Paul Heyman Names the Defining WWE Moment of This Generation

There have been plenty of great WWE moments this generation, but Paul Heyman believes one in particular stands above them all.

Paul Heyman | Netflix

What is the defining WWE moment of this generation? Paul Heyman believes he has the definitive answer to that question.

There have been plenty of iconic moments in WWE over the last 25 years. From Cody Rhodes finishing his story at WrestleMania 40 to John Cena winning his historic 17th World Championship, there is no shortage of moments that have helped shape WWE into the company that we see today.

But one event in particular hosted two of the biggest moments in WWE history: WrestleMania 30. This is the event where we not only saw Daniel Bryan overcome the odds and defeat Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista on the same night to become Undisputed WWE Champion, but also witnessed the end of The Undertaker's iconic undefeated streak at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

The Undertaker | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Heyman says the end of The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak is this generation's defining moment

WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman was a recent guest on Six Feet Under with The Undertaker. While discussing the streak ending at the hands of Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, Heyman spoke glowingly about the moment and called it WWE's defining moment of this generation.

"No one remembers the match; they remember the finish," Paul Heyman said. "They remember the crowd reaction. To me, the moment was when the scoreboard changed, and the audience knew at that moment, oh my God, this is really happening. Then you feel the rumble in the crowd, like, oh my God, we're witnessing something that we thought we'd never get to witness.

"And that tells a lot about our industry. In that, it's not about everything; it's about the moment. That people remember the finish, that people remember the moment, that people remember the emotion. They don't have to really remember the match itself. That if this is what you're building towards, if that moment is what you're building towards, and you deliver it, that's the memory.

"That's what people take home with them. Twelve years later, it's still a sore spot because of that. Not with people saying, well, you know, during the match, I was kind of expecting this. As much as Hogan and Andre from WrestleMania III is the WrestleMania moment of the early days, or Steve Austin and Mike Tyson being the Attitude Era's moment. To me, this generation, that's the moment."

Paul Heyman was ringside to witness the end of Brock Lesnar's career

Not only was Paul Heyman at ringside to give his iconic reaction when Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania 30, but he was also at ringside weeks ago at SummerSlam to watch Oba Femi retire The Beast Incarnate inside Hell in a Cell.

While fans still speculate that Lesnar will return for another match, Heyman explains why he doesn't believe that's the case. And he makes a pretty good case for why the WWE Universe has very likely seen the last of Brock Lesnar inside the squared circle.

With The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar both retired, it's hard not to look back on that moment at WrestleMania 30 and confess that while the moment may have been controversial at the time, it not only created one of WWE's defining moments, but it also helped pave the way for a future main eventer in Oba Femi. Without Lesnar's impressive resume, Femi's victories this year wouldn't have meant nearly as much as they did.