Paul Heyman has introduced a brand new online multiplayer mode for the upcoming WWE 2K25 video game dubbed ‘The Island.’
The Wiseman introduced the new game mode during the latest Sony State of Play presentation. The online open world experience seems to be similar to ‘The City’ seen in NBA 2K games, with up to 50 players being able to enter and interact with each other at once:
“With The Island, players enter an online environment filled with WWE-themed landmarks, quests, live events, and shops with up to 50 other players at a time.
The Island also offers deep customization, giving players the chance to personalize their MySuperstars like never before. As the first of its kind for the franchise, The Island is not just an addition; it’s a bold step toward the future,”
The preview footage also showed attractions based on popular superstars such as Roman Reigns and Rhea Ripley as well as an area titled the Hall of Legends.
This is not the only thing Heyman is involved with in regards to the upcoming game. The advocate will be providing introductions for all 2K25 showcase mode matches highlighting the various Anoa’i family members.
WWE 2K25 is set to release on March 14, with early access to players pre ordering the Deluxe editions from March 7. The new game mode will unfortunately be only available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
Paul Heyman has addressed Seth Rollins’ aggressive attack on Roman Reigns during the Royal Rumble, following a chaotic sequence involving Rollins, Reigns, and CM Punk.
Entering at No. 25, Rollins found both Reigns and Punk already in the ring. As the battle intensified, Punk seized an opportunity, eliminating both Rollins and Reigns while they fought near the ropes. However, Punk’s celebration was cut short when Logan Paul blindsided him, tossing him out as well.
The chaos continued outside the ring as Rollins viciously stomped Reigns on the floor before turning his attention to Punk. After a brief brawl, Rollins went a step further, delivering another devastating Stomp to Reigns—this time on the steel steps.
Image: WWE
Heyman Reacts to Rollins’ Outburst
After Pat McAfee shared footage of the post-elimination brawl, Heyman weighed in on social media, suggesting Rollins’ anger issues were reaching new heights.
“One could read this post as @PatMcAfeeShow calling @WWERollins an A-HOLE.
Considering Mr. Rollins’ actions last night at @WWE #RoyalRumble, I would suggest Mr. Rollins’ lack of anger management has been provoked enough!”
While chaos unfolded between Rollins, Reigns, and Punk, Jey Uso capitalized on the moment, delivering a shocking victory in the Royal Rumble match. He last eliminated John Cena, securing his spot in the main event of WrestleMania 41.
Paul Heyman believes CM Punk’s rivalry with Drew McIntyre shows why the Straight Edge Star is a special performer.
The Mad Scientist of wrestling recently spoke to Justin Barrasso of Undisputed. He discussed things such as Roman Reigns’ face turn, his Hall of Fame speech and more. The former ECW owner also talked about CM Punk’s return to WWE and getting the chance to work with him again.
Paul Heyman first claimed that he doesn’t have any regrets about his past with Punk because everything that happened has led to this moment. He then revealed his thoughts about the former WWE Champion’s storyline with Drew McIntyre, calling it one of the greatest rivalries of all time:
“He and Drew McIntyre put together one of the greatest rivalries of all time in a year when Punk was on the disabled list for nine-tenths of the run of their program. It’s fascinating to me how they pulled that off in 2024. It was new when WWE did it with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin in ’98 and ’99, but it is very hard to surprise an audience now. Punk has been a master at pulling it off.”
Punk’s rise to main event status was originally tied to his rebel persona and disregard for authority. Things have changed since his return to WWE however. Some people find it surprising that he remains as popular despite becoming a company man and acting as an ideal ambassador for the promotion at every turn.
Paul Heyman discussed how CM Punk’s character and motivations have changed since his last run with the company. At his core, however, the Second City Saint remains a rebel according to Heyman:
“Punk has evolved. The rebel, the disrupter, he still exists. Rebels don’t typically last that long, but this one does. That’s what makes Punk unique, different, and special. We live in an industry where unique, different, and special is rarified air. The only person that I can see who deserves the same credit for being unique and different and special is Roman Reigns.”
Apart from this, Heyman commented on the ‘favor’ he now owes Punk in return of the wrestling veteran helping Roman Reigns and The Bloodline at Survivor Series: WarGames last year. While Paul didn’t give anything away, he claimed that he’s ‘tickled’ at being a part of this cliffhanger that has kept people guessing.
D-Von Dudley believes Paul Heyman’s habit of doing everything on his own was one of the reasons for the downfall of the original ECW.
The Attitude Era star who worked extensively with both Vince McMahon and Heyman during his career talked about the difference between the two in a video on his new YouTube channel.
While discussing the things he didn’t like about both the bosses, D-Von noted that Paul did not like asking for help even when he knew that he needed it:
“Paul had so much responsibility on his hands, he trusted nobody. Even though he knew he needed help, he was still going to carry the load all by himself. He didn’t care. I think that’s what burned him out.
Probably one of the things that I feel that probably closed the doors of ECW. You got to have that help. You got to be able to put your pride aside and go ‘Hey I need help. Can you help do this? Can you help do that?'”
According to the wrestling veteran, this is one of the reason for the failures of the original ECW as Heyman burnt himself up while trying to keep the brand going:
“When you’re trying to live up to the hype that ECW created, it’s hard to keep doing it on a regular basis when you don’t have any help. So that was one of the things I wish Paul could have done because maybe the company would have been around, who knows.
