Why Did Brock Lesnar Refuse to Face Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 39? Uncovering Some Key Details on This Missed Opportunity

Brock Lesnar is one of the biggest draws in the WWE, hence Vince McMahon keeps him for big matches. However, it came as a shock for wrestling fans when it was revealed that The Beast Incarnate would be up against Omos, a rookie at WrestleMania 39. Lesnar had just participated in the main event against Roman Reigns in the WrestleMania before this, so it was considered as a step down for him.

Bray Wyatt has had matches against The Undertaker, John Cena, and Randy Orton at the biggest event. He was on a roll with his Firefly funhouse gimmick. So, a match between Bray Wyatt and Brock Lesnar was suggested, which was reportedly turned down by Lesnar. But, why?

Vince Russo explains why Brock Lesnar rejected Bray Wyatt

Legendary pro wrestling writer Vince Russo and former WWE and TNA Impact Superstar EC3 spoke on the topic at The Wrestling Outlaws Podcast, which premiered on 9th March. In the podcast, both guests emphasized different reasons why Lesnar rejected a feud with Wyatt.

Russo felt that Wyatt’s character was all over the place and it was not interesting for old-school wrestling fans like Lesnar and Vince McMahon. He said, “It’s all over the place bro like, I am so totally lost, we’ve got howdy, we’re back in the fun house, we got Alexa Bliss, then we got this new character with a… like it is so all over the place.”

Russo was unhappy with Bray Wyatt’s gimmick and execution of the story. He further called the whole firefly funhouse gimmick “convoluted.” He wanted Wyatt to refocus his energy on the main Fiend character instead of throwing it all over.

Though EC3 supported Russo, he said “Maybe Brock just doesn’t see the value of a story.” As per EC3, Lesnar did not have the character sync that Wyatt’s story demanded. Perhaps a strong character style such as Lesnar would have fared badly against a supernatural character like The Fiend. 

Read more: “This Is So Bad” – Former Wrestling Manager Blasts Bobby Lashley-Bray Wyatt Feud as He Feels the Storyline Would “Sell Nothing”

The viewpoints of Brock Lesnar and EC3 have received support from other pro wrestling specialists as well.

Jim Cornette supports Russo’s views on Bray Wyatt’s gimmick

Russo’s opinion was shared by legendary wrestling manager, Jim Cornette. On episode 472 of his podcast titled Jim Cornette Experience, he said “There’s no way to work with Bray Wyatt and not get killed [character]. There’s no way to come out of that and look better on the other side. And Brock Lesnar, whatever you want to say about him, he’s been pretty smart in how he’s handled his career.” Cornette condemned the gimmick and feels there is no way to work around Bray Wyatt’s character for any pro wrestler

Cornette’s statement could be referred to the infamous Hell in a Cell match between Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt, which led to the sudden demise of Rollins’ ‘Burn it Down’ gimmick.

Although Wyatt was set to face Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 39, it was canceled at the last minute due to Wyatt’s illness. But his fans probably know why he never got to face The Beast Incarnate. Do you agree with these reasons?

Watch this story: Bray Wyatt And Bobby Lashley’s Lackluster Rivalry Falls Short of Wrestlemania Hype