– Triple H posted the following tweet after SummerSlam on Sunday night, noting that he “loves it when a good plan comes together.”
Love it when a good plan comes together… #TheAuthority #WWE #SummerSlam http://t.co/FoVLXo7nP9
— Triple H (@TripleH) August 18, 2014
– Below is the photo of Triple H congratulating Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman backstage on their WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory over John Cena:
The following are highlights of a new Complex Magazine interview with Paul Heyman:
There was a great moment on Monday Night Raw this past week for Hulk Hogan’s birthday with the appearances of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Rowdy Piper, and others. Although there wasn’t a punch thrown between Brock Lesnar and John Cena, everyone was on the edge of their seat. If you were booking that angle, what would you do differently?
I view that incident from Monday Night Raw differently than you do. I view it as that Brock Lesnar punked out a ring full of WWE Hall of Famers, including the immortal Hulk Hogan. And John Cena thought he was going to play Superman—gonna be a hero—and dived into the ring, but didn’t have what it takes to jump on Brock Lesnar.
Okay, that’s fair. You’ve talked about it a lot this week, but two days away, how do you see the Cena/Lesnar match playing out at SummerSlam?
I’ll be happy to tell you what’s gonna happen Sunday. I’ll save you the time and the effort of scratching your head trying to figure out where this leads. Brock Lesnar is going to deliver a beating to John Cena, the likes of which John Cena has never experienced in his life. When Brock Lesnar is done sadistically smacking around John Cena, Brock Lesnar will hoist John Cena up on his mammoth shoulders. Brock Lesnar will F5 John Cena. Brock Lesnar will pin John Cena. And Brock Lesnar will go on to be the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE heavyweight champion of the world.
Before this interview, I revisited “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s podcast and you said that you still talk to CM Punk and that’s he’s a friend—he’ll always be a friend. Have you spoken to him recently? And do you guys have a “no-wrestling policy” when you guys talk now?
It would be very uncomfortable to describe to anyone any personal conversations I have with anybody. It would be akin to me saying, “So what did you and your wife talk about at the dinner table last night?” Or, “Hey, I heard you went to the baseball game with your best friend, what was he talking to you about?” The answer is, to the entire world, none of your business. Whether Punk and I have a “no-wrestling policy” or a “no-music policy” or a “no-religion policy,” that’s between us. And since we’re not marketing anything in public together, I’m hesitant in describing anything regarding a conversation I would have with—whether it’s CM Punk, or any other friend of mine.
Understood. Switching gears, you’re known for your superb skills on the microphone. In your opinion, of those wrestler that you have worked with, who is the best of all time in terms of cutting a promo?
That I’ve worked with in terms of writing and producing for them? Or in terms of teaching them? Or in terms of, “I’m on the same roster at the same time I watch that guy and I say, ‘Oh my God, he’s great’”?
I think the last criteria broadens the scope a bit…
I think John Cena has been on top for over 10 years because he understands how to convey his message to his audience. I think “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has revolutionized the way in which a character on a wrestling program can speak. I think that when Vince McMahon was opposed against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, there were things that he said and things that he did that were absolutely brilliant and ground-breaking and changed the sculpt of the villain in professional wrestling. So there are a lot of people that I watched—hey, The Rock is one of the biggest movie stars of the past decade. There’s a reason for it: He understands how to convey his message. And he learned that in front of a live audience in WWE, so how could you not include him on that list? There are others that are coming up—I thought the work that Punk did as Champion was simply brilliant and ground-breaking and trend setting, so I would be remiss not to include him on this list as well.
Check out the complete interview at Complex.com.
The following are highlights of a new DC101 interview with Paul Heyman:
O Brock Lesnar not being at every WWE event: “Brock Lesnar is not here 365 days a year, so when he appears, it’s can’t miss, it’s something extraordinary, it’s must see, it’s something special. Besides, if Brock Lesnar wrestled every single week, he would wipe out the entire WWE and in three months we’d have no one left to work with!”