But that’s one of the things that I feel that Paul basically I didn’t like about it. I wanted to see ECW survive because it was my home. It was my first home and it was sad to me when it was gone.”
Paul Heyman took over the creative of ECW in 1993. He became the sole owner of the company in 1995 and started it off on the path that changed the wrestling world. The promotion folded due to financial difficulties in 2001, however, as Heyman failed to secure a new TV deal for it before WWE bought it in 2003.
CM Punk’s arrival in WWE in 2006 came after the company hadn’t watched any of his matches, according to Paul Heyman. Speaking to Inside The Ropes, Heyman recalled Punk being asked to emulate Jeff Hardy in OVW, and revealed that WWE’s decision to sign the Chicago-Made star was based on online hype alone.
“They said, ‘Do one of those flippy-dippy things like Jeff Hardy.’ He said, ‘I don’t do flippy-dippy things like Jeff Hardy.’ He looked at them and asked, ‘Have you ever watched any of my matches?’ They said, ‘No, We just read about you on the internet, and that’s why we hired you.”
Heyman expressed disbelief at WWE’s approach, calling it “f***ing ridiculous,” but the gamble paid off for both the company and Punk. Within a year of his on-screen debut, Punk had risen to prominence as one of WWE’s top stars, and by 2008, he’d captured the World Heavyweight Championship.
CM Punk and Paul Heyman recently reunited on WWE TV, with Punk aiding the OG Bloodline on the promise of a favor by the WWE Hall of Famer. It remains to be seen what that favor will be, but Punk certainly doesn’t have to worry about WWE not paying attention to his matches anymore.
Paul Heyman may have never officially worked for TNA, but the man now known as Roman Reigns’ “Wise Man” played a significant behind-the-scenes role in Ken Anderson’s TNA journey. After his WWE release in 2009, the former Mr. Kennedy debuted in TNA under his real name in January 2010.
Speaking on the Rewind, Recap, Relive podcast, Anderson reflected on his time working with Heyman in WWE, crediting the Hall of Famer for coming up with the “Mr. Kennedy” name. Anderson also revealed that Heyman continued to assist him with promos during his TNA tenure, despite not being affiliated with the company.
“I would oftentimes call Paul Heyman and say, ‘Hey, here’s what they have for me. Can you help me make sense of this?’ And he would fire me off an email and rewrite what they had written for me. So he, in a sense, was writing for TNA at one time.”
Although Heyman never officially joined TNA, his influence extended beyond WWE, helping talents like Anderson refine their craft. Heyman eventually returned to WWE in 2012 after a six-year hiatus, while Anderson remained with TNA, where he became a two-time World Champion before his 2016 departure following a failed on-the-spot drug test.
Today, fans can catch Heyman regularly on WWE television following his return after an attack by The Bloodline earlier this year. Stay tuned to SEScoops for updates on Paul Heyman, whose impact continues to resonate across the wrestling industry.
While this year’s Survivor Series War Games match was, on its surface, a battle between two different versions of The Bloodline, the last minute addition of CM Punk to the team captained by Roman Reigns reframed the narrative. The story largely came down to Punk and Reigns as uneasy partners, bound by being two of the most successful Paul Heyman Guys.
The unlikely duo did wind up successfully coexisting, but it nonetheless returned a spotlight to the concept of Paul Heyman Guys and who among the celebrated cast of elite stars The Wise Man has helped along the way really is the best. We’ll never have a definitive answer, but it is interesting to compare the top contenders.
Bully Ray
Bully Ray is probably the most surprising act to appear on a list of the most successful Paul Heyman Guys, but when one stops to think about it, it’s both pretty remarkable what the former Bubba Ray Dudley has accomplished and how unlikely his story was had Heyman not put him in a position to succeed.
Though Bully Ray never had a main event singles run in ECW, he was nonetheless one of the promotion’s top stars, a heatseeking missile who drew nuclear reactions from the live crowds. Moreover, the opportunities afforded to him in ECW laid the foundation for his legendary run with D-Von Dudley as one of the greatest tag teams of all time, across ECW, WWE, TNA, and elsewhere.
It was in TNA where Bully Ray realized his full potential, booked as the leader of the Aces and Eights faction, world champion, and the definitive top heel in the promotion for the better part of the year. While he never broke out in WWE, this run proved what he had inside of him as a talker, worker, and wrestling mind, making good on everything Heyman had seen in him from back in their days in Philly together.
CM Punk
CM Punk was an indie darling but ran into a brick wall after signing with WWE. Upper management didn’t see a lot in him, but Paul Heyman did.
Heyman’s role running developmental at that point set him up to work closely with an eager Punk who sat under Heyman’s learning tree while further honing his craft. Against the odds, The Straight Edge Superstar did rise to prominence on the main roster in time. He did some of his best work as a long-reigning WWE Champion, with Heyman serving as his Advocate. Though Punk never needed a mouthpiece, Heyman certainly added to his presentation.
Punk’s resume since first collaborating with Heyman speaks for itself. He is, to date, a two-time WWE Champion, three-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, WWE ECW Champion, rare two-time WWE Money in the Bank winner, and two-time AEW Champion. It’s a record that places him among wrestling’s most accomplished stars of his generation.
Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns was Vince McMahon’s final hand-picked face of WWE, but it wasn’t until Reigns dropped the white meat babyface persona The Chairman had saddled him with and turned heel alongside Paul Heyman that he broached God Mode.
