– The official WWE website has announced that tonight on Raw, Chris Jericho will host “The Highlight Reel” with special guests, United States Champion Rusev and Lana.

This news was confirmed in the Raw Five-Point Preview, which states, “Chris Jericho’s back to run Raw this week, following Daniel Bryan and the Anonymous Raw GM as the latest Superstar to fill The Authority’s power vacuum. With power at his disposal and plenty of former friends and foes to play with, Jericho has already arranged for U.S. Champion Rusev and Lana to appear on “The Highlight Reel.” It’s anybody’s guess as to exactly what The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla has planned for the Russians, and the rest of the WWE Universe, but it’s likely to be something we’ll never, eeeeeeever expect, or forget. What else does Y2J’s have up his sleeve?”

– While WWE no longer publishes WWE Magazine, the company will apparently continue to put out special issues. Joey Styles revealed on Twitter this afternoon that a “Collector’s Edition” magazine highlighting the best photos of the year is now out on newsstands.

– In the latest edition of Ringside or Riot with Noelle Foley—daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley—Noelle reviews her dad’s documentary I Am Santa Claus, gives her take on CM Punk joining UFC, and reveals who she thought should have won the Slammy Awards.

Drunk fan gets dragged out of WWE TLC arena by security (PHOTOS)

On Tuesday night, the WWE Network will air a second edition of “ECW Exposed” with Paul Heyman and Joey Styles. The episode was taped this past Monday night and will mostly feature Heyman answering questions from Twitter, similar to the initial episode from earlier this week.

Also new on the WWE Network, as noted earlier today, is a special preview of WWE’s new “Macho Man” Randy Savage DVD. That special is scheduled to air immediately after WWE RAW on Monday, so you can expect it to be pushed hard during the show, which is also the WWE Survivor Series “go-home” edition of RAW.

– As noted, WWE will be airing an “ECW Exposed” special with Joey Styles interviewing Paul Heyman on the WWE Network following tonight’s edition of RAW. Apparently the interview will be a live broadcast.

– WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee wrote the following on Twitter regarding the launch of her own official website:

“Facebook link on my profile is a WWE created and run AJ fan page. I have not, do not, & WILL NOT ever have a personal or public Instagram or Facebook. So let’s all agree to stop being fooled by fakes. However, my friend Alison has created my official website, http://AJ-Brooks.com . Auctions, prizes, Q&A & exclusive shoots- coming soon”

Regarding the “ECW Exposed” special that will air on the WWE Network following Monday’s edition of RAW as part of the “ECW Week” theme, the show is reportedly going to feature video profiles designed to educate new viewers about the history of ECW.

The show is also scheduled to feature Joey Styles and Paul Heyman sharing backstage stories that long-time fans of the brand will reportedly find interesting.

– NXT star Solomon Crowe cut a promo at the NXT live event on Thursday night in Lakeland, Florida and mentioned that he’s “finally coming soon.” Crowe’s television debut is one of the most anticipated among NXT fans, as he’s already developed somewhat of a cult-like following.

– Joey Styles mentioned on social media that Rey Mysterio, Shane Douglas, Chris Jericho, Psicosis and 2 Cold Scorpio are among those who will be featured on the “ECW Exposed” special that is scheduled to air on the WWE Network after this coming Monday night’s edition of RAW.

As noted, Joey Styles will be interviewing Paul Heyman after Monday’s edition of WWE RAW as part of “ECW Week” on the WWE Network.

After hearing of the news, TNA commentator Taz posted the following tweet on his official Twitter account:

.@HeymanHustle @JoeyStyles @WWENetwork I guess for a movement/company that SO MANY bashed, ripped & laughed at…still is relevant. 2 Funny.

— TAZ (@OfficialTAZ) November 6, 2014

Heyman replied to that tweet with this one:

. @OfficialTAZ HUGE difference between "relevant" and "exploited," which I'll be happy to explain Monday night. @JoeyStyles @WWENetwork @WWE

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) November 6, 2014

– As noted, former “Saved By The Bell” star Dennis Haskins, better known as “Mr. Belding,” was backstage at WWE RAW this past Monday night. While at the show, he taped some footage for the latest edition of the JBL & Cole Show, which you can check out below.

