WWE reporter explains why Brock Lesnar was allowed to return at SummerSlam despite 'ban list' claim

A wrestling journalist has revealed the reason why Brock Lesnar made a shocking return to WWE at SummerSlam.

Lesnar stepped foot in a WWE ring for the first time in two years following SummerSlam night two's main event between Cody Rhodes and John Cena.

'The Beast Incarnate' hit his F-5 finishing move on Cena before walking out of the ring.

Lesnar had not made a WWE appearance since he was first implicated, and later named, in Janel Grant's sex trafficking lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE. The 48-year-old is not a defendant in the case.

WWE's chief content officer, Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, addressed Lesnar's comeback from an in-ring perspective but did not address the ongoing legal matter.

Lesnar performed his iconic F-5 finishing move on Cena at SummerSlam (Image: Getty/WWE)

UFC icon Daniel Cormier claimed last month that Lesnar remained on a 'ban list' from events organised by TKO, WWE and UFC's parent company.

Over the past two years, WWE have refrained from discussing Lesnar in an official capacity, though Triple H repeatedly stated that the 10-time world champion was not gone from WWE.

He has remained part of the company's active roster and some of his previous matches have been posted on their official YouTube channel.

Why Lesnar has returned to WWE

Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, speaking on the Wrestling Observer Radio (via Daily Mail), now reports that Lesnar was cleared by WWE's legal team to return to the ring. Meltzer claims that this occurred four weeks ago.

SPORTbible have approached WWE and TKO for comment.

He was due to participate in the 2024 Royal Rumble before details of the sex trafficking lawsuit were made public, according to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp.

He was subsequently pulled from the event and all of his creative plans were scrapped.

It had been rumoured that, were he to have competed at WrestleMania 40 last year, Lesnar was planned to take on Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship.

The Austrian eventually battled Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in a critically-acclaimed Triple Threat match, which he won to retain his title.