Paul Heyman Discusses How His Brock Lesnar-Roman Reigns Switch Went Down

Over the years, Paul Heyman has occupied a number of positions in WWE both onscreen and offscreen. For a long time, in addition to his status as the founding father of ECW, Heyman was perhaps best known as the manager of "The Beast Incarnate," Brock Lesnar. However, in August of 2020, Heyman switched loyalties, turning his back on Lesnar and working with Roman Reigns, who he still serves as an advisor today. During a recent interview with "Faction 919," Heyman explained how the change in allegiance initially came about, while also being sure to carefully paint himself in the best light.

"Nobody approached me on that. Brock Lesnar's contract was up in April or May ... 2020," Heyman said. "After the match with Drew McIntyre in that WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar went home to Saskatchewan. He was done in WWE, he wasn't coming back. My calendar was open, and so was Roman Reigns'." Heyman stated that the WWE star saw the success experienced by Reigns and Heyman, and then Lesnar made the decision to return to WWE the following year.

In addition to having Heyman as their advisor at different points, the careers of Lesnar and Reigns have felt very intertwined over the last eight years. The two men have faced each other at three separate WrestleMania events, including in the main event of last year's. On top of that, they've wrestled at multiple SummerSlam shows and had singles matches in Saudi Arabia in both 2018 and 2021. The career rivalry between Lesnar and Reigns will no doubt stay in the minds of fans for many years to come, and Heyman plays a prominent role in the story even to this day.