– WWE added the latest edition of their “Unseen Photos” monthly feature for August to their official website. Joey Styles, who runs WWE.com, tweeted the following link to the feature on his official Twitter account.

Monthly unseen @WWE photos http://t.co/hMXrszJiCX @HulkHogan @HeelZiggler @NatByNature @SashaBanksWWE @AliciaFoxy @Goldust @StardustWWE

— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) August 29, 2014

Joey Styles tweeted the following earlier today, announcing that tonight’s WWE United States Championship match between Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio will now be a “Last Man Standing” match:

Tonight’s @WWESheamus vs @VivaDelRio U.S. Title bout is now a Last Man Standing Match! Watch @WWE #MainEvent at 8ET on @WWENetwork for FREE!

— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) July 8, 2014

– Several of the biggest names in pro wrestling history were in attendance at this past weekend’s Legends Of The Ring convention from Monroe, New Jersey. Trish Stratus, Lita, Mick Foley, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Booker T, Joey Styles, Colt Cabana, New Jack and more were all on hand to meet fans and tell stories from their careers.

Photographer George Tahinos got a ton of photos, including a hilarious one of Mick Foley trying his hardest not to stare at Sunny’s cleavage, which you can view by clicking the thumbnail below:

– Monday night’s RAW from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota was not sold out. An estimated 8,000-9,000 fans attended.

WWE RAW returns to the Target Center on Monday, December 22nd. The pre-sale password is WWEPRE.

– Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton vs. John Cena, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose is advertised as the dark main event for next week’s RAW and SmackDown tapings.

– Former ECW & WWE announcer Joey Styles says he’d like to call NXT television:

“@Ryzilla85 7@JoeyStyles would u ever get behind the desk again if @WWE asked” Yes for @WWENXT. It reminds me of ECW & tapes monthly in FL.

— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) June 10, 2014

– In light of WWE’s stock dropping to $11 per share, there have been some analysts suggesting that WWE should take the company private again. Most people in WWE are against the idea, feeling that being a public company gives them mainstream legitimacy.

– Joey Styles tweeted that additional episodes of ECW Hardcore TV will be added to the WWE Network soon.

– Hornswoggle noted on Twitter that today marks 8 years that he’s been with WWE:

8 years ago today I debuted @wwe . I think since then I have proven I'm not just some circus act, keep that in mind @WWEElTorito ! #thankyou

— Hornswoggle (@wwehornswoggle) May 26, 2014

– The WWE DVD on Paul Heyman, “Ladies And Gentlemen, My Name Is Paul Heyman,” which is scheduled for an August 5th release, is scheduled to be built around Heyman as the guy who managed the guy who broke Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Among the people who filmed interviews for the DVD are Raven, Tommy Dreamer, Joey Styles, Mick Foley, Rob Van Dam, Jim Ross, Bill Apter and Stephanie McMahon.

– The Greatest Factions DVD that WWE is producing is set to be built around D-Generation X and the Four Horsemen as the key factions. The DVD will also cover the New World Order, The Nexus, The Shield, The Wyatt Family, Evolution, The Fabulous Freebirds, The Nation Of Domination, The Straight Edge Society and The Heenan Family.

– As previously reported, WWE is branding all of their live events this summer as “The SummerSlam Heatwave Tour.” The idea is that it will continue to make SummerSlam feel like the “WrestleMania of the summer.”

– The following is the second edition of WWE Warehouse with Joey Styles and WWE’s Archivist Ben Brown:

– Approximately 400 fans were in attendance at the Gramercy Theater in New York City on Saturday night for the Jim Ross “Ringside” early show. WWE personalities Joey Styles and Tommy Dreamer were in attendance, and ESPN’s Robin Lundberg introduced JR on stage.

– Apparently WWE NXT Women’s Champion Paige has one of the best selling t-shirts on the official WWE website. WWE Diva Lana recently tweeted the following:

I will show society that Women will be as successful as men @RealPaigeWWE is proof with her most sold merchandise on http://t.co/vI7OKjdGnC

— LANA (@LanaWWE) March 1, 2014

– The official WWE website is currently running an article where former ECW announcer Joey Styles looks at what he considers the top five ECW pay-per-views that will be available on the new WWE Network. Styles’ list is as follows:

1. ECW One Night Stand 2005
2. Living Dangerously 1999
3. Heatwave 1998
4. Living Dangerously 1998
5. Barely Legal 1997

Check out the complete article at WWE.com.