His positioning as the top babyface placed Reigns as a regular rival to Brock Lesnar, which gave him his first opportunities to collaborate with Heyman. Things went to an entirely new level when Heyman and Reigns formalized their partnership though, with the duo collaborating closely behind the scenes just as Heyman played The Wise Man on screen for Reigns and his Bloodline faction.
Since partnering with Heyman, Reigns enjoyed a historic three and half year reign as WWE Champion that cemented his place as the face of the company and probably the tip-top star of his generation. That’s not to mention that Reigns just won his second Survivor Series War Games main event and the smart money has more world title glory, WrestleMania main events, and other elite accolades in front of him.
Brock Lesnar
(via WWE)
Brock Lesnar was an exceptional amateur wrestler and one of the few talents to succeed at the highest levels of pro wrestling and MMA alike. While The Beast’s real life combat credentials have little to do with Paul Heyman, his WWE journey was largely molded by his relationship with his advocate.
The generally accepted story is that most of the people advising Lesnar early in his career encouraged him to work like a standard big man who worked a slow pace, hit power moves, and never left his feet. Heyman saw bigger things in taking advantage of Lesnar’s natural speed and agility to lead to The Next Big Thing he’d become. Add in Heyman as a necessary mouthpiece and Lesnar became one of the biggest stars WWE has ever seen.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The year was 1995 and nobody believed in Steve Austin. Austin had been let go from WCW out of a combination of his attitude issues and injuries, combined with a new focus on established imports from WWE. As for WWE, while they would end up signing Austin, it was for the explicit purpose of being a mechanic who could put over stars they were actually invested in in good technical matches.
It was Heyman who put a live mic in Austin’s hands and, in so doing, paved the way the way for the Texas Rattlesnake fans would come to know and love as Stone Cold Steve Austin. Like he did for many others, Heyman gave Stone Cold an opportunity to experiment and spotlight his strengths. Yes, Heyman would also manage Austin in WCW for a spell, and back him up as part of The Alliance in 2001, but it was Austin’s ECW run that permanently branded him as a Paul Heyman guy, and he went on to some of the most explosively successful years in pro wrestling history.
Paul Heyman sees Cody Rhodes for the star that he is and thinks he has paved a new road for the Rhodes family.
Heyman spoke with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports and gave some very interesting comments regarding one of pro wrestling’s royal families. Dusty Rhodes broke the mold of how one envisioned a top star in pro wrestling. He redefined how the business operated and how talent used a microphone to draw crowds. Now his son Cody has his own story to tell, hearkening back to the classic Boy Scout babyface and fans have latched onto him, both from a star power standpoint and a merchandising standpoint.
Heyman believes that Cody’s past three years of work as a top talent has allowed ‘The American Nightmare’ to surpass ‘The American Dream.’
“When Cody Rhodes first came back here, we all had the same sentence we gave in the press conferences. ‘How can you look at Cody and not think of Dusty? To Cody’s indescribably massive credit, I think now is the point in history that we’re realizing that Dusty Rhodes is Cody Rhodes’ father.
“Cody Rhodes is the bearer of the family name that drives the most interest and is now the most famous. If you would have told someone that three years ago, they would have thought you were nuts.”
Some older fans may take exception to such claims, but Rhodes’ merchandise sales could really make the case for Heyman’s viewpoint. Paul also said he has yet to see Cody have a ‘lackluster’ performance in WWE, further perpetuating Cody’s ‘Do The Work’ mantra.
Paul Heyman Calls Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 Win The Right Move
Heyman’s beliefs regarding Cody and his daddy Dusty weren’t the only validation he gave the current WWE Undisputed Champion. He firmly believes that pitting Roman Reigns against Rhodes for the WrestleMania 40 main event was the right move, moreso against the expected battle between Reigns and The Rock.
“That was the rightful main event of WrestleMania 40 because the audience had a two-year investment in that story and lived it… They lived it not only by witnessing and experiencing it, but they lived it many times through the eyes of the protagonist and the struggles he had to endure and survive and thrive through all with his chin up and a progressive move forward attitude.”
That’s a good deal of babyface talk from the former ECW proprietor and Heyman finds himself currently in a fresh babyface role on WWE programming.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker could be the next ‘Paul Heyman Guy’ following his win at Survivor Series: WarGames. At the Vancouver PLE, Breakker retained the gold in a brutal triple-threat match that saw him defeat both Sheamus and Ludwig Kaiser.
On the post-show press conference, Breakker was asked if he would be interested in working with Paul Heyman, who recently returned to WWE programming.
“I definitely think that there’s a possibility of that happening at some point, maybe down the line… The door is definitely open. We’ll just have to say ‘never say never’ on that.”
Breakker is no stranger to working with Heyman, as the Wiseman was loaned by Roman Reigns to Bron for the October 10, 2023, episode of WWE NXT. The star-studded show, which bested AEW Dynamite in the war for ratings, saw Breakker, with Heyman, come up short against the John Cena-endorsed Carmelo Hayes.
Breakker’s comments come after Heyman named the second-generation Superstar as a potential ‘guy’ of his. The 2024 WWE Hall of Famer also has his eyes on GUNTHER, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Liv Morgan in what Heyman believes to be the deepest roster of talent WWE has ever seen. Breakker has long been considered a future top star, and aligning with Heyman could be what it takes to move the reigning Intercontinental Champion into a much bigger picture.
