3 times Paul Heyman “sold his soul” to remain at the top of the business

Paul Heyman shocked the world at WrestleMania 41 when he aligned with Seth Rollins, betraying both Roman Reigns and CM Punk. While Heyman is widely regarded as one of the greatest advisors in WWE history, his career has been marked by a long history of betrayals and backstabbing.

Throughout his career, The Wiseman has managed multiple World Champions, including Brock Lesnar, Big Show, CM Punk, and others. However, not all of those alliances ended on a high note. Whenever Heyman sees an opportunity to align himself with a more dominant force, he doesn’t hesitate to jump ship—often dubbed as “selling his soul” in the process.

Let’s discuss 3 of the most shocking betrayals of Paul Heyman in WWE history:

3. Double cross to Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series ’02

Paul Heyman played a pivotal role in launching Brock Lesnar‘s meteoric rise in WWE. As The Beast Incarnate’s advocate in 2002, The Wiseman helped orchestrate Lesnar’s dominant victories over top stars like The Rock and Kurt Angle. However, in a shocking twist at Survivor Series that same year, Heyman turned on Lesnar, betraying his prodigy to form an unlikely alliance with none other than Big Show.

During the WWE Title match between Lesnar and Show, Heyman shocked the WWE Universe by turning on The Beast and aligning himself with the giant. This marked the first major betrayal in Heyman’s storied career, cementing his reputation as someone who cannot be fully trusted.

Later, the future Hall of Famer explained his actions, claiming he saw more long-term potential in Big Show. Heyman viewed himself as the mastermind behind Lesnar’s early success and felt disrespected by Lesnar’s growing independence and refusal to follow his guidance.

2. CM Punk screwjob at Money in the Bank ’13

Paul Heyman and CM Punk formed one of the most iconic duos in WWE history. From September 2012 to July 2013, The Wiseman stood firmly in Punk’s corner, often helping The Best in the World keep his composure and secure crucial victories. However, in classic Heyman fashion, loyalty had its limits.

At Money in the Bank 2013, Heyman shocked the WWE Universe by betraying The Second City Saint—seizing yet another opportunity to “sell his soul” in pursuit of greater power. As Punk was about to win the Money in the Bank briefcase, The Wiseman smashed a ladder on him, leaving the arena shocked.

The following week on Raw, Heyman explained his actions, claiming that Punk had stopped listening to his guidance and had begun pandering to the WWE Universe instead. Feeling betrayed himself, Heyman declared he would no longer assist The Best in the World. Shortly after, he reunited with Brock Lesnar, kicking off yet another legendary chapter in his career.

1. The Favor Gambit at WrestleMania 41

At WrestleMania 41, The Wiseman pulled off perhaps the greatest trick of his storied career—betraying not just CM Punk, but also his beloved Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. In the closing moments of the Triple Threat main event in Las Vegas, Heyman delivered low blows to both Reigns and Punk before handing a steel chair to Seth Rollins.

In a shocking revelation, it became clear that Heyman had aligned himself with The Visionary, once again seizing a golden opportunity at the expense of loyalty. It was a stunning return of the favor he owed Rollins from the previous week on Raw—but no one anticipated it would unfold in such a seismic way, altering the very trajectory of WWE.

Both Punk and Reigns were left stunned, unsure of what The Wiseman truly had in mind by aligning himself with this new client. However, many are already calling it yet another calculated trade of loyalty by Paul Heyman—a classic move to position himself back at the top of WWE.

Related: Cody Rhodes EMBARRASSES John Cena on SmackDown ahead of WrestleMania 41

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