On Brock Lesnar defeating “the streak” being the greatest WrestleMania moment of all time: “Only one man, one beast has ever conquered the streak. And he didn’t just conquer the streak. Brock Lesnar massacred the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Beat him up, F5’ed him into oblivion, hospitalized him, crushed and ended and conquered the streak and walked away The Beast. I think it is the most historical moment in Wrestlemania history and I think it is the biggest moment in modern day WWE completely.”
Check out the complete interview at DC101.com.
The following are highlights of a new Chad Dukes Wrestling Show interview with Paul Heyman:
On others using ideas built in ECW: “I’m a realist and I’ve always been of the opinion that Steve Jobs wasn’t the head of Apple and every single solitary idea that Apple implemented was a Steve Jobs’ idea. People came to Steve Jobs and said, ‘What if we did this?’ And he said, ‘Yes, let’s do that.’ The guy with the bigger platform, more money, a different way to market it, and distribution channels got to make more money than the guy who actually came up with the idea. And that’s just the real world. So, I don’t sit here and bitch and moan and complain, ‘Oh well the Attitude Era kinda my idea in ECW.’ It’s just the reality of it. They had bigger money, they had more distribution, and therefore when they put their spin on it they can claim it to be their own. That’s just the real world. I look forward to the young people who come to me with new ideas today that I can steal from them and become a billionaire with.”
On which MMA star could make the transition to WWE: “Ronda Rousey. I would love for Ronda Rousey to be a Paul Heyman Girl.”
On Cesaro: “I remain very good friends with Cesaro and I appreciate his hard work, I think he is a magnificent talent, but when it became obvious that Option C had to be implemented, Brock Lesnar is a full-time job. Advocating for Brock Lesnar requires my attention 24/7, 365, when that is in play. So when it came time for Option C to be presented to the Authority, I very respectfully noted to Cesaro, ‘This is going to require my full undivided attention.’ Which Cesaro knew from day one, and that’s why we have no hard feelings with each other. I still have great admiration and respect for Cesaro as a man and for his future.”
On Sunday’s match: “Brock Lesnar is going to slap John Cena silly. Brock Lesnar is going to beat him up unmercifully and sadistically twist John Cena up in a manner he’s never experienced, being manhandled, in his entire career.”
On whether we’ll see Brock Lesnar more often as Champion: “You will see Brock Lesnar when your conqueror deems it appropriate to be seen by you.”
“So Brock will appear when he damn well feels like appearing, unless you’ve got someone tough enough to drag him out there on nights he doesn’t feel like appearing before you.”
Check out the complete interview at ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com.
The following are highlights of a new Ring Rust Radio interview with Paul Heyman:
Donald Wood: SummerSlam is Sunday, August 17, on the WWE Network. Your client, Brock Lesnar, will be fighting John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. After being behind one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history, what does the duo of Lesnar and Heyman have in store for SummerSlam?
Paul Heyman: The same thing that was in store for The Undertaker at WrestleMania; a beating beyond compare. I don’t need to hype SummerSlam to those who understand the dominance that prevails in the universe that has been conquered by Brock Lesnar. I think the people who need to be sold on this Pay-Per-View are John Cena fans, to which I offer this very quick sales pitch. If you are a fan of John Cena, and if you are there is no accounting for taste, this is your last opportunity to see him. And if you think it’s all hype and hyperbole, here’s something to consider; if you look back on 21 appearances at WrestleMania by The Undertaker, you can rarely find a video clip of someone even getting a two-count on The Undertaker. Brock Lesnar just didn’t beat The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar hospitalized The Undertaker. Brock Lesnar gave The Undertaker such an ass-kicking that The Undertaker has not been seen, nor heard from since. There was no controversy. There was no outside interference. There was no manager distraction. Brock Lesnar stepped into the ring and beat The Undertaker within an inch of his life, and the same fate awaits for John Cena at the Staples Center, on August 17 in Los Angeles at SummerSlam.