Being a Paul Heyman Guy has long been synonymous with superstardom in professional wrestling, and the WWE Hall of Famer is keeping a watchful eye on WWE’s current roster. In a conversation with SHAK Wrestling, Heyman shared his thoughts on the next potential ‘Paul Heyman Guy’ from today’s crop of talent.
“GUNTHER, Damian Priest, Bron Breakker, Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, and others are remarkable talents. This roster is the deepest and most talented in the history of the industry.”
Few wrestlers have embraced the Paul Heyman Guy label as openly as CM Punk, who popularized the term during his iconic June 2011 Pipebomb promo. While Punk’s affiliation with Heyman became a defining trait, it was also a challenge during his early WWE career.
“CM Punk battled against the perception that all he was was a ‘Paul Heyman Guy.’ He proved himself through his connection with the audience, his hard work, and overcoming being misrepresented as a performer who needed ‘smoke and mirrors.'”
According to Heyman, Punk has grown into a more compelling character over the years. The legendary manager, who worked with Punk from 2012 to 2013, believes the Chicago-born star now shares a deeper, more meaningful connection with the WWE Universe than ever before.
Outside of Punk and Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar is arguably the superstar most associated with Heyman. From Lesnar’s WWE debut in March 2002 to his explosive return a decade later, Heyman has been by the Beast Incarnate’s side for many of his most pivotal moments.
“Brock was unlike any human being you’ve ever seen. He was a once-in-a-lifetime commodity that needed to be marketed as the undisputed number one.”
Roman Reigns is far more than just a WrestleMania headliner, says Paul Heyman, crediting the Bloodline saga as the catalyst for Reigns’ meteoric rise. Since aligning with Heyman in 2020, Reigns has transformed from an often-criticized face into WWE’s most dominant figure, compelling even his harshest detractors to “acknowledge him.”
In an interview with SHAK Wrestling, Heyman reflected on Reigns’ evolution. The 2024 WWE Hall of Famer highlighted how Reigns’ career, while already significant before The Bloodline storyline, has reached unprecedented heights over the last four years.
“Before the Bloodline, Roman was a WrestleMania main eventer. Now, he’s the guy, the top star in the industry, and the centerpiece of WWE’s resurgence into its Platinum era.”
Reigns’ rise is not the only success of the Bloodline saga. Heyman also discussed how the storyline has elevated others, most notably Sami Zayn. He explained how Zayn’s career trajectory changed dramatically once he became part of the narrative.
“Six weeks after being the foil for Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania, Sami Zayn was in the locker room with the Bloodline, and less than a year later, people debated whether he or Cody Rhodes should main event WrestleMania against Roman Reigns.”
This Saturday, Reigns and Zayn will team up with The Usos and CM Punk to face Solo Sikoa’s faction in WarGames at Survivor Series. For Zayn and The Usos, this marks another milestone in their main event careers—an achievement that seemed unimaginable before their integration into WWE’s most compelling and dominant faction. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest updates on the Bloodline and Survivor Series: WarGames, including breaking news and live results.
Paul Heyman believes The Bloodline saga is the best story ever told in wrestling history.
The wrestling veteran recently spoke to Shakiel Mahjouri for a new interview. He talked about things such as companies having too many championships, his return to TV, CM Punk’s rise in WWE, and more.
Heyman who is known for his knowledge of wrestling history was also asked where he ranks the Bloodline saga among all the other great stories told in the business. The former ECW owner explained that he ranks it at the top because of how long it has been drawing money for WWE:
“Because of the longevity that this storyline has had I have to rank it number 1. I mean the money-drawing years of the Horsemen weren’t this long. The money-drawing years of the nWo wasn’t this long. The money-drawing years of Austin vs. McMahon wasn’t this long. Hogan vs. Savage, Hogan vs. Piper which put WrestleMania 1 on the map.
So just in terms of overall storytelling and the constant ebb and flow of affecting other people’s environment in the roster. How they tell their stories. I would suggest it’s the most significant, it’s the biggest money drawing, it has the most longevity, has held the most interest and overall it has done so by being the most intriguing and compelling.”
Explaining what makes the tale so great, Heyman made similar comments to Triple H. He explained that in their story, a character’s evolution is not only inspired by the current circumstances but their past as well:
“Because at every turn you see the characters not just turn towards what the story calls for but the long-term effects of the development of these characters and the evolution of these characters is never lost on us. So if something happens that changes Roman Reigns in 2022, we don’t disavow knowledge of it in 2024. It plays into what’s happening in 2024. So because of that and because we keep it consistent, I would have to rank it number 1. All false humility aside.”
Paul Heyman believes companies should not have too many titles unless they can make all of them relevant.
Having too many championships is a problem that has plagued both WWE and AEW in recent times. Fans have complained about ROH titles being defended on AEW TV on top of having multiple mid-card titles of their own. WWE has also been criticized for lack of tag team title defenses in recent months, while the company is gearing up to add two more women’s championships to their lineup.
