Report Alleges Brock Lesnar Walked Out Of Raw Last Night

[Jack-Hammer]

Various reports through the day have stated that WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar was at last night's episode of Raw but that, for whatever reason, he wasn't used. According to Dave Meltzer, there was more to the story than Lesnar simply not being used and Meltzer is claiming that his sources are saying that Brock Lesnar was visibly angry about something last night. Furthermore, Meltzer alleges that one source says that Lesnar walked out of Raw before the show ended last night.

Meltzer's report further states that something happened between Lesnar and WWE but that it wasn't creative related, rather it had something to do with business. The report also alleges that Vince McMahon himself acknowledged some sort of issue with Lesnar during a SmackDown! production meeting, though Vince didn't go into details and that Lesnar won't be part of tonight's SD! tapings.

So, IF this is legit, then it's looking more & more like the relationship between WWE and Brock Lesnar is gonna be ending very soon after WrestleMania XXXI. There've been reports for quite a while now that Lesnar is interested in returning to the UFC for perhaps one more fight, reports that've been further enhanced by the fact that Lesnar looks a lot lighter as though he's slimming down. UFC's heavyweight division has a maximum weight limit of 265 lbs. and Lesnar has been around the 285 lb. mark pretty much since his return to WWE.

Again, IF this is legit, then it's a matter of business rather than Lesnar having any sort of issue with WWE creative. If a problem developed, I always figured it would be over business rather than WWE's creative use of him because Lesnar doesn't really give a crap how he's used as long as he gets that big paycheck.

 

[closet_fan]

People have been saying he doesn't want to put RR over, which makes no sense since he'll take a big payday to put someone like Daniel Bryan over. It's just about money. Perhaps Lesnar wants more money than the WWE is willing to give.

If it turns out that this leads to Lesnar being 100% finished with the WWE after Mania, it deflates the main event ending even more. And if word gets out Lesnar is done after Mania, forget the match. It's going to be one big clusterf*ck. Fans are going to shit over the whole thing like they did with Lesnar and Goldberg. Or half of it anyway.

 

[suleman09]

I didn't see a question in there but i'll just comment on the topic.

So i've read before that Lesnar was in fact interested in doing some more dates and show up more but because of the way his contract is written and him being paid per appearance that the WWE themselves don't want to pay him for more appearances.

So I don't see Lesnar walking out like Punk did over a year ago but I do him staying off TV unless he gets what he wants. So we can assume that whenever he shows up on TV again the problems have been solved and he got what he wants.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

It's a work.

Yeah I'm that guy, I think everything's a work. Still convinced Montreal was a work, but I digress.

In all seriousness this is the most interesting story on the Road to WrestleMania so far. I would assume this has something to do with Lesnar's negotiations for post-Mania appearances, specifically how much he would be paid for those appearances. But obviously I don't really know, and neither does anyone else on here. That's just speculation based on past reports which may or may not be accurate. However, if those past reports are in fact true, then this seems like a logical conclusion.

Now the really interesting part, how do you make it an angle? This is wrestling, everything can become an angle. Jeff Jarrett legitimately stole Kurt Angle's wife and they had a cage match. Everything can be an angle. More often than not, reality is what sells the best anyways.

So let's say that Lesnar walks out. Not going to happen, but imagine it did. It would be pretty historic to see the WWE Champion leave the company before WrestleMania, and would fuck them over big time. The WWE would probably have some sort of tournament at WrestleMania to crown a new World Champion, which would be pretty crazy to see, but the real money would be in the eventual Lesnar return.

Now you might be saying "If Lesnar walked out as Champion before a Title defense in the main event at WrestleMania, the WWE would never, ever, do business with him again." That would be true, if it happened for real. If Lesnar walking out was a highly compartmentalized work, it actually might end up drawing more moeny. Ratings are down significantly compared to previous Roads to WrestleMania (Road to WrestleManias?), buzz is something the WWE needs. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar isn't captivating the audience at this stage. If Lesnar "walked" and the WWE was left to scramble and do a tournament or some other match for the vacant Title it might actually generate more interest. Reigns is their guy, there's no question about it, so he would ultimately go over and win the Title at Mania, but it's when Lesnar finally comes back then you can really do big business.