Mike Chiari: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena is the biggest money match WWE has to offer right now, but after SummerSlam what Superstar or Superstars would you like to see Brock face moving forward? Who do you think is ready to and worthy of going up against Brock?
Paul Heyman: I see Brock Lesnar defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against all comers. That could mean Randy Orton, that could mean Seth Rollins, that could mean Roman Reigns, that could mean Dean Ambrose, that could mean Big Show, that could mean Daniel Bryan. If there is anyone that wants to step up and try to take the title away, because that’s the key. You’re not going to just luck a victory over Brock Lesnar. You’re going to have to beat Brock Lesnar in order to take the championship from him. The same way Brock Lesnar is going to hoist John Cena up on his massive shoulders on August 17 at SummerSlam, drive John Cena down to the mat with such ferocity that John Cena will not know what hit him with the F-5 and pin John Cena’s shoulders to the mat 1-2-3 to take from John Cena the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. To strip John Cena of the dignity of being champion.
Brandon Galvin: The running joke among us is that every new promo you cut is a top 10 promo of the year because your delivery and intensity is impeccable and you always incite an emotional reaction from the audience. Is there anybody you’ve studied during your career, whether they be in wrestling or outside wrestling, to help you evolve into the best promo man in the business?
Paul Heyman: Everyone. I watch everyone. I look to see what everyone does. I watched my father present his case to juries, my father was a personal injury attorney in the Bronx, I watched my father present cases to juries when I was a kid. I look now at the WWE Universe as if they are my jury and I am the advocate for my client. In terms of people that I watch, I watch everybody. There is something to learn from every single person who goes out there and performs because you’re going to be judged up against them. The way they hold their hands, the way they hold the microphone, the way they tilt their head, the way they engage the audience, the way someone cuts their eyes to the right and to the left, the way someone avoids the camera, the way someone looks into the camera, how do they hold their legs, what is their body language, what does anything they do tell you in their desire to convey their message to you. And I study everybody because I’m competing with them in terms of being the best person on the microphone.
Donald Wood: Tuesday marked the release of the new “Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman” DVD. As someone who has been around the business for a long time, how does it feel to have a DVD made about you and what’s it like knowing the WWE is behind the production?
Paul Heyman: If you asked me two years ago if the WWE would’ve made a DVD of me, I wouldn’t say yes. I wouldn’t have envisioned this coming and I wasn’t particularly happy when I heard they were going to do it because I didn’t know what stories they were going to tell. I also knew that meant sitting down and reflecting upon my career and my life and I hate looking back. I’m obsessed with looking forward. I’m flattered by all of the positive reviews the DVD has gotten and I’m glad people like the take that was offered. Really, I have nothing to bitch about regarding it.
Brandon Galvin: Was there anything cut from the DVD that you wish made it?
Paul Heyman: I have no idea what was shot for the DVD. My participation in this DVD, besides giving them pictures of my children and a few pictures of my parents to the WWE, was I sat down for an interview, we did it all in one shot, it took about 16 hours. The only request that I had was that we kinda do it like a Charlie Rose interview. I’m sitting at a table because it’s a more relaxed atmosphere. I didn’t want to shoot it in my house. I didn’t want to shoot it in my office. I sat down for 16 hours and we banged it out. I went in with the full intention of just whatever the question was, I’m going to give it a 100 percent honest answer. I don’t know what else was shot. I wasn’t privy to who was being interviewed for it, although I had heard. I don’t know what footage that was shot ever made it, I don’t know which stories were told never made it, which probably means if this documentary goes well there will be a Part II. After doing an interview for 16 hours, I don’t really know what they asked me that didn’t make the cut simply because it was a 16-hour interview and I was glad to be done with it.