The former ECW owner revealed his thoughts on the subject during a recent interview with Shak Wrestling. He was asked about his time as the SmackDown head writer and whether the reports of him opposing the introduction of a mid-card title were true. Heyman who believed that another belt would undermine the tag team and cruiserweight divisions explained that any championship should be given enough time:
“Yeah. I’m not a big fan of a multitude of titles unless you can give them enough time. We had proper focus at that time on the championships that we held and didn’t feel that we needed more championships to tell better stories, and felt that therefore, the introduction of more championships only waters down the championships that we already have the spotlight on at the moment.”
Though Paul Heyman explained that the increased number of titles is not directly related to their relevance. According to him, a company should add or subtract championships based on how well they’re able to maintain the division:
“What works, works. What doesn’t, doesn’t. If you can make it relevant, all pun intended to the island of relevancy, then it will work. If you can’t make it relevant, then it won’t. If there are 14 titles and they all mean something, then you should be looking at doing number 15.
If you have seven titles and you’re struggling to put relevancy on all seven, then you need to cut down the number that you have. What’s working? If it’s working, let’s do more of that. If it’s not working, change it.”
Heyman returned to WWE TV this week helping the team of Roman Reigns to recruit their fifth WarGames member CM Punk. The wrestling veteran would be accompanying the OG Bloodline members for their match against Solo Sikoa and their allies at the Survivor Series event this Saturday.
Paul Heyman made a shocking return on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, revealing the fifth member of The OG Bloodline for the upcoming WarGames Match at Survivor Series. The OG Bloodline, consisting of Roman Reigns, The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso), and Sami Zayn, will take on The Bloodline—Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa—and Bronson Reed.
Reed’s inclusion in the match comes amidst his ongoing feud with Seth Rollins on Raw over the past few months. Speculation had been growing that Rollins might join the OG Bloodline, as the group made one last attempt to convince him to reconcile with Reigns.
As Reigns began addressing the audience in a promo segment at the end of SmackDown, he was interrupted by Paul Heyman, who delivered his iconic “Ladies and gentlemen” line. Heyman humorously acknowledged his “math error,” referencing the time he was put through a table at Madison Square Garden, and pointed out the obvious: WarGames cannot be a 4-on-5 match. To even the odds, Heyman announced that he had found the OG Bloodline’s fifth member: CM Punk.
Punk’s return electrified the arena as he stormed to the ring to assist the OG Bloodline in taking down The Bloodline faction. The show closed with the babyfaces standing tall in the ring, leaving fans buzzing about the showdown set for next Saturday at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Jey Uso, in an exclusive interview with Peter Rosenberg for Rosenberg Wrestling at ComplexCon 2024, provided insights into Paul Heyman’s continued importance to the Bloodline storyline, even as Heyman remains absent from WWE television.
Jey reassured fans that Heyman’s influence transcends his on-screen presence, describing the “Wiseman” as an indispensable figure in the family’s WWE journey. “The Wiseman is really the Wiseman to my family. He’s been around my family more than 50 years,” Jey revealed, emphasizing Heyman’s deep-rooted connection to the Anoa’i family.
Heyman’s behind-the-scenes contributions remain vital, according to Jey, who highlighted his mentor’s role in refining promos, strategizing storylines, and advocating for the family’s success.
“Even when he’s not on TV, he’s there. All the backstage stuff—‘Say this. Maybe say it like this. Do this. Do that.’ He’s a big player to vouch for you and push for you. Any problem we have, we go to him. He makes it happen for my family. We love him.”
– Jey Uso on Paul Heyman (via Rosenberg Wrestling)
Heyman’s Absence Fuels Speculation
The Wiseman Paul Heyman and Jey Uso (WWE TV)
Paul Heyman’s absence was notably spotlighted during the November 15 episode of SmackDown. In a key segment, Roman Reigns attempted to contact Heyman, only to encounter a “number not in service” message. This led to widespread speculation among fans about Heyman’s status within the Bloodline.
Jey dispelled concerns about Heyman’s position, clarifying that his lack of on-screen appearances does not detract from his crucial behind-the-scenes involvement. “He’s still very much a part of everything we do,” Jey affirmed.
Future Return and Survivor Series
While no definitive timeline for Heyman’s return to television has been provided, Jey’s remarks hint at his continued influence on the ongoing Bloodline narrative. This has only heightened intrigue surrounding the faction’s upcoming Survivor Series WarGames match on November 30.
Jey Uso and the Bloodline are set to face a formidable lineup, including Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Bronson Reed. Whether Heyman will make a surprise appearance remains uncertain, but his behind-the-scenes contributions to the storyline continue to solidify the Bloodline’s dominance in WWE.
WWE has teased Paul Heyman’s return to TV, though there might still be some road bumps in the way of his reunion with Roman Reigns.
The Tribal Chief has successfully reassembled the original Bloodline ahead of his WarGames match with Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline at Survivor Series. They are still one member short of the requirement for the upcoming match, however.
The group of Reigns, Sami Zayn and the Usos will need a real powerhouse to counter Bronson Reed who was revealed as the fifth member of the opposite team during the November 15 SmackDown.
Reigns apparently felt the need to bring Heyman back into the fold after Reed took him out during the show. He was seen calling The Wise Man after the main event. Unfortunately for the former World Champion, the call failed to connect and it was revealed that the number was not in service anymore:
The fact that the call got such a huge pop and then the air was taken out of everyone's lungs when it didn't connect….the story going this strong 3 years in is just unbelievable. #WWESmackDown#RomanReignspic.twitter.com/Nkx74pk57x
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) November 16, 2024
Paul Heyman was last seen on WWE TV during the June 28th episode of SmackDown. Heyman refused to acknowledge Solo as the Tribal Chief and was subsequently taken out by Sikoa and his cousins.