Lesnar would have ended the Streak, destroyed John Cena, then left as World Champion without losing. When he comes back it would be huge, and if at that point Reigns was the Champion and Lesnar stepped in the challenge him, then you'd have a match that would draw.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I posted this in another thread, too.

I hope it's over quickly. WWE can't afford to lose Lesnat at this time of the year, not like that. Brock Lesnar is WM31's biggest attraction. If he's gone then byebye Wrestlemania. Ok, maybe not. But still.

Also, I don't want this problem going into 'Mania, because I don't want to see Lesnar vs Goldberg 2.0, nor I want to see Lesnar no-showing the biggest event of the year. That's bad. Really bad.

Those people in attendance would feel ripped and rightfully so, if any of the two scenarios above happen.

I want to believe that Brock Lesnar has a pride and is a bussinessman and no matter what happens, he'll do his job and do it well. I, as a fan, couldn't care less about backstage bussiness. What I care about, is what I see on TV.
I don't want to see Lesnar vs Goldberg 2.0, if that happens, whoever in attendance, please don't just boo, go in there and show them some "wrestling".

 

[vampxx24]

im thinking it might be along the lines of what tna used to be famous for. brock isnt signed to a regular contract. like sting, brock is signed to an apperance contract lasting through the year. TNA became famous for using up guys before their contract actually ended (foley).

it could be likely wwe goofed on brocks dates(overused) and wanted him to work these last couple of dates discounted to which brock said no way. if thats true, brock knows well hes at a prime money wise, and no doubt would make wwe pay top dollar. this goes into the whole reason why he would go back to the ufc as they can pay him MUCH more than wwe.

 

[vampxx24]

I posted this in another thread, too.

I hope it's over quickly. WWE can't afford to lose Lesnat at this time of the year, not like that. Brock Lesnar is WM31's biggest attraction. If he's gone then byebye Wrestlemania. Ok, maybe not. But still.

Also, I don't want this problem going into 'Mania, because I don't want to see Lesnar vs Goldberg 2.0, nor I want to see Lesnar no-showing the biggest event of the year. That's bad. Really bad.

Those people in attendance would feel ripped and rightfully so, if any of the two scenarios above happen.

I want to believe that Brock Lesnar has a pride and is a bussinessman and no matter what happens, he'll do his job and do it well. I, as a fan, couldn't care less about backstage bussiness. What I care about, is what I see on TV.
I don't want to see Lesnar vs Goldberg 2.0, if that happens, whoever in attendance, please don't just boo, go in there and show them some "wrestling".

hes guaranteed WM, like i said above, i think its an an issue with dates prior, that they might of used up all his other dates(meaning he has that 1 appearance at wm left) and want him to take a discounted price leading up to his big payday at WM in which brock knowing hes going for top dollar said no way and walked.

funny you bring up brock vs goldberg 2.0. i was telling my friend before that i believe this whole "brock wont go back to mma due to concussions " is just wwe pr to prevent that exact thing. most knew brock was gone before that match, and no doubt would have a similar if not worse reaction if they knew he was doing the exact same thing. i believe wwe is trying to do damage control and lead fans to believe he truely is leaning towards staying. brock, to my knowledge has never been concussed in mma so that right their made NO sense to me, and the fact that both mma companys can pay him way more than wwe is another thing

 

[Logisticalbooker86]

WWE had to see this coming...Didn't they? Everything that follows is speculation, but the reasoning is rooted in fact. Brock Lesnar has a history of being difficult to work with when things do not go his way. The best example of this obviously occurred with WWE in 04, but he also had a few run ins with Dana White that were smoothed over as a result of Lesnar's ability to draw money.

Pay Lesnar what he wants to do business at Mania, and then let the door hit him in his selfish butt on the way out. Brock Lesnar is a freak athlete, but his hefty price tag is not worth the temper tantrums he throws when things cease being to his liking.

He will not be nearly as successful if he goes back to UFC. Lesnar needs to play nice with WWE, because at 37 years old and no great technique to speak of, his mixed martial arts ceiling is lowering by the second.

It's a money issue. Brock Lesnar would put over a turd for the right price.

 

[Logisticalbooker86]

If speculation above me turns out to be true, and WWE has used up Brock's dates and now want him at a sweetheart discount leading to Mania then I side with Brock. Pony up WWE, if not this thing could get rough in a real big hurry.

