WWE's Paul Heyman Details How He First Became Brock Lesnar's Manager In 2002

Over the years, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman have been paired together on several different occasions, often propelling 'The Beast Incarnate' into the championship scene. Heyman recently appeared on the "INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet" podcast, where he recalled how the two of them were originally paired.

"I was coming back on camera, WrestleMania 18 to manage – I hate that word – Chris Benoit, and that was where we were headed," he recalled. "Brock was very impatient in OVW and moved back to Minneapolis and told WWE, 'Put me on the main roster, or cut me loose.'" 

Heyman added that Lesnar was brought into WWE for dark matches, and several veterans urged him to change his style and gimmick. Heyman then claimed that Taz approached him, because he was a fan of Lesnar's NCAA years and trusted Heyman, urging him to step in. 

"I went to Vince, and I said, 'Hey, we have a heavy investment in Brock Lesnar; we're going to screw this up!' 'Oh? Damn it! Do something about that! Take over his matches; you produce that,'" Heyman continued. Heyman noted that after taking over Lesnar's production, he saw how fans responded better to 'The Beast Incarnate' while discovering the chemistry between him and Lesnar.

"Vince experienced it in the room with us at one point, and the night before WrestleMania 18, Vince pulled me aside, and he said, 'This whole thing with Benoit is called off.' 'Okay?' 'I'm putting you with Brock Lesnar.' 'Okay... Happy to be of service,'" he recalled. "I knew this is a once-ever opportunity, and that's a once-ever athlete, and this will be a once-ever act."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.