collective gasp around the pro wrestling world when Lesnar’s theme music hit and he arrived on the SummerSlam entranceway, donning his now iconic cowboy hat. Nobody envisioned he’d be back on WWE TV anytime soon, not least to close out a PLE where all eyes were on how it would compare to the lacklustre finish to WrestleMania 41.
WWE has received major backlash due to Lesnar being named in the lawsuit against McMahon. But Dave Meltzer has suggested that he was cleared by the company’s lawyers because of the status of the lawsuit (via Wrestling Newsletter Observer):
“Four weeks ago, WWE legal cleared him. As far as why? I don’t know. And that’s something to speculate on…legal knows, either they’re confident that things are going to arbitration and Lesnar’s not a factor at that point, or they’re close to a settlement and then at that point Lesnar’s not a factor, or somebody there just had a change of mind. I don’t know which one of those it is.”
Triple H addressed Lesnar’s return by suggesting that Cena had picked him as one of his desired opponents on his Farewell Tour. The Beast’s last appearance on WWE TV was at SummerSlam two years ago when he lost to Cody Rhodes.