– The following is WWE’s “Black History Month” video on current WWE Superstar Xavier Woods:

The official WWE website recently added a new interview with Joey Styles talking to WWE Hall Of Famers “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bret “The Hitman” Hart about the WWE Network.

Austin was asked what the Network announcement was like for him, and he noted the following:

“I was actually a bit [ticked] off that I had to be there, because I had just gotten back from Texas, I was out of shape, I hadn’t really unpacked my bags from being at the ranch for two months. But I was so proud and happy that I went. Way back in the day when I started out in 1990, I would have never envisioned that the business would ever turn to this or someone would have the vision to do it. Vince McMahon was standing right in front of me, about two feet away, and I slapped him on the back two times and I said, “That’s impressive.” And I left that thing being extremely impressed with what WWE has come up with now.”

Check out the complete interview at WWE.com.

The following are highlights from a recent Temple-News interview with WWE’s Joey Styles:

On college students who want to work for WWE: “Call the H.R. department of the company you desire to work at, and tell them what you can do and that you’re willing to work for free. WWE has unpaid interns every single summer and winter break, and I know at least three who graduated and became employees. It’s definitely about making connections to be where you want to be, but you make your own luck. Don’t wait for your break, make it.”

On those who aspire to be wrestling announcers: “You have to know the product backwards and forwards, intern somewhere in the broadcasting profession, and get experience on the air. Just keep in mind you’re talking about an industry where there is only one company where you can make a living at calling wrestling matches, so you should probably widen your potential employers and fields you want to go in.”

Check out the complete interview online at Temple-News.com.

– At Thursday’s WWE live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, WWE backstage worker Michael Hayes stumbled over the top rope while entering the ring for a segment with a Big Show and Booker T. It was believed to be on a purpose, since Roman Reigns similarly stumbled during a live event last month in Dublin, Ireland, which CM Punk mocked at the following Monday’s Raw event in Manchester, England.

Video: Roman Reigns Falls While Entering The Ring At Live Event

A fan in attendance managed to capture footage of Hayes’ fall.

– The official WWE website has issued a poll on Daniel Bryan’s best match of 2013. His match against John Cena at SummerSlam, which saw him capture the WWE Championship, currently leads at 47%. It is trailed by his partnership with Kane and The Undertaker against The Shield on the Apr. 22 Raw (14%) and a Street Fight against Randy Orton on June 24 (11%).

– As reported earlier, Lisa Maria Varon, famously known as Victoria, attended Thursday’s WWE live event at the AllState Arena in Chicago, Illinois as a fan. One WWE employee would like to see the former Women’s Champion return to their ring.

“You should be experiencing them from the ring,” Joey Styles, WWE’s VP of Digital Media Content, wrote to Varon on Twitter in response to her message noting that it was her first WWE experience in the audience.

Joey Styles, Vice President of Digital Media Content for WWE, appeared on VOC Wrestling Nation to help celebrate the one-year anniversary of the program’s move from AM Radio to the Cloud. In the interview, Styles discussed Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan’s rise to success, promoting Hulk Hogan on WWE.com the day it was reported on various websites that his contract with TNA Wrestling had expired, and more. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Dolph Ziggler being underutilized: “My very good friend Dolph Ziggler isn’t being used to the best of his potential. You want to be very careful who you hand the ball to, but I think Dolph is someone that you can absolutely hand the ball to because his work is very exciting. He is unbelievably crisp and great on the mic; he is a big fan of standup comedy and he can ad lib as well (if he is given permission to do it). He’s also never going to embarrass the company, he’s never going to get in trouble with the law, he’s a model guy.”

Daniel Bryan’s rise to success: “The storyline got him over the top to be someone that you would by a ticket for. I was such a fan of his before he even came to WWE. The whole idea of making him lose in 18 seconds to Sheamus did more for him than winning by cheating. That was good for Daniel Bryan (it led to the YES chant the next night on Raw). The fact that the entire company (on the storyline) is ganging up against him, (is a result of the fact that) you wouldn’t do that for someone that you weren’t ready to hand the ball to.”