To restate, Brock Lesnar would put over a turd for the right price, but not for a penny less than that. Good for him. Your move, WWE management.

OMG GUYZ, Brock could truly hold the brass ring hostage and create a UFC version of the NWO. UFNWO - Brock, Punk, and who the hell cares who the third man is in this scenario. Normally I am not for posting such drivel, but I could not resist.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

There's no chance this is a work. Heyman hyped up Lesnar and himself addressing Reigns' win over Bryan on Raw, and he was advertised for the show.

To add to that, Wrestlemania 31 is right around the corner, Brock Lesnar is the WWE WHC, and Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan in the main event of a pay per view on Sunday for the right to face Lesnar at Mania. IF this was apart of some storyline, Heyman would've addressed tensions between WWE, himself, Lesnar, or The Authority during his promo last night, but he didn't.

Why would WWE start a walk out storyline involving the WWE WHC Champion during the home stretch to Wrestlemania? That doesn't make any sense at all.

Brock Lesnar is genuinely a mercenary, and I honestly can't picture Lesnar throwing a fit over losing to Reigns at Mania or another booking decision, so I have to believe this is all about money and his sporadic appearances schedule. I know we have to wait for more details to emerge, but I have to believe WWE, Vince, and Brock will sort out any issues before Mania. If not, Lesnar going AWOL throws a massive monkey wrench into the WWE WHC picture.

 

[Navi]

Well this may sound stupid, but when I read JH's post it brought back something I was thinking about a few weeks ago. You all remember the RAW after the RR that happened but didn't happen, and Reigns had that interview with Heyman and Lesnar. While Heyman was going through the story of Reign's family tree Lesnar was just sitting there watching Reigns.

When Reigns said he would address Lesnar and they stood up to look at each other Lesnar said something that I thought was odd. He said "He (referring) to Heyman might respect you, I don't respect you." I thought it was a strange thing to say after the speech that Heyman gave just because it came out of nowhere. I thought to myself, this guy just spoke the truth. I don't know if it was rehearsed or not but I do believe he doesn't respect Reigns.

Lesnar is a guy who's worked hard at what he's been training for whether it be UFC or WWE. And I've heard the same stories about him not wanting to put Reigns over. So I'm just wondering if listening to Bryan and then Heyman, and realizing that his last match in the WWE will be to put over someone he doesn't respect, that had to have an effect on him. He doesn't look like the kind who gets his panties in a bunch for no reason, and I might be totally off base, but hearing what he said and then hearing what he did, made me wonder.

 

[LuckyLouie]

If this comes out of Coles mouth on RAW then its a work. But this sounds like a great time for out with the old, and in with the new. Let the Ziggle, Harper, Cesaro, Kidd, Axel, Ryback, Rowan, Usos, Titus, BNB, Ambrose, Rollins, DB, Sandow, Cody and a couple of other guys and give them a chance to shine like Stone Cold and The Rock had.

But no matter what, Brock Lesnar belongs in the WWE. Even when he was in the UFC, he was still the wrestler and the WWE guy. He will always be a WWE guy. Thats why we know him, thats why we love him. He needs to stop lying to himself and give in and wrestle. Plus the WWE needs him since he is always white hot and sells out pretty easy.

 

[Nate DaMac]

When Reigns said he would address Lesnar and they stood up to look at each other Lesnar said something that I thought was odd. He said "He (referring) to Heyman might respect you, I don't respect you." I thought it was a strange thing to say after the speech that Heyman gave just because it came out of nowhere. I thought to myself, this guy just spoke the truth. I don't know if it was rehearsed or not but I do believe he doesn't respect Reigns.

What? It didn't come out of nowhere. Heyman did the exact same thing in the build-up to Summerslam with Cena. He would go on and on about the respect he has for Cena but at the end, he would totally undercut it by saying that his client does not share these opinions and how he doesn't respect Cena. Lesnar saying that he didn't respect Reigns after Heyman gobbled his balls was par for the course. It's exactly what his character would and should say.

I'm not saying that he does respect Reigns or that he cares in any who he puts over. Just that the way you came to that conclusion is ridiculously off base.

