While UFC President Dana White’s condemnation of the idea seemingly killed all hope that Brock Lesnar would be returning to WWE for a one-off appearance at this year’s WrestleMania, sources say WWE–and its chairman Vince McMahon in particular–has not yet given up on the idea.
F4WOnline.com’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter attributes the numerous Lesnar mentions on this week’s RAW to a sense of internal optimism that the deal can still be arranged. The feeling is that Vince McMahon never would have allowed for such frequent mentions of a UFC fighter unavailable for a WWE appearance if he did not believe something could be worked out.
Sources close to Lesnar say that the former WWE and UFC Champion is personally quite interested in the idea. For Lesnar, the one-time role would be a relatively risk-free way to score a multi-million dollar payday. With an autobiography due out in the second quarter of 2011, a WrestleMania appearance would also provide valuable publicity for the book.
Nonetheless, Dana White, who as Lesnar’s boss in UFC apparently holds the power of final decision, has not given any indication that he will waver on his prohibitive stance.