WWE

Brock Lesnar's Travel Plans Fuel Speculation Ahead Of WWE SmackDown In Chicago

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Rick Ucchino | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 5:16 PM ET

WWE appears to be loading up the September 5 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

The show will emanate from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois with John Cena already scheduled to appear in the Windy City for the final time in his career. Moreover, CM Punk has heavily indicated that he will be in attendance, with the expectation that his wife, AJ Lee, will also be making her long-awaited return to the company on this episode of the Blue Brand.

Now, another major name is reportedly on their way to Chicago ahead of the show, and it's none other than Brock Lesnar.

"Fightful Select has learned that Brock Lesnar has been scheduled to travel to Chicago this week. Friday's episode of Smackdown emanates from Chicago, and sources in WWE that we spoke to said that he was discussed as a possibility for the show," Sean Ross Sapp reported Thursday afternoon.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, WWE uploaded John Cena versus Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship from Backlash 2003, in its entirety, to the company's YouTube Channel earlier in the day on Thursday.

It's been rumored for weeks that these two longtime rivals will have one more match against each other before Cena retires in December.

"According to WrestleVotes, it's slated to be John Cena's last Smackdown," Ross Sapp added in his report. "The two are scheduled to compete against one another at WWE WrestlePalooza on September 20, although it [hasn't been] announced."

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The Beast made his shocking return to WWE at SummerSlam when he attacked Cena mere moments after he lost the WWE Championship back to Cody Rhodes, but Lesnar has not been seen on television since.

If Lesnar and Cena are going to face each other at WWE Wrestlepalooza, they only have Friday's episode of SmackDown from Chicago and the September 15 edition of Monday Night Raw from Springfield, Massachusetts to feature both stars ahead of that Premium Live Event.

Those are the only two dates left on John Cena's very limited calendar ahead of Wrestlepalooza, which WWE is said to be intentionally loading up as it will be the first to be streamed on ESPN DTC.