On The Ariel Helwani Show, Paul Heyman discussed the surprise return of his former client, Brock Lesnar, at SummerSlam. Heyman confirmed the return came together “real quick” and offered a fiery defense of WWE’s decision to bring him back, telling critics to “get over it” because the paying audience was happy to see him. Scroll down to watch the interview.
A Quick Deal
Heyman revealed that Lesnar’s return was not something that had been in the works for a long time. “That happened real quick,” he said. “Week, two weeks, a couple weeks… I got tagged into it after the deal was done.” He confirmed that a new deal had to be signed to facilitate the comeback, stating, “He wasn’t coming back on speculation. No, he is Brock Lesnar.”
Addressing the Criticism
Lesnar had been absent from WWE programming for a year after being named, though not as a defendant, in the Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon. The lawsuit alleged McMahon had offered sexual favors from Grant to help secure a new contract with Lesnar. Heyman directly addressed the criticism that has come with his return. “Everything in life is met with criticism. I don’t pay attention to that… He’s here. That’s a reality of the fact he’s here,” Heyman stated. “And if you were in MetLife Stadium on Sunday, you would understand that return meant a lot to that audience… That’s our paying audience. They’re happy to see him. I’m happy to be part of a team that presents him.”
“Get Over It”
Heyman compared the criticism of Lesnar to that faced by historical figures and stating that no one is universally loved. “There’s always going to be critics of anything that we do,” he said. “Obviously, the decision was made. It’s time to bring back Brock Lesnar. Whatever that decision is based on, I respect it. If there are critics of it, get over it. He’s here, and he’s going to be here, and you ain’t going to be able to cancel him.”
The Audience Reaction
For Heyman, the ultimate validation for the decision was the reaction of the live crowd inside MetLife Stadium. He explained that if the fans had rejected the return, it would have been a failure, but their positive reaction proved it was the right move. “I’m happy to have him back, because the audience is happy to have him back,” he explained. “If we brought him back and the audience rebelled against it, I wouldn’t be happy to have him back and be like, ‘Oh man, this doesn’t work.’ But it works. So I’m happy about it.”
A Uniquely Qualified Star
Heyman also positioned Lesnar as a uniquely valuable asset to TKO, the parent company of WWE and UFC, calling him “the modern day Jim Thorpe.” “Who’s ever walked those two paths at that level?” he asked. “There’s only two people that’s ever been a champion in UFC and in WWE… Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar… If there’s one person that can be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and the WWE Hall of Fame on the very same night… there’s only one person that walks that line, Brock Lesnar.”
Brock Lesnar returned at the end of SummerSlam Night 2, attacking John Cena and setting up a major storyline for the fall. The full, unfiltered interview with Paul Heyman can be heard on The Ariel Helwani Show.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