Elsewhere in the show, we saw Sami Zayn trying to recruit US Champion LA Knight as the fifth member of their WarGames team. Knight, however, refused the offer before being attacked by a returning star.
With only 2 more episodes of SmackDown to go before Survivor Series on November 30, the big question is who will finally join Roman and his allies in the upcoming battle and if Heyman will play a role in finding the final member.
Kayla Braxton has revealed that she wasn’t thrilled with the Paul Heyman pairing at first but she learned the genius of the former ECW owner as time went by.
The former WWE personality recently had an interview with Denise Salcedo. She talked about things such as her love for horror movies, the reason she left WWE, and more.
During the talk, Braxton was asked about her work with Heyman which was one of the highlights of her later run in WWE. Kayla revealed that she wasn’t a fan of the wise man when he first started appearing on Talking Smack with her:
“Yeah, probably one of the most—if not the most—brilliant mind in wrestling. Paul’s been around forever, for like many different leaderships and eras of wrestling. That really happened very organically back during the Thunderdome era, during the pandemic, when they put us together on Talking Smack.
So we had the panel show. I didn’t really know Paul, hadn’t worked with Paul that much at the time. I just knew that this really big, loud man was on my kickoff show all of a sudden, taking up all my airtime. I was getting really frustrated with him, but then the more I got to work with him…man, I would not have become the broadcaster I had become if it weren’t for Paul Heyman.”
Things changed once Paul Heyman started working his magic. Kayla Braxton mentioned how even before her time, Talking Smack was a destination for some big storyline developments. Her mini-feud with Heyman also made its way to SmackDown when Paul Heyman started doing his thing:
“From there, we’d create little mini storylines on the panel—which a lot of times, Talking Smack, things that would happen on there, even that the Renee Paquette, then Renee Young and Daniel Bryan – things would end up on TV at storylines. That’s kind of what inched our way into this whole Bloodline feud that I had.
And listen, there were a lot of times we’d be going live, I’d be handed a script of what to say in my interview. and Paul’s like ‘You don’t need that.’ I’m like ‘Yo we’re going live and I don’t know if I can just tell them in the truck hey, I’m not saying that’ But we would just go off the cuff, and anything Paul touched turned to gold. It was really fun. And that’s also something that’s really special. Not a lot of people can say that they got to work that closely with the wise man.”
Kayla Braxton left NXT for the main roster in April 2019. She was made host of Talking Smack in August 2020 and the show was renamed to SmackDown LowDown. She left the company in June this year.
Paul Heyman has created a lot of memorable moments for pro wrestling fans, but he has yet to live out his favorite one yet. However, that’s with good reason.
Whether he was in ECW’s land of the extreme or embedded in the ever-changing universe of WWE, Heyman has left his indelible mark on the squared circle. The 2024 WWE Hall Of Famer loosened his tie a bit to have a Fanatics Fanfest interview with Jazzy. He had a little fun heckling the young interviewer but ultimately gave her some insightful advice. When she asked Heyman if he’s had a favorite moment yet in WWE, Paul E. opened up about how he stays motivated.
“I haven’t lived it yet. Every moment I’ve been in WWE has been my favorite which means the next moment I have, that will become my favorite. If you don’t strive for that next moment to be your favorite then you’re lowering your own expectations and your own ambition and I won’t do that. I always strive for tomorrow to better than today and for the day after tomorrow to be better than tomorrow.”
What likely wasn’t a favorite moment of Heyman’s was when the new Bloodline attacked him and ultimately powerbombed him through the commentator’s table. Heyman hasn’t been seen on television since, but still remains an active mind backstage during tapings. Rob Van Dam noted that Heyman was actually behind-the-scenes at the SmackDown premiere on USA Network. However, it is a possibility we could see Paul get back in the on-air mix as Roman Reigns begins his feud with Solo Sikoa.
Posted September 19th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: Paul Heyman.
Former WWE Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns recently reunited with WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman for a non-WWE appearance. ‘The Tribal Chief’ joined Heyman on-stage for Bloomberg Power Players New York and discussed WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw finding a new home on Netflix, starting January 6th, 2025. Roman Reigns said that Raw airing on Netflix is the biggest deal of all time.
“I think this is the biggest deal of all-time, to be honest.”
– Roman Reigns on WWE’s deal with Netflix
The former WWE Undisputed Champion feels that after leading the live television for decades, the show moving to the streaming network is a huge milestone and a great opportunity to showcase their product. He said:
“… But the thing that changes the whole landscape for us is that we’ve been on linear television for decades now, and we’ve been the leader of that episodically. So, to take our program and to put it on a streaming network like Netflix, it’s just unheard of.
To go all the way back through our history to see where we are now and the growth that we’ve had really since 2020, when the world was upside down has just really been amazing. So it’s a big opportunity for us to not only showcase our product, but just what we’ve mastered with live television.”
– Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns enjoys challenges of PG content
Reigns also shared his thoughts on WWE potentially leaning into edgier content on Netflix. The 39-year-old wasn’t in favor of WWE going beyond PG limits with its move to Netflix. He noted that while WWE made a reputation of edgier content back in the day, he enjoys the challenges that comes with PG rating. He said:
“If we allow Paul to do Hall of Fame speeches non-stop, we’ll definitely push that envelope. But for me, I don’t know. I have always enjoyed the challenges of being PG and no offense to our predecessors and the people who came before us and the ratings that they revolved around, but to me, it’s a, it’s more challenging to be able to tell these stories. It also allows you a broader audience to connect to which I just really feel like. It’s always the goal.”