Mike Chiari: You were there front and center when Brock Lesnar picked up the biggest win in WrestleMania history against The Undertaker. Knowing what type of condition he was in after that match and knowing everything he’s accomplished over the course of his career, in your opinion do you believe we’ll ever see The Undertaker wrestle another match?
Paul Heyman: I don’t know. I truly don’t know. I don’t know as a human being and I don’t know as a character. I don’t know what he’s thinking and I don’t know what his reaction to this is. I didn’t see The Undertaker after the match. The Undertaker legitimately collapsed five seconds after he walked through that curtain. He never even made it to the Gorilla position. He was in between the set and the curtain that leads to the control room, known as the Gorilla position. He collapsed there. They loaded him into the ambulance down a side ramp from right behind the curtain and was taken straight to the hospital. That’s not a storyline, that’s the way it happened. I don’t know how he feels about it. I don’t know if he feels that once his streak was over, that’s what he had left to give. And I don’t know if he feels that he doesn’t want to go out like that. It’s not something I’m privy to the answer of and nor should I be for that matter. It’s clearly his decision.
Donald Wood: I’d be remiss as a kid from Philadelphia who witnessed the ECW revolution if we didn’t touch on that. You helped build one of the most successful wrestling federations in the history of the sport. With TNA struggling and a wide-open market desperate for a viable alternative, do you ever think about getting back in the saddle as a primary shot caller for a company again?
Paul Heyman: No. No. No. In 2010, after Brock Lesnar choked out Shane Carwin, there was a discussion that I had with TNA that involved Spike TV. Ultimately, because TNA had been trying to get me on the phone from the day I left WWE in 2006 and I never took the phone call. We finally got into a conversation because Spike TV had reached out to make that happen. Ultimately, the story of this is, if I was going to do it, I wanted the Dana White deal. I wanted complete control, I wanted a piece of the company and I wanted the ability to, when the time was right, to take it public. I wanted to do the programming completely different than the way they had been doing it and Spike TV signed off on it. The concept was a very youth-oriented, youth-based, youth-marketed promotion. A complete contrast to the way WWE does things. A complete and utter alternative to WWE at the time. While the ruling family in TNA had no problem with my salary request, my ownership demands, my concepts, etc. etc., they didn’t want to implement as much of a youth-oriented product as I was looking for and I balked at it. I have no regrets about that. At the end of the day, they were happier being a WWE-lite promotion than they were branding themselves something different as TNA. So that was the last flirtation I had with doing my own thing. I do my own thing with my marketing brand and talent agency in New York City called Looking 4 Larry Agency. I’m very proud of the body of work. We have a long list of clients including 2KSports and in the past THQ and EA Sports and a number of different clients. And I get to do my own thing in the mainstream world with a marketing firm right in the heart of New York City. In regard to doing my own thing in sports entertainment, I kinda do my own thing now with Brock Lesnar and I’m very happy doing it. Running a whole show is a 24/7 and 365 commitment, and you would need an enormous amount of financing and very strong distribution set up front to get me to the table to even consider such a task. Otherwise, it’s doomed to fail.
Mike Chiari: During your time at the helm in ECW you became known for your ability and willingness to scour the globe and bring in unique talent. With WWE currently doing the same in the form of Kenta and Prince Devitt specifically how impressed are you with WWE’s efforts to broaden its horizons in a sense?
Paul Heyman: Very. I commend them on this reach out for the best talent on the face of the planet. That obviously includes the two men you just mentioned. We’re getting the cream of the crop and that notes a style change in the WWE. A higher work rate. Higher customer satisfaction in terms of the actual in-ring product. It’s a very exciting future to think about the kind of people who have yet to debut on WWE television.
Check out the complete interview above.