Internet fans being relevant: “People say Internet fans like they’re a small group. More people have the Internet than have cable tv now. They’re not a vocal minority, they are the only vocal fans. Nobody in our company wanted to acknowledge that (Twitter and Social Media) was as big as it was; but thankfully we got ahead of that and we as a company are huge on Social Media.”

Hulk Hogan being on the front page of WWE.com the day that the Internet reported that his TNA contract expired: “Absolutely (that was intentional). Nobody at WWE.com knows if the (front office) is talking to Hulk Hogan. But it’s out there on every other site; we know that fans are thinking it, so why wouldn’t we use all of the videos and content that we own and use it on the site to build traffic and entertain the fans?”

To listen to the audio interview, visit VOCNation.com.

WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin announced today that he’ll be interviewing Joey Styles today for an upcoming episode of his Steve Austin Show podcast.

Austin’s interview with Jim Ross will be posted online this week.

Speaking of Jim Ross, he tweeted the following today in response to online reports surrounding his WWE departure:

“Occasionally, I read info online about me that’s so absurd it’s embarrassing. Speculation isn’t news, it’s gossip.”

The latest rumor regarding Jim Ross’ WWE departure is that he’s in the process of negotiating a severance package with the company. We’ve not heard anything about this – but it’s possible this is what Ross is referring to.

-WWE will be releasing “ECW Unreleased Volume 2” worldwide (and in the official SESCOOPS.COM Store) this Tuesday. The DVD and Blu-ray set will be hosted by ECW originals Joey Styles and Tommy Dreamer. Below is a full rundown of what fans can expect from the release:

Disc 1:

We Are Back!

Tommy Dreamer vs. Tazmaniac
Hardcore TV * October 19, 1993

Terry Funk & Arn Anderson vs. Sabu & Bobby Eaton
When Worlds Collide * May 14, 1994

Hardcore Legends

Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk
Hardcore Heaven * August 13, 1994

“I Quit” Match
Tommy Dreamer vs. The Sandman
Hardcore TV * October 4, 1994

Wrestling Machines

Eddie Guerrero & The Steiner Brothers vs. 2 Cold Scorpio, Dean Malenko & Cactus Jack
Wrestlepalooza * August 5, 1995

Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer
Holiday Hell * December 29, 1995

The Public Enemy vs. The Gangstas
House Party * January 5, 1996

Disc 2:

A Good Idea At The Time

Extreme Hardcore Shoot Fight
Chris Jericho vs. Taz
Lost Battalion Hall * April 13, 1996

ECW World Television Championship Match
2 Cold Scropio vs. Shane Douglas
A Matter of Respect * May 11, 1996

The Flagstaff

Sabu vs. Chris Jericho
Plymouth Meeting, PA * August 29, 1996

Dick Togo, Terry Boy & Taka Michinoku vs. Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa & Great Sasuke
Hardcore TV * March 27, 1997

Tag Team Wrestling Done Right

Three Way Dance for ECW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Eliminators vs. The Gangstas vs. The Dudleys
The Buffalo Invasion * May 17, 1997

Disc 3:

Real Heat

The Sandman, Taz, Tommy Dreamer & Al Snow vs. Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Doug Furnas & Philip LaFon
Hardcore TV * January 5, 1998

ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Shane Douglas vs. Al Snow
Wrestlepalooza * May 3, 1998

ECW World Tag Team Championship Match
Chris Candido & Lance Storm vs. Sabu & Rob Van Dam
Hardcore TV * June 29, 1998

A Real Clash of Styles

Three Way Dance for the FTW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Sabu vs. Taz vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
ECW Arena * August 8, 1998

ECW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Dudleys vs. Spike Dudley & Balls Mahoney
Hardcore TV * August 23, 1999

Stepping Up

ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Mike Awesome vs. Rhino
ECW on TNN * October 1, 1999

Extreme Three Way Dance
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Super Crazy
November to Remember * November 7, 1999

The Ultimate Underdog

ECW World Television Championship Match
Rob Van Dam vs. Mikey Whipwreck
ECW on TNN * January 28, 2000