– Roman Reigns
He believes that there will be a room for experimenting but reckoned that WWE should stick to its core values and morals. He added:
“We want to reach as many people as possible. And I think there’s a fine limit to when you can cross that threshold where you push people off from the product. So I think there’s a nice, there’s going to be a nice little range there that we can play with. And, push the envelope in certain senses. But I think we need to stick to our values and the morals that we’ve set in place in the culture that we have now.”
– Roman Reigns
Raw will join Netflix in January next year and the agreement between the two parties spans ten years and exceeds $5 billion. The exclusive hosting of Raw on Netflix will begin in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Latin America, with additional territories to be added eventually.
Netflix is set to become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S., including Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and Premium Live Events such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble. WWE’s documentaries, original series, and the forthcoming projects will also be made available on Netflix internationally starting next year.
Former WWE Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns is set to reunite with WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman next month.
Bloomberg Live announced on social media that ‘The Original Tribal Chief’ and his ‘Special Counsel’ will be heading to New York and join Power Players. They will be sharing their future in the business.
It has been announced that the half-day experience will take place at Bloomberg World HQ in New York on Thursday, September 5, in conjunction with the US Open Tennis Championships. It has been advertised that the best in the business of sports will “engage in forward-thinking conversations, forge strategic partnerships, and gain insights that will empower you to stay ahead of the game.”
Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman joined forces back in 2020 and established dominance for the next four years. With Heyman by his side, Reigns elevated his career and had a historic World title reign for 1,300+ days. Reigns had also inducted Paul Heyman into the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame.
However, they haven’t been seen together ever since ‘The Head of The Table’ dropped his title to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. Roman Reigns went on a hiatus but Heyman was featured on the shows with the newly formed Bloodline faction under Solo Sikoa, who now claims to be ‘The Tribal Chief’. Sikoa even attacked and dismissed Paul Heyman.
At this year’s SummerSlam, Roman Reigns finally returned to make it clear that he is ‘The Original Tribal Chief.’ He laid out Solo Sikoa alongside the other members of the Bloodline. However, weeks forward, the Bloodline turned the tables to take out Roman Reigns with a brutal attack.
Paul Heyman believes it was meant to be for CM Punk to return to WWE. Punk made his comeback to the company after a disastrous exit from All Elite Wrestling on September 2, 2023, following a backstage altercation with Jake Perry. “The Straight Edge Superstar” would make his shocking return to WWE at Survivor Series on November 25, 2023.
In an interview with Sam Roberts, Heyman said he believed it was destiny for Punk to overcome the issues he had in his wrestling career and return to the WWE.
“It’s destiny, really. CM Punk is back where he belongs, and that’s on top in WWE,” said Heyman. “It’s the old song, you had to go to hell to get to Heaven and CM Punk, the struggle is real, and he is a rebel. To this day, he is a rebel, but the rebel would never reach the top. The rebel will never get his due on his own merit if he doesn’t go through pure, blatant bloody hell, and that hell could not only be in WWE. He had to go through hell elsewhere as well, and everybody had to see it and hear about it and know about it and sit there and go, ‘My god, will somebody please one time give this talented man the platform that he deserves.'”
As a longtime friend of Punk, Heyman continued to speak on the former WWE Champion’s journey back to the company and how he is still dealing with struggles after recovering from an injury at the Royal Rumble on January 27.
Paul Heyman On CM Punk Being At His WWE Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
Punk’s return to the WWE occurred just at the right time for Heyman’s induction into the Hall of Fame on April 5. The self-proclaimed “Best In the World” wrestler sat in the front row with his former manager’s children to witness the event. Heyman admitted it was important that Punk was in attendance for his induction.
“To see him in the front row with my children, was it surreal? No. Actually, it was very, very, very real, and the Hall of Fame would have not been the same to me if that wasn’t the case.”
– Paul Heyman
Thus far, Punk is fighting back against the stigma that he is challenging to work with based on his past. WWE fans are enjoying his return, and Punk seems ready to stay in the company for the rest of his career.
It’s been over 20 years since the original ECW closed its doors, but Paul Heyman still remembers his time with the promotion very fondly. Speaking to Newsweek this week, the WWE Hall of Famer and former owner of ECW recalled his time leading the tribe of extreme.
“Every single day of it was just an honor and a blessing and a dream job.”
Heyman’s tenure with ECW turned the promotion from an Eastern-based territory to a violent, counterculture, cult-followed entity that was among the three biggest promotions in its heyday. In 2001, ECW closed its doors in the face of immense financial strain. Heyman would depart the company shortly before the company went under and would appear as a WWF commentator, replacing Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler.
Paul Heyman Today
These days, Heyman remains part of WWE and his influence has bolstered talent from CM Punk to Brock Lesnar to Roman Reigns. Speaking about what’s to come in wrestling, Heyman was optimistic about the future.
“An era more of continued transparency. Intelligent discussion of the product itself. Authenticity, in terms of the characters. And just great stories.”