The following are highlights of a new blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On the Mark Henry/Damien Sandow angle from RAW: “The Sandow/Mark Henry…OU vs. Texas bit in Austin, home of the Longhorns was neither entertaining nor did it have anything to do with Summer Slam. So why was it on the show? Was it a cheap shot at your’s truly? Surely not. JBL knocking my family’s BBQ products was a low blow but in the wrestling biz that it is called ribbing on the square and “all in good fun” which is a lame explanation. I did not see RAW live and watched it on our DVR but my twitter followers had alerted me of the announcers having fun at my expense or so they perceived. Perhaps some one actually thought the segment was entertaining and if that’s true that explains many things regarding today’s product.”
On the new Paul Heyman documentary: “The documentary aspect of the @HeymanHustle DVD is excellent….simply excellent. The video is now on sale and I can’t recommend it enough. For me to be included, along with the departed from WWE CM Punk, was a nice surprise and I feel that we both were able to contribute some to the production. Paul is in the same conversation as a manager as is Bobby Heenan which is rarified air as far as I’m concerned.”
On possibly doing some MMA work: “My agent is working on a play by play gig for me for a MMA event and let’s hope that gets done. I’m motivated and ready to stick my toe in the MMA waters and if I get the broadcast partner that I’ve requested then this broadcast could be a helluva lot of fun. Stay tuned.”
Editor’s Note: For the back-story with all of the details on Jim Ross potentially entering the world of MMA broadcasting, check out the following MMANews.com article: Jim Ross Says He’s Interested In Doing MMA Announcing
On WWE moving SmackDown tapings: “Someone with WWE told me that WWE was considering going back to the Super Show TV Taping concept where they do RAW live on Monday night and also tape Smackdown the same evening. That’s a load of work….more than a load….but it would save WWE tons of money by eliminating the Tuesday Tapings. Time will tell if this cost cutting move will actually happen but it’s a giant undertaking nonetheless.”
“If it does occur then it might be a timely move to split the announce teams on the two shows so that the announcers can all prepare for one show plus it would make the shows sound differently as they all sound pretty much the same including the PPV’s. @MichaelCole is carrying a mazing work load and it’s inevitable that this much over exposure will burn him out sooner than later. WWE can ill afford for that to occur. I’ve said it before, few people at TV work harder than Cole who runs the show at the announce desk during the busiest and most unique time for a broadcaster ever in WWE with so many masters to serve and to promote while the matches are on going.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
Last night’s Raw was held in the supposedly great state of Texas. Fans in attendance were treated to the return of Mark Henry, as well as an entertaining contest between Dean Ambrose and Alberto Del Rio.
Although John Cena and Brock Lesnar were both notably absent on Sunday, the WWE did their best to promote the SummerSlam main event. As always, a few questions were answered on Monday, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following Monday’s Raw.
5. Did Fans Witness the Burial of Cesaro?
It is no secret that the WWE has no idea what to do with Cesaro right now. Once one of the most over superstars in the company, Cesaro has been relegated to minor roles since the return of Brock Lesnar. After failing to join the Authority a few weeks back, Cesaro has been in a slump, once again losing to Dolph Ziggler in a short match on Monday.
There are rumors that Cesaro’s push is being limited because the company wants to focus on pushing Roman Reigns. It makes sense to want to promote a young superstar, but others who got over on their own should not be punished as a result. Let us hope that the company soon finds something for Cesaro instead of wasting his talent.
4. Which Stipulation Will Dean Ambrose Choose?
Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins competed in a beat the clock challenge last night, with the winner having the ability to choose the stipulation for their match at SummerSlam. Ambrose won after a long battle with Alberto Del Rio, and also assured Seth Rollins would not win his match with Heath Slater.
The Lunatic Fringe now gets to choose the stipulation at tonight’s SmackDown taping (check in tonight for spoilers if you’re too eager to wait until Friday). He will probably choose something typical like a no-holds barred match, but here’s to hoping he chooses a ladder match for the contract. Which stipulation do you think Ambrose will choose?
Paul Heyman spoke to Ariel Helwani MMA Hour on Monday afternoon and revealed that a special interview with Brock Lesnar will air tonight on RAW.