 

[kadroan]

People have been saying he doesn't want to put RR over, which makes no sense since he'll take a big payday to put someone like Daniel Bryan over. It's just about money. Perhaps Lesnar wants more money than the WWE is willing to give.

If it turns out that this leads to Lesnar being 100% finished with the WWE after Mania, it deflates the main event ending even more. And if word gets out Lesnar is done after Mania, forget the match. It's going to be one big clusterf*ck. Fans are going to shit over the whole thing like they did with Lesnar and Goldberg. Or half of it anyway.

It may help Reigns out more especially if news gets out that Brock is leaving. They could use that in a storyline, blur the lines a little bit. Fans may get behind Reigns. Reigns, the guy who wrestles all the RAW's, Smackdown's, house shows, PPV's. Meanwhile, you got a guy who didn't defend the belt for 3 months, doesn't care about the fans or show up to the show. Fans could grow to appreciate somebody who is willing to be wrestling for the love of the sport, not money.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I know these reports state that the issue is Business and not creative related, but it wouldn't utterly shock me if its a bit of both.

Just purely speculating, is it possible that the rumors of Bryan possibly being added as a triple threat, or the set-up for him to possibly replace Reigns, was to appease Brock? Is it possible that Brock wanted some sort of multi-man affair that also included Bryan and/or Rollins, so that if the plan was for Reigns to go over, he could do so without pinning Brock? Is it possible that, if the match were indeed going to be one-on-one, Brock would have preferred and been willing to job to Bryan, but is now balking at the idea of jobbing to Reigns? Perhaps it was made finally clear and spelled out to Brock last night that the main event would in fact be a one-on-one match between Lesnar and Roman, and Roman is slated to get the victory, and Brock doesn't feel at this point that Roman is someone he should be willing to take a clean pinfall loss against, so he's having a bit of a tantrum about the matter.

That is probably a way off base theory, but in the world of pro wrestling egos, it seems completely within the realm of possibility.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Whatever Brock Lesnar wants, WWE absolutely should NOT give him. Everyone in WWE have been absolute fools for catering to Brock Lesnar's ridiculous demands. Brock thinks he's bigger than the business and he needs to be shown that he isn't. Sadly, Vince thinks Lesnar is right, and would probably give him Stephanie if Lesnar asked, so WWE will probably take it up the @ss once again and give Lesnar whatever he wants, which is exactly the wrong thing to do.

 

[Shadowmancer]

There seems to be reports floating around that is could be a pretty big thing in Reigns failing the drug tests and not getting suspended as the policy says, and Lesnar not wanting to be tarred with the Steroids brush by association for if he goes back to the UFC. This is only what I have read in a couple of places so it is entirely speculation until more information either for or against this comes out.

 

[Dave]

This is a strange one really. I don't get how someone can just walk out on their job and then be there the next week as if everything has been fine all along? But this is the WWE and this is what they are known for. So many people having a power play and seeing what they can achieve from it, it really makes me sick.

But you know who are to blame for all of this? The WWE and Vince McMahon. Since taking Lesnar back, he has put him on a very tall and prestigious pedestal; one which means that Lesnar can really do or say whatever he wants with little to no repercussions. Lesnar is all too aware that the WWE need him heading into WrestleMania and he is taking advantage of that fact.

It really is a shame to see things like this but that's what the WWE has become. Lesnar has shown a complete disregard for the business numerous times and is only there for a pay check at the end of the day. And in all honesty, he can get one of those anywhere. Vince needs to sort out this situation and fast or it could be an unmitigated disaster for him and WrestleMania.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Business...Creative they link in on this score...

Brock is arguably going to be pissed Bryan is not in the match becase it may affect the buys and thus his payoff for the match. If fans are still not "convinced" on Reigns and he isn't either then it's a problem for WWE, remember WWE can STILL make this a Triple Threat situation by using Rollins, but again an "unproven" talent in Brock's eyes.

This was ALWAYS going to happen when it got to the business end of it. Brock doesn't want to drop the belt cos it devalues his UFC negotiation position...but he can't hold it on the stupid deal he has... if he is going to resign with them, he has to do the full schedule.

Till we "know" what the problem is, speculating is pointless but if he's concerned the show itself is not looking "good" and thus he's not getting paid as much, he's gonna have a problem.