Three Way Dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Justin Credible vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Steve Corino
ECW on TNN * September 29, 2000

End of an Era

Blu-ray Exclusives:

911 vs. Doink the Clown
Hardcore TV * August 27, 1994

Steel Cage Match
The Sandman, 2 Cold Scorpio & New Jack vs. The Public Enemy & Mikey Whipwreck
Gangsta’s Paradise * September 16, 1995

Four Way Dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
Terry Funk vs. Raven vs. Stevie Richards vs. The Sandman
The Buffalo Invasion * May 17, 1997

The Dudleys vs. The Public Enemy
Detroit, Michigan * January 23, 1999

Tommy Dreamer vs. Lance Storm
Hardcore Heaven * May 16, 1999

Japanese Death Match
Super Crazy vs. Yoshihiro Tajiri
Hardcore TV * February 11, 2000

DVD Runtime: 7 hours and 14 minutes
Blu-ray Runtime: 8 hours and 52 minutes

-The annual Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Fanfest returns this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Fanfest will begin this Thursday, and will run through Sunday evening.

Among those scheduled to appear as featured guests throughout the four days the Fanfest is in town are: Ole Anderson, Lars Anderson, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham, Les Thatcher, The Rock N’ Roll Express, Jim Cornette, The Midnight Express, Johnny Powers, Danny Miller, Leilani Kai, Susan Green, “Dr.” Tom Prichard, Rich Landrum, Bob Caudle, Mr. Wrestling II, Tully Blanchard, Ivan Koloff, Tiger Conway Jr., Denny Brown, Gerald Brisco, Ken Patera, Manny Fernandez, Baron Von Raschke, The Kernodles, The Mulkeys, Jerry Jarrett, Tommy Angel, Tommy Young, Moondog Rex and Scrappy McGowan.

All of the events scheduled for the Fanfest this weekend will be available for the first time ever on iPPV. For more information, visit MidAtlanticLegends.com.

Details On Major Last-Minute Change In Plans For WWE SummerSlam!

WWE.com personality Joey Styles, known worldwide as the Voice of ECW, joined the VOC Nation Radio Network to discuss Wrestlemania, Ric Flair, the state of the industry, and much more.

The VOC Wrestling Nation is the flagship program of the VOC Nation Radio Network, and can be heard every Wednesday from 5PM – 7PM ET WORLDWIDE at VOCNation.com.

Here are some highlights of what Joey had on his mind:

On the current state of wrestling commentary: “If I was able to (feed lines to the announcers), do you think that the announcing would sound like it does? (When I quit Raw) that was absolutely straight shooting at its finest. That was exactly how I felt.”

On Paul Heyman going into the Hall of Fame: “I don’t think (it will happen this year at Madison Square Gardern). Because Paul is now an active performer on the WWE roster, managing the top heel in the company, it would be hard to separate the person that he is from the character he plays on TV. I can’t think of a person who deserves it more. He has one hell of a hall of fame resume.”

On Ric Flair’s recent WWE TV appearances: “I think Ric is a little toned down. He is at least 60 years old. He doesn’t like to follow scripts either. When I interviewed Ric on WWE.com a few weeks ago, it was the most low key, relaxed, Ric Flair that I’ve ever seen. Maybe he’s slowing down and just starting to enjoy himself a little.”

On the Honkytonk Man’s accusations that Flair sold the Rolex that Shawn Michaels gave him: “Did you see on Monday Night Raw that Ric made sure to point out the watch (that Michaels gave him)?”

On whether or not Flair will wrestle again in WWE: “Oh God no. They can get around the storyline retirement by calling it an “unsanctioned street fight” similar to what Hogan did, but I certainly don’t want to see Ric in the ring with guys who are a third of his age. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

On part time talent headlining Wrestlemania: “You can make an argument for or against anything; it may take the spotlight off of some younger people, but you can also argue that the overall spotlight may not be as bright without The Rock or Brock Lesnar. You cannot overstate the effect that the Rock has on the audience watching WWE. Since the Rock has been on the show, the traffic on WWE.com is up, and the ratings have averaged over 3.0 both weeks. He brings a whole other audience in that may not normally watch WWE, and helps put more of a spotlight on everybody. It’s not like he left on bad terms, he left to become one of the biggest stars in the world.”