Heyman said the interview is “beyond fascinating” and is the most raw, candid interview he’s ever seen Brrock do.
He added that the interview was completely unscripted and WWE writers had nothing to do with it.
Topics that will be covered include John Cena, peoples’ expectations of him in WWE and why he was the man to conquer The Undertaker’s streak.
Heyman said Lesnar was ramped up and ready for this segment, which sounds like it’s going to be must-watch.
Heyman noted that he’ll be watching RAW from home tonight, a rare occurrence since he’s usually on the road with WWE.
– The official WWE website has a new poll up asking fans who has the “most patriotic submission move,” with the options being Jack Swagger and Rusev. At last check, with just under 15,000 votes cast, Swagger was considerably ahead of Rusev with roughly 80-percent of the votes. You can vote on the poll by going to WWE.com.
– The following is a new WWE 2K15 teaser video from IGN, which features Sting, Paul Heyman, Daniel Bryan, Stephanie McMahon, Steve Austin and John Cena.
– The “amicable split” between Paul Heyman and Cesaro is said to be a part of a slow-build towards something bigger. Many are speculating that it could be the early stages of the build towards the rumored Cesaro vs. Brock Lesnar program, which would of course heavily involve Heyman.
– Below is the latest edition of “WWE Top 10,” which is dubbed, “Slap-a-thon.”
(Partial Credit: Figure Four Weekly Newsletter)
The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with Paul Heyman:
On his early days in the business hustling to get press passes: “I just didn’t want to be another face in the crowd. I was a huge fan of the product. On Sunday my parents would go to the lower east side of Manhattan because my Mother likes to shop there and my Father and I would bum around before we picked up my Mother. One of the things My Father liked to do was we would pick up these radical lower New York free news papers with their own social agenda because their writing was always very passionate. Whether we agreed with their politics or not doesn’t matter, you would find great emotions in the writing. In one of these papers was a sports column and it was more of a sports gossip column and the writer mentioned that after Madison Square Garden, Vincent J McMahon would take his inner circle to lunch at Ben Bensons Steak House in midtown Manhattan.
“Now I don’t know the readership of this article, so I don’t know if a lot of old WWWF fans got to see this, so I figured this was some inside information. I found out that the office was at the Cape Cod Coliseum which was owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon, so I called and said ‘My name is Paul Heyman. I was told to call by Vince McMahon to get my press pass for Madison Square Garden’. I’m put through 3-4 assistants until I got patched through to Vince J McMahon. I said ‘This is Paul Heyman from the Wrestling Times’ because we have The New York Times. I said ‘I was talking to you at Ben Bensons and you said to call you about a press pass at Madison Square Garden.’ He said ‘I did?!’. I said ‘Yeah you did.’ Because who else would know he dines at Ben Bensons and who would tell him that he was in a radical news paper in the lower east side of New York with a readership of a couple hundred, so I must have been real.
“He said ‘Go to the Holland Hotel at 42nd street and 8th Ave and talk to Gorilla Monsoon and Arnold Skaaland and I look forward to seeing you at the Garden.’ I got a ride down to the Holland Hotel and I saw Monsoon and Skaaland playing pinnacle with a bottle of booze, I got my press pass, BS’d my way into Madison Square Garden with my press pass and got in Vince Sr’s good graces by snapping some photos with him and Andre The Giant and bringing him some 8X10 the next month. For the rest of the time he was in charge, I would bring pictures they could use in their programs or on posters and they would give me 50 bucks for my transportation and trouble. I’ve always found that honesty is dramatically overrated.”
On Brock Lesnar vs John Cena at SummerSlam: “Brock Lesnar is going to beat John Cena. That’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler. Brock is going to win and it will bring more prestige and box office draw to the championship title than anybody in the past 25 years. Brock Lesnar is going to make that title mean more than it ever has before and people are going to understand that when the title is on the line it is special and it’s going to mean something.”