Heyman hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since being attacked by Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline, though he was backstage at SummerSlam and was seen conversing with Roman Reigns. This has led fans to speculate that Heyman’s return is imminent, though Reigns was by his own on last week’s SmackDown. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for the latest on Paul Heyman as the ECW magnate continues to be am important figure in wrestling.
In May 2001, Triple H suffered one of the most devastating injuries that a professional athlete could experience: a complete tear of his left quadriceps muscle. The damage occurred half through a World Tag Team Championship match, with The Game continuing the match despite excruciating pain. After an over 8-month hiatus to have surgery and rehab, Triple H would return to WWE inside The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden.
The King of King’s triumphant return to MSG has etched its place in history as one of the greatest returns in professional wrestling history, as the WWE Universe welcomed Triple H back like a conquering hero. The moment has been referenced, reflected, and spoken about in countless mediums, with AEW’s MJF even referencing it in his return to All Elite Wrestling this past May.
This past Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown saw Triple H return to Madison Square Garden again, this time in a much different capacity, as the company’s Chief Content Officer. Despite the turn taking place over 20 years ago, the moment’s significance still sticks with The Game, as he spoke about in a recent post on X.
In the short clip, WWE’s CCO recalled his grueling road to recovery, his anxiety about the fans’ reaction to him, and some wise words he received from WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
“I remember being two segments out, from me coming out, and [Steve] Austin came up to me…’I know what this is like. You’re thinking no one is going to give a sh*t right?’ and I said ‘that has crossed my mind’ and he said ‘yeah man, I went through the same thing. You know, when I broke my neck…what if your music hits and it’s crickets’. He talked to me about it.”
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin suffered a significant injury during SummerSlam 1997 when Austin took on Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship when a miscalculated piledriver caused Austin to become temporarily paralyzed. Austin would be plagued with neck issues for the entirety of his full-time WWE run, eventually leading him to retire at 38 years old from in-ring competition.
Triple H would later describe how it felt to hear the crowd’s reaction when his music hit. Stating how that moment was “10x more than anything I could have ever dreamed of. If all of it had been for that one moment, it would have been worth it.”
Every time @WWE comes to @TheGarden, all the memories come back… and this one will always be at the top of the list. Moments like these are what our business is all about. pic.twitter.com/saC0A5NPb0
WWE SmackDoxwn (6/28) Saw The BloodlineKick Out Paul Heyman
In a shocking turn of events, The Bloodline’s Acknowledgment ceremony turned into a vicious beatdown, as Solo Sikoa ordered the rest of the group to attack The Wise Man Paul Heyman. The New York native found himself being smashed through an announce table as the show closed out.
Heyman refused to acknowledge Solo Sikoa as the true Tribal Chief, sparking a brutal assault on The Godfather of Extreme. Later, Paul Heyman was taken out of MSG in an ambulance, leaving the WWE Universe wondering what comes next for the self-proclaimed tribal chief and the rest of The Bloodline.
WWE returned to their home turf in Madison Square Garden, NYC for the latest episode of SmackDown with the new Bloodline being in front and center of the show.
The opening segment of tonight’s show saw Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and Randy Orton attacking The Bloodline after Jacob Fatu took them out in his debut last week. Nick Aldis had to bring in a lot of security to break things up and the babyface trio were then escorted out of the arena.
The main event of the show was the announced Bloodline Acknowledgement ceremony, where Solo Sikoa first introduced his enforcer Jacob Fatu and then demanded that the MSG crowd acknowledge him.
Sikoa then asked each member of the group to acknowledge him separately and they all obliged. Finally, he placed a lei in Heyman’s hands to officially declare him the new Tribal Chief.
However, Heyman was attacked brutally when he refused to do so. The show ended with Fatu putting the lei on Sikoa and the Bloodline standing tall.
WWE has since released a video of Heyman being escorted out of the arena in a stretcher after this week’s SmackDown went off air:
Apart from the Bloodline chaos, tonight’s show only featured three triple-threat matches in which, Naomi, LA Knight, and Tiffany Stratton all qualified for their respective Money In The Bank matches.
WWE also paid tribute to Hall of Famer Sika Anoa’i, who passed away earlier this week. You can check out more details on it here.
Cody Rhodes’ story may have finished last year at WrestleMania 39, had Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman been unable to influence those in charge at the time.
Reigns retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Rhodes in the controversial main event inside Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. The decision was panned by fans at the time as the wrong choice with many blaming McMahon (who’d forced his way back into WWE in January) for the call.
At one time, Rhodes was penciled into dethrone Reigns in SoFi, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports. That was until Reigns and Heyman convinced both McMahon and WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque to change the finish and give Reigns the victory.
The Tribal Chief and his Wise Man were hands-on with the Bloodline’s creative direction
This change of plans wasn’t (entirely) done to benefit Reigns and extend his title run for another year. The belief at the time was that keeping the gold on Reigns would be beneficial in getting other talent over, including Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa. Jey certainly benefitted from his championship program with Reigns over the Summer which helped elevate the former Tag Team Champion to his ‘Main Event Jey’ role fans see today.
Holding off on the title change was also proposed to be in Rhodes’ best interest. The idea was that keeping Cody’s hunt for the gold going for another year would make his title win more special. Sure enough, Rhodes’ emotional victory at WrestleMania 40 has been praised by fans and critics. The new Undisputed WWE Champion’s next title defense will be at WWE Backlash: France against AJ Styles.
