Fans were caught off guard when Corey Graves took not one, but two F5s from Brock Lesnar on the September 19 episode of WWE SmackDown.
For many, the moment raised serious concern given Graves’ well-documented history of concussions that led to his early in-ring retirement. But here’s what a lot of viewers might not know—Corey Graves has been medically cleared for physicality since 2022.
The spot wasn’t as shocking as it seemed once you look back at a 2022 interview Graves did with TMZ Sports, where he confirmed that he had quietly gone through the medical process and received clearance to compete again.
“I went and spent some time with doctors middle of last year. I kinda got the itch. This is one of the first times I’m saying this publicly. I have been medically cleared to compete,” Graves said at the time. “It’s not an immediate goal of mine… but never say never. You can never take the wrestler out of my heart.”
That clears up the confusion over why Graves was able to take such a hard bump from Brock Lesnar, especially given how serious his previous health issues were. While he hasn’t officially returned to in-ring competition, his bump on SmackDown was well within safe parameters—and might even serve as a teaser for something more down the line.
The segment itself saw Michael Cole nearly get thrown like a rag doll before Graves stepped in, only to get flattened twice by Lesnar. Fans in the arena chanted “one more time” as Lesnar shouted into the camera, declaring war on John Cena ahead of their match at WrestlePalooza.
Graves was never supposed to be just a commentator forever—and even if this was just a one-night moment, it proves the door is still open.
Do you want to see Corey Graves return to the ring full-time? Or was this a one-off surprise best left at that? Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know where you think this is headed.
September 19, 2025 8:32 pm
