ECW Original Taz Turned Down Big Money Match With Brock Lesnar For A Surprising Reason

Brock Lesnar has been WWE’s greatest attraction for a long time now. Like The Undertaker before him, the anticipation of his next match and who will challenge The Beast next makes every single one of his matches a must-see. The WWE Universe is not thrilled with Brock Lesnar winning the WWE Universal Championship and then taking a three-month hiatus from WWE programming, but his return is being highly anticipated.

At WWE Extreme Rules, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, and Finn Balor will compete for the right to challenge Lesnar next. It’s being said that all five men will have their chance to battle Brock Lesnar before WrestleMania 34, but four out of those five will need to wait their turn. The WWE Universe is thrilled about the idea of each match because many consider at least one of the pairings to be a dream match.

Speaking of dream matches, it recently came to light that Vince McMahon and WWE officials were planning a high-profile match between Brock Lesnar and former ECW Original Taz. The latter revealed during recent editions of his “Bodyslams and Beyond” podcast that WWE offered him big money for a match with Lesnar.

The pitch that Vince McMahon made to Taz was one match between himself and Lesnar at Madison Square Garden. He did not mention the exact amount of money that was offered to him, but Taz did mention that Vince wanted to make things right by him. On paper, you’ve got to believe the money offer was substantial. However, Taz revealed that he had his own reasons for turning down the match with WWE.

Apparently, the main reason why he rejected the offer was the injuries from his wrestling career had caught up to him. A match with The Beast Incarnate is extremely brutal and physical, so that’s not something a lot of men can handle even if they are completely healthy. He felt his injuries and being over the hill would have made the match a major disappointment for the WWE Universe, and the window had closed for the match.

Unfortunately, Taz also revealed that Vince McMahon was furious about him turning down the offer given the money on the table and the Madison Square Garden venue. WWE officials clearly had big plans for the Lesnar vs. Taz matchup, and his reluctance to do the match ruined their plans for a potentially great feud.

Lesnar vs. Taz could have been a great feud for a number of reasons. During his run in ECW, “The Wrecking Machine” was one of the most dominant in-ring performers in the industry. WWE officials could have easily sold their match as two masters of the suplex clashing, and it’s likely that Lesnar vs. Taz wouldn’t have been a one-sided contest as most of Brock’s matches have been. On paper, it would have been an all-out war.

One of the most interesting dynamics would have been Paul Heyman caught in the middle between his first “Paul Heyman Guy” and The Beast Incarnate. In many ways, Lesnar and Taz are Heyman’s most important figures in his history. The dynamic between those two men feuding would have been an opportunity for a lot of character development for Heyman. His past and present going to war would have been excellent to see.

It was a missed opportunity for a Brock Lesnar vs. Taz rivalry to never come to fruition. It’s understandable why the latter turned down the match after his retirement, but a bout between them with both men in their prime could have been really special. It’s a dream match the WWE Universe didn’t even know they wanted.

[Featured Image by WWE]