5 WWE Stars who reluctantly agreed to participate in a storyline

#3 Paul Heyman was reluctant to align with anyone else in WWE after Brock Lesnar

Paul Heyman revealed in an interview with Sports Illustrated in May 2021 that he was initially reluctant to align with Roman Reigns on WWE television.

The former ECW owner worked as Brock Lesnar’s on-screen ally in 2002 before representing The Beast Incarnate again between 2012 and 2020. When Lesnar’s WWE contract expired in 2020, Heyman began a new role as Reigns’ special counsel.

“I cannot begin to convey how reluctant I was to ever do anything in this industry after the eight years, let alone the 18 years, that I put together with Brock Lesnar,” Heyman said.

Heyman added that Reigns was the only person he seriously considered partnering with after his lengthy association with Lesnar.

“For me to pursue, in front of the camera, life after Brock Lesnar, the only lure that could seduce me to even attempting such an impossible goal was to do it with someone that would live their life in the pursuit of achieving that impossibility, and that’s Roman Reigns,” Heyman stated.

Reigns won the Universal Championship at WWE Payback 2020 just two days after his alliance with Heyman began. In the subsequent 12 months, Heyman watched from ringside as The Tribal Chief retained his title against superstars including Daniel Bryan, Edge, and John Cena.