On his role in the WWE: “I am part of a team at WWE.com; I don’t run WWE.com. A lot of people think that I’m in charge there and I’m not.”

On the WWE embracing social media: “Whatever new technology or technique is developed for connecting with your fans, we jump into it. It’s very interesting and makes things busy for all of us.”

On whether Stone Cold Steve Austin will be at Wrestlemania: To my knowledge he is not going to be at Wrestlemania, but then again, I’m not privy to those conversations.

– After WWE.com spoiled the major event that takes place on Friday’s SmackDown, a tweeted Joey Styles (editor of WWE.com) about why WWE gives away the results of their own taped shows. The fan wrote, “@WWE and @JoeyStyles spoil SmackDown because they’d rather you get the spoiler from them than a wrestling news site. Styles replied to the fan, writing – “Bingo!”

– Santino Marella will be appearing at Fiesta Mart South in Austin, Texas this Friday at 3PM.

– Former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz was backstage at Monday’s RAW working with The Rock on his promo. Gewirtz has always worked closely with The Rock on his WWE material and has been working as a consultant since being removed as the VP of WWE’s Creative Writing team last year.

Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) of The Score Television Network and the Baltimore Sun spoke with Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles). Highlights:

– Revealing that he’ll never return to call pro wrestling matches again. “No. Never. No.”

– His career highlight calling the ECW originals match at WM23 with Tazz

– His involvement with WWE.com, including editing articles and improving the content thanks to the leadership of Stephanie McMahon

– If CM Punk would have succeeded in the original ECW: “Oh, he would have been champion.”

– What it was like to call whole shows solo: “Having a good color man is a huge help. Having a bad color man is a huge hindrance.”

* Rumored Finish For PUNK vs. RYBACK & A BIG Return Planned For The Royal Rumble

– WWE Champion CM Punk responded to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s one-minute video on Tuesday referring to him as “a damn joke” and plan to address his dismissive remarks on Raw Monday in greater detail.

“I listened for broken glass,” Punk wrote on Twitter in response to Joey Styles plugging the video and writing, “LISTEN FOR THE BROKEN GLASS!”

Punk continued, “All I heard was a broken record. Speaking of broken records… #325.”

– Big Show will be appearing on the upcoming season of USA Network’s Psych premiering Wednesday, February 27, 2013.

– Mick Foley will be signing copies of his new children’s book, “A Most Mizerable Christmas,” at Barnes & Noble in the Cherryvale Mall 7200 Harrison Ste 5 Rockford, Illinois, on Thursday, Nov. 15 beginning at 6:00 p.m.

– John Cena confirmed Friday via Twitter that he will be at Monday’s Raw in Sacramento, California, despite recovering from surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow two weeks ago.

“Still not medically cleared but @wwe @CMPunk I WILL be at #raw THIS MONDAY in Sacramento #nevergiveup #riseabovecancer,” he wrote.

Cena also responded to a request to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to spread breast cancer awareness: “Hey @TheEllenShow as long as it’s not Monday. I’m going to Sacramento for #RAW.”

– Joey Styles posted a lengthy blog on Facebook explaining why he’s the proudest “Paul Heyman Guy.” The Vice President of Digital Media Content for WWE.com credits Heyman for seeing potential in him that no one else did.

“Put simply, Paul Heyman was the only one in professional wrestling to have seen enough potential in me to even give me an audition. He didn’t even bother asking permission of his boss, ECW Owner Tod Gordon (who ended up asking me who the hell I was and what I was doing in his locker room while catching me in my underwear changing into my suit),” Styles writes. “Regardless of that humiliating incident that was the reason I switched from “tightie whities” to boxer briefs, three months later, when Paul became the Creative Director and Executive Producer (we used the term Booker back then because there was an actual book of upcoming wrestling cards that was constantly updated), the first thing he did was make me “The Voice of ECW.”

“That’s right, Paul started his dream career as a professional wrestling Booker with the entire industry watching him and most people routing for him to fail by letting an unknown 21 year old announcer host his weekly television show.”