We all know Paul Heyman as an advocate for so many superstars over the years, with a client list that includes Brock Lesnar, The Big Show, CM Punk, and now even the current reigning and the current reigning, defending WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns but Heyman has also stepped into the ring a few times, albeit with his clients at his side. These are his top five WWE matches.
WWE Rebellion 2002, Manchester, England
Handicap Match for the WWE Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) and Paul Heyman vs. Edge
This was Heyman’s second match in the WWE, which differed very much from his first. His first match saw himself and Brock Lesnar defeat The Hardy Boyz earlier in the year at Judgment Day whereas this match saw Heyman pair up once again with Brock, only this time defending his WWE Championship against Edge in a handicap match. Brock didn’t even have to be pinned to lose the title, as Edge could pin Heyman to walk away as the WWE Champion.
Before the bell could ring, Edge attempted to look at the WWE title by taking it off of referee Mike Chioda but Brock didn’t like that so he took the title back. Before Brock and Edge even locked up, Edge ran at Heyman, causing Paul to drop off the apron and cower away from the challenger. Lesnar then demanded Heyman go back to his corner and stay there.
They began with a lock-up, with Brock showing his power by shoving Edge backwards onto the mat. Edge ducked two attempted clothesline from Brock, which was starting to get to the WWE Champion. Lesnar soon took control of the match by lifting Edge and barging him into the corner, keeping Edge cornered with shoulder thrusts, with Lesnar continuing the assault with vicious stomps in the corner.
Brock sent Edge to the adjacent corner and ran at him, only for the challenger to avoid any attack with an elbow to the champion. Lesnar went for another attack, only for Edge to trip Brock with a drop toe hold, sending him face first into the middle turnbuckle. Edge followed it up with a dropkick, sending Lesnar out of the ring.
Lesnar started to get angry on the outside, with Heyman calming him down as best as he could, before Brock made his way back into the ring. Lesnar attempted a clothesline but Edge ducked it, rolling Lesnar up for a two-count. Edge attempted to keep the pressure on by running at Brock but the champion lifted him up and then attempted to drop him with a gorilla press slam, only for Edge to roll Brock up again, once more gaining a two count.
Brock went right back on the attack, hitting Edge with a strike, sending him into the ropes. Lesnar then choked Edge on the middle rope before attempting a clothesline, only for Edge to avoid it by holding onto the rope. Edge then taunted Lesnar, which angered Brock and he attempted a clothesline, only for Edge to send him over the top rope to the outside of the ring.
Brock showed his anger at this by kicking over the steel steps at ringside. Edge then followed Brock to the outside, attacking him from behind. He bounced Brock’s head off the apron and continued the attack until Brock took over control by bouncing Edge’s head off the apron. Lesnar attempted to keep control, only for Edge to send him arm first into the ringpost, sending Brock back into the ring.
As Edge attempted to get back into the ring, Heyman grabbed onto his foot, with Lesnar taking advantage by beating Edge down to the mat, sending Heyman into an excited frenzy on the outside. Lesnar sent Edge into the turnbuckle, only for Edge to avoid his attack, sending Lesnar chest-first into the top turnbuckle pad. Edge then dropped Lesnar with a heel kick. Edge then hit a shoulder block to Heyman, sending him off the ring apron.
Edge attempted an Impaler DDT, only for Brock to avoid it and nail Edge with a Belly-To-Belly suplex. Lesnar then made his way to the outside and then dragged Edge, sending him crashing to the mat with a sickening thud. Lesnar continued the assault by picking Edge up and forcing him back first into the steel ringpost, before sending Edge back into the ring, getting a two-count on the attempted pinfall for the champion.
Brock continued the attack with a vicious backbreaker. Edge attempted to battle back into the match, only for Lesnar to drop him with a shoulder block getting another two-count. Brock continued the beatdown, raining fists down on the challenger before taking Edge out with a vicious strike. Lesnar then dropped Edge with a hip thrust before locking him in a modified boston crab, but Edge got to the ropes, forcing Brock to break the hold.
After a few stomps, Brock then locked Edge into a chinlock, with Edge getting back to his feet by hitting Lesnar with strikes to the midsection. Lesnar caught Edge on the attack, and looked as if he was going for the F5, only for Edge to counter and roll-up Brock for another two-count. Brock took out Edge with a vicious clothesline to take control back, getting a two-count. Lesnar then locked Edge into a rear gutwrench lock. Lesnar, continuing the pressure, rolled Edge onto his back, getting a two-count but Edge kicked out just in time.
Edge soon after fought out of it but Lesnar pushed him back into the corner. Brock continued the attack, only for Edge to avoid Lesnar’s aggression and continue to work on the champion, beating on him in the corner, dropkicking him face first into the top turnbuckle. Edge then took out Heyman with a baseball slide, sending him back first into the announce table.
Going after Heyman was to his detriment though, as Edge got dropped with a Spinebuster from the champion, with Lesnar getting another two-count. Brock then drove Edge’s head into the top turnbuckle and then began hitting Edge with more shoulder blocks in the corner, alternating between corners of the ring. Lesnar continued the attack by pushing Edge’s face into the bottom rope, forcing the referee to intervene.
Brock sent Edge into another alternating corner but went shoulder-first into the steel post as Edge moved out of the way, getting another very close two-count. Two diving clothesline attempts were to no avail as Brock barely budged. After ducking a right hand, Edge attempted another diving forearm, this time sending Lesnar down to the mat. Edge attempted a spinning heel kick, only for Lesnar to catch him and attempt an F5. Edge avoided that too, dropping Lesnar with a facebuster.
Another ducked clothesline from Edge resulted in him dropping Lesnar with a reverse neckbreaker, getting another very close two-count. Edge then clotheslined Lesnar over the top rope, sending him crashing to the floor. Edge then noticed that Heyman was on the apron and lifting him over the top rope and sending him crashing to the mat. Edge then went to the top rope and dropped Heyman with a double axe handle, getting a very close two-count before Lesnar made the save.
Edge then took out Lesnar on the outside from a dive off the top turnbuckle. Edge then sent Lesnar back into the ring before going back to the top turnbuckle. Edge took out Lesnar with a picture-perfect diving dropkick, getting another very close two-count. Edge attempted another dive from the top rope, this time a cross body, but Lesnar moved out of the way resulting in the challenger wiping out referee Mike Chioda.
Lesnar attempted an F5, only for Edge to reverse it into an Edgecution, but, unfortunately, the referee was knocked out so he couldn’t count the pin. Heyman slipped Lesnar a steel chair but Edge avoided a chair shot and nailed Brock with the Spear, but, again, got a very close two-count. Another diving attack from Edge resulted in Brock hitting him in the gut with the chair and then Brock hit the F5 to get the three-count to retain the WWE Championship.