John Cena Loses Big Time as Brock Lesnar Destroys Him After SummerSlam Defeat to Roman Reigns

(Photo : Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - John Cena attends the Warner Bros. premiere of "The Suicide Squad" at Regency Village Theatre on August 02, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

John Cena's bid to become a WWE champion for a record 17th time ended in disappointment on Saturday as Roman Reigns successfully defended his Universal title in their much-anticipated showdown at SummerSlam. Reigns ended the match with a thunderous spear, but his celebration was cut short by rival Brock Lesnar, who made a shock return in front of a packed crowd at Allegiant Stadium.

The bearded Lesnar, now sporting a ponytail, confronted Reigns inside the ring after his victory over Cena, forcing the reigning WWE Universal champion to retreat. It is the second consecutive event that another wrestler has stolen reigns' thunder following a momentous win.

Reigns edges past Cena in the title clash

Last month, Reigns defeated Edge to retain his WWE title at Money in the Bank, but John Cena stole the show when he made his first pro wrestling appearance since Wrestlemania 36 in April 2020. Upon his return to the WWE, Cena immediately took shots on Reigns, saying that the Head of the Table "sucked," and he was not deserving of top star status and being the face of the company.

Their title showdown on Saturday started slowly, with Reigns getting the slight advantage in the early exchanges. Cena fought back, though, connecting with a desperate clothesline and setting up his signature offense with a pair of shoulder tackles. Reigns regained control with a guillotine, but Cena managed to turn the tables again, putting the champ in trouble with a lethal combination of Five-Knuckle Shuffle and an Attitude Adjustment.

CENA PUTS ROMAN THROUGH THE TABLE 💥

(via @WWE)pic.twitter.com/iFGDIrE815
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 22, 2021

After Reigns survived a close two-count, the action spilled to the outside of the ring, with Cena continuing his assault with an Attitude Adjustment on Reigns into the commentary table. Reigns survived yet again, and the momentum swung in his favor when he caught Cena and powerbombed him before delivering a Superman punch.

Double black eye for Cena as Lesnar destroys him after loss to Reigns

Reigns failed to finish Cena, though, as he messed up his flying spear attempt, crashing into the corner, resulting in another Attitude Adjustment for the 16-time world champion. Reigns managed to kick out and eventually punished Cena for his missed chances. When he landed a lethal combination of two Superman punches and a spear on Cena, he delivered the killer blow.

Brock Lesner suplexed John Cena after his loss to Roman Reigns last night 😬

(via @AndrewZarian)pic.twitter.com/HutAOCqxbN
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 22, 2021

Lesnar made sure Reigns' celebration was short-lived, though, with his late cameo appearance. Reigns avoided the skirmish by forcing Lesnar to unleash his rage on a helpless Cena. After the SummerSlam broadcast went off the air, Lesnar wreaked havoc on Cena, taking down the former WWE champ with his German suplex and patented F5.