Paul Heyman believes Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker‘s undefeated WrestleMania streak became the defining wrestling moment of its generation.
Paul Heyman was at ringside as Brock Lesnar’s advocate when The Undertaker was defeated at WrestleMania 30 in April 2014, ending a streak that had remained intact since 1991. Speaking with The Undertaker on Six Feet Under, Heyman recalled the atmosphere inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as fans began to realise Lesnar’s final pinfall attempt was actually going to reach three.
“You feel the rumble in the crowd, like, oh my God, this is really- we’re witnessing something that we thought we’d never get to witness.”
For Heyman, the enduring significance of the result demonstrates that wrestling is often remembered through individual moments and emotions rather than entire matches.
“That tells a lot about our industry, in that it’s not about everything. It’s about the moment that people remember. The finish that people remember, the moment that people remember, the emotion. They don’t have to really remember the match itself.”
Heyman believes that if a match builds toward one defining moment, it can become what audiences remember years later.
“If that moment is what you’re building towards, and you deliver it, that’s the memory. That’s what people take home with them.”
Paul Heyman Compares Brock Lesnar Win To Iconic WrestleMania Moments
Paul Heyman placed Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s streak alongside two of the most famous moments from previous eras of WWE.
“As much as Hogan and André from WrestleMania III is the WrestleMania moment of the early days, or Steve Austin and Mike Tyson being the Attitude Era’s moment, to me, this generation, that’s the moment.”
He also believes the ongoing debate over the decision shows how much impact it had.
“Twelve years later, it’s still a sore spot because of that.”
The Undertaker entered WrestleMania 30 with a 21-0 record at the event, having defeated names including Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, Batista and CM Punk during the streak. Brock Lesnar ended the run after hitting three F5s, with WWE’s cameras immediately capturing stunned reactions from fans throughout the stadium following the three-count.
The decision has remained controversial in the years since, particularly because Lesnar was working a limited schedule at the time. However, Lesnar’s victory immediately established him on another level. Four months later, he comprehensively defeated John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam.