 

[OYDK]

Creative wise, Brock Lesnar has no right to decide who he does and doesn't drop the title to. This isn't 1993 and Brock Lesnar is no Hulk Hogan. The era of the "boys" running the asylum is dead and buried and, I highly doubt WWE would allow themselves to be forced into doing anything nowadays. That's one of the alleged reasons why people like C.M. Punk, Daniel Bryan and now Brock Lesnar were so disgruntled at one time or another. That being said, I don't think Brock Lesnar would walk out (no show) a Raw specifically because he's not happy about dropping the title to Reigns. He may not respect Reigns but I doubt Lesnar really respects anybody.

I think it may be a problem with WWE overusing Lesnar's dates on his contract, as stated above. The same thing happened with Sting in 1997, which is the whole reason Crow Sting was created in the first place. To keep him on T.V. but out of the ring. The only difference seems to be Lesnar's contract includes a set number of actual appearances, whereas Sting just couldn't wrestle for almost a year. If WWE is trying to convince Lesnar to work extra appearances for free, they're just stupid because it's not going to happen.

Whatever the case is, it's very bad timing with Wrestlemania just around the corner. I'd almost be intrigued to see what happens if Brock actually decided not to show up at Mania...

 

[Dave]

The more I think about it actually the more I can see this being down to Vince trying to get more out of Brock that they had initially thought up. And the reason for this? Putting the WrestleMania butyrate up, hyping the main event and making sure that the match at Mania is everything that it should be.

I mean, I can literally imagine Vince saying to Brock that it is in his best interests to work more shows for free since it might give him a bigger share of the pot once WrestleMania has been and gone. But to think that is going to land with a guy that is only there for guaranteed money is more than a wild shot in the dark. Brock is going to get paid no matter what. The wwwshpuld be trying to keep him sweet but that seems like a pipe dream now...

Brock storming out could just him being in a huff that Vince has tried to export more shows out of him and has decided that if Vince wants him on next week's show (or whatever) then he wouldn't be on this week and save the appearance fee.

 

[Wald]

The only way this could possibly be a work would be if Brock is done at WM regardless and WWE want to try to stop the crowd turning on Reigns. Hence they paint Brock as a mercenary who is going back to the UFC and doesn't give a crap about WWE or its fans and Reigns is seen as saviour of wrestling. I said this could be an easy fix to the hardcore turning on Reigns and it might well be the case.

That said, what makes the most sense is what vamp said on page one of this thread. WWE have burnt through Brock's dates, they need him for more Raws than he was contracted to do because the Road to Wrestlemania is lackluster to say the least and fans aren't buying in to this year's main event and Brock wanted more money for those extra dates. If that scenario is through than all power to Brock for asking for what he feels is his due. He is the star attraction in the company and if the WWE have gone through his dates than tough luck to Vince and co., that's just bad management on their behalf.

 

[rge2010]

I am suspicious over this. Clearly this is not done for storyline purposes because we would all know it didn't really happen and it would only serve a purpose to the kids.

But maybe this 'story' was released for the benefit of the smarks. Lesnar draws heat from this and in turn people support Reigns as he would never shit on the fans, turns up every week yada yada yada....

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Most likely it's got something to do with them wanting extra dates out of him (it'd be interesting to see how many dates he's used this year, and if the contract runs from WM to WM).

Another possibility though, is that kind of like the Alberto Del Rio situation, one of the execs or production guys backstage said something to him that set him off. Lesnar is known to be a volatile guy, and Kevin Dunn for example, is known to be a complete douche that few of the boys like.

That probably isn't it, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me to hear that this was all over something like that.

 

[Dave]

I don't think this is a work for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the WWE had advertised Lesnar for Raw on Monday. His absence was very noticeable and it was only a matter of time until news of this broke. I explicitly remember it being mentioned at Fastlane or Raw that Lesnar would be addressing Reigns. It struck me as odd that it was only Heyman that appeared. It just doesn't make sense to pull your biggest draw only hours after advertising him.

Secondly, I don't think the allure of pulling a work is that you're fooling everyone for a bigger purpose. If this was to fool the smarks, what does that really accomplish? Sure it makes Lesnar look like an out and out heel. But is that really going to do on anything in the bigger picture? He's seemingly gone after WrestleMania so what's the point of building him?