Paul Heyman has addressed Brock Lesnar‘s retirement from professional wrestling, saying he believes the former WWE Champion is genuinely finished this time.
Brock Lesnar brought his career to an end following his defeat to Oba Femi at SummerSlam Night One. Femi defeated Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell before the two shared an embrace following the match.
Lesnar subsequently described himself as WWE’s past and Femi as its future before announcing his retirement during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Speaking on Six Feet Under, Paul Heyman discussed Lesnar’s decision and explained why he believes this retirement is different from previous occasions when Lesnar considered walking away.
“I’m accepting of the reality of the situation,” Heyman said. “When you first break in, so many of the veterans would tell you, ‘Be accepting of it. Don’t fight against the reality of the situation.’”
Heyman explained that Lesnar had regularly spoken about retirement whenever he approached the end of a WWE contract. According to Heyman, Lesnar genuinely meant it each time, although he would eventually reconsider and agree to continue wrestling.
“Brock has always been a realist about himself. It’s time,” Heyman said. “To him, I would hear this every year from him: ‘This is my last contract. This is it.’ He meant it when he said it.”
However, Heyman said there was a noticeable difference this time.
“As we got closer, he would then change his mind, or it didn’t take a lot to talk him into it, but I knew that this was it because he knew this was it.”
Paul Heyman Says Brock Lesnar’s Decision Was Final
Paul Heyman believes Brock Lesnar had firmly decided to retire before his final WWE appearance rather than making an emotional decision immediately following his SummerSlam match.
“He wasn’t just saying it because he felt it in the moment,” Heyman said. “This decision was fait accompli.”
Lesnar’s final match saw him put over Femi in one of the biggest victories of the younger star’s career. Following his defeat, Lesnar embraced Femi and publicly endorsed him as WWE’s future, providing a symbolic conclusion to his own career before confirming his retirement.
Heyman has spent significant portions of his WWE career working alongside Lesnar, serving as his advocate and manager across multiple runs. Although Lesnar had previously suggested that his wrestling career was nearing its end before ultimately returning, Heyman believes there will be no similar change of heart this time.
For Paul Heyman, the difference is that Brock Lesnar had already accepted that his career was finished before making the announcement publicly.
