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Ever since Brock Lesnar first stepped foot on the WWE main roster, his career was intertwined with Paul Heyman. Whether it be as a close friend, manager, advocate, or even a sworn enemy, the pair have never been too far away from one another. On two separate occasions, Heyman has double-crossed and betrayed Brock Lesnar, putting an end to their relationship more than once on WWE programming. There are reasons for both of these betrayals, but they all do stem from Heyman’s desire for success. Either way, it is interesting to explore how, when, and why Heyman betrayed Lesnar in WWE not once, but twice.
Paul Heyman Betrayed Brock Lesnar In 2002 And Joined Up With Big Show
All the way back in 2002, Paul Heyman introduced the world to Brock Lesnar, standing by his side as a manager and agent when he made his debut on Raw. Heyman played a huge role in hyping up Lesnar as a star, and he was pivotal to his lightning quick rise up the card as he won the King of the Ring tournament, and then went on to become WWE Champion just a few months into his stint in WWE at the SummerSlam 2002 PPV.
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Heyman was a great part of Lesnar’s act, aiding him during his reign as WWE Champion on SmackDown. After outlasting The Undertaker, Lesnar was embroiled in a feud against Big Show. Heyman wasn’t so certain of Lesnar surviving this challenge, advising him to not go ahead with the match. Lesnar, even as a heel, was a fighting champion and wasn’t scared. This led to Heyman turning on Lesnar at Survivor Series 2002, costing him the gold and helping Big Show win the match.
The motivations for this turn were explained on the following episode of SmackDown, stating that it takes more than physical prowess to survive on top, and that he was the brains behind Lesnar’s success. However, when Lesnar stopped heeding his advice, Heyman decided to take his business elsewhere, jumping ship before things went downhill. In Heyman’s eyes, Big Show was the wrestler more destined for success, so he wanted to be by the side of a champion, and not Lesnar. Of course, Big Show’s time on top didn’t quite work out, as he lost the title to Kurt Angle before Lesnar then won it back at WrestleMania 19, this time as a Paul Heyman-less babyface.
Paul Heyman Became Special Counsel To Roman Reigns After Years Of A Brock Lesnar Partnership
In 2012, Heyman and Lesnar reunited on WWE television after Lesnar’s big return to the company. Heyman was now his advocate and firmly a mouthpiece, as Lesnar very rarely spoke on the microphone. Heyman would even betray CM Punk to stay by Lesnar’s side, standing by him as he ended The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania, and many world title victories too, defeating big names like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Goldberg, Samoa Joe, Randy Orton, and many more over the years. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like Heyman and Lesnar would be aligned for good.
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However, in 2020, Heyman became aligned with someone else. Following Roman Reigns’ return to WWE television, in which he turned heel, he joined forces with Heyman in what was a huge shock. He became Reigns’ advisory special counsel, billed as “The Wise Man”, appearing in more of a worshiping role at times, with him clearly scared yet hugely admiring of Reigns. He hadn’t yet betrayed Lesnar though, as he was on an absence from programming.
Paul Heyman Betrayed Brock Lesnar For A Second Time In 2022
Upon Lesnar’s return to WWE, the allegiance of Heyman was one of the biggest talking points in WWE. He very much sat on the fence between both men, until he was fired by Reigns and realigned with Lesnar. However, it wasn’t long until Heyman once again turned his back on Lesnar.
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At the Royal Rumble 2022 event, Heyman helped Reigns cost Lesnar the WWE Championship. Again, Heyman had his eyes set on someone who was in a better position to ensure that he remained successful, and with Reigns as the younger and dominant champion, he decided to put his eggs in the Bloodline basket. This has been a common occurrence for Heyman, as he in many ways uses whoever is available to remain a success, and when things don’t look good, he jumps ship and joins with someone else. He is the wrestling equivalent of Peter Pettigrew, betraying those closest to him in favor of power, success, and also doing it out of fear, disregarding loyalty and morality.
