Brock Lesnar may have brought the curtain down on his WWE in-ring career at SummerSlam, but one major match that has escaped him over the years could still provide a reason for "The Beast" to return.

A new report has shed more light on WWE's repeated attempts to book Lesnar against Gunther, revealing that the company considered the heavyweight showdown for WrestleMania on more than one occasion.

Interest in the match increased considerably after Lesnar and Gunther shared a memorable face-to-face moment during the 2023 men's Royal Rumble. Despite the reaction to that encounter, WWE never managed to turn the tease into a full singles program.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plans were made for Lesnar and Gunther to wrestle at WrestleMania twice, only for both proposed matches to ultimately be abandoned.

The first planned encounter never progressed far enough for WWE's intended storyline to become public. Another opportunity emerged ahead of WrestleMania in 2024, with Lesnar reportedly expected to begin a program with Gunther following the Royal Rumble.

Those plans changed after Lesnar was implicated in Janel Grant's lawsuit in early 2024. Gunther instead continued his Intercontinental Championship reign into WrestleMania, where he defended the title against Sami Zayn.

Despite Lesnar now announcing his retirement from professional wrestling, Dave Meltzer suggested the Gunther match could remain an option should WWE and Lesnar ever decide there is another chapter to write.

“It’s also notable that for years a match with Lesnar and Gunther was on the table, including twice at WrestleManias… But it’s still a match that would be viable on the table if they want to do a Lesnar comeback,” Meltzer wrote.

As is often the case in professional wrestling, retirement announcements do not necessarily mean the door has been permanently closed. Meltzer also raised the possibility of Lesnar working alongside Oba Femi in a final storyline, although there is currently no confirmation that WWE intends to pursue either idea.

Lesnar's retirement followed his defeat to Femi in the deciding match of their trilogy at SummerSlam. After the contest, Lesnar referred to Femi as the "future" while placing himself in the "past," seemingly bringing his own career full circle while giving the younger star a significant endorsement.

Gunther, meanwhile, left SummerSlam with another notable victory after defeating SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis.

Whether Lesnar truly has wrestled his final match remains to be seen. If WWE can convince him to return one more time, however, the long-awaited battle between "The Beast" and "The Ring General" appears to remain one of the most obvious matches still available.

What do you think? Should Brock Lesnar stay retired, or would a long-awaited match against Gunther be worth one final comeback? Let us know your thoughts in the new WNS comment section!