Paul Heyman Says WWE Dropped the Ball on a Major Brock Lesnar Rivalry

Paul Heyman has opened up about what he views as a significant missed opportunity during Brock Lesnar’s WWE tenure — a high-profile feud that, in his view, the company simply never pulled the trigger on properly.

Heyman, who has served as Lesnar’s long-time advocate and creative collaborator, reflected on a former WWE star he believed could have developed into a marquee rival for ‘The Beast Incarnate,’ but felt the promotion failed to fully capitalize on that potential. Heyman did not mince words, framing it as a company-level mistake that ultimately cost fans what could have been a compelling program.

The partnership between Heyman and Lesnar is one of the most enduring and successful in WWE history. Together they’ve been central to some of the biggest feuds the company has produced over the past two decades, with Lesnar clashing memorably against the likes of The Undertaker, Triple H, and John Cena, among others. Given that pedigree, Heyman’s perspective on what didn’t happen carries real weight — he has a clearer view than almost anyone of what Lesnar was capable of when given the right opponent and the right storyline to work with.

While the specific details of which star and which feud Heyman had in mind speak for themselves in his own comments, the broader point lands clearly: even in a run as decorated as Lesnar’s, there were roads left untraveled. Whether WWE ever revisits any of those missed chances remains to be seen, but Heyman’s candor suggests the subject still resonates with him years later.