On the shock of Lesnar ending Undertaker’s Streak and why people didn’t believe him when he announced that Taker will lose to Lesnar: “You should have listened to me. I’m gonna tell you this again, Brock Lesnar is going to deliver an F-5 that will drive Cena with such force he will pin John Cena and win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. You can believe what I’m telling you and you won’t be surprised next time you interview me and you can say ‘every time Heyman says something it comes true. He’s not Nostradamus and he doesn’t have a crystal ball or any special voodoo powers’ Brock Lesnar is going to beat John Cena. Take it to the bank.”
On where the moment Brock pinned the Undertaker ranks in his career: “As an advocate and performer, it is the moment. Absolutely. Nothing else is even close. John Cena brought it up on Monday night. 40 men have held the WWE championship. Only one man can say ‘I beat the streak’. That’s a moment. The only equivalent I can give you is if someone was announced as the President of the United States and someone comes up and says ‘I’ve been elected God’. There have been a few men who ever had the title. Only one man beat the streak.”
On his relationship with Vince McMahon today: “Strictly platonic. I think Vince McMahon serves his company well as the chairman and recognizes the talents and exploiting the ability of Paul Heyman every Monday night on Raw.”
Check out the complete interview at BustedOpenNation.com.
The following are highlights of a new Newsday interview with Paul Heyman:
On his rocky relationship with the McMahon’s: “I look at it from many different perspectives. Number one, I don’t think I ever had any bigger advocate, besides my father, than Vince McMahon during the 1990s. There’s a story that is recounted on the documentary. I was sitting in the office with Steven Chau in 2000, who was the president of the USA Network reporting directly to Barry Diller. This was at the time when WWE was in federal court in order to jump to Viacom off of USA Network. And USA was looking to fill the programming slot, and ECW was the frontrunner for that option at the time. And during the meeting, Steven Chau showed me a printed-out email that he had received the night before from Vince McMahon that said, “If your network doesn’t do business with ECW and, more specifically, with Paul Heyman, you will be depriving your network of a great resource and your viewers of guaranteed great programming.” And Vince had no reason to do that except it’s what he felt at the time. He felt ECW was a great shop for the industry in terms of developing talent. So I can’t tell you that I’ve spent my life butting heads with the McMahons. I’ve had my ups and downs with them, as anybody else in my position would. I would not have guessed three or four years ago that a documentary on my career would have been released by WWE. But I wouldn’t have guessed three or four years ago that I would have been back in WWE.”
On criticizing Long Island fans in the past during RAW: “I called them “the worst audience we ever performed in front of,” and said “We shouldn’t ever tape television here.” I’m fine with it. It was a reaction for the moment. They were a lousy crowd that night. Here’s the funny thing: Nothing drives a performance like an audience that gives back, and even takes over. ECW was a product that will be remembered as much, if not more, for its audience interaction as for the things that happened in the ring. The WWE Superstars look forward to every time they see Chicago on the schedule. We spend a year building toward WrestleMania, and the number-two thing everybody looks forward to is the “Raw” the day after WrestleMania, because it’s the wildest crowd of the year. I’m from New York and I go to Chicago or the day after WrestleMania and see these wild crowds, and as a New Yorker, you want to say, “If this was in New York it would be even better.” And you think about the legendary crowds at Madison Square Garden. So we bring a live, worldwide TV show, not to the Garden, but to the Nassau Coliseum, and the crowd is just sitting there with their thumbs up their tuckuses. It’s like, “Hey, we’re all New Yorkers and you’re making New York look bad. Get up off your butt and make this show. And if you don’t like the show, take over. Boo the show. Vociferously and energetically and passionately boo us out of the building. But don’t just sit there.” The opposite of loving the product isn’t hating the product. It’s apathy. And it makes for terrible television. Why is John Cena the biggest star in the industry? Because, whether you love him or you hate him, you’re at the top of your lungs about him.”
On TNA taping in NYC where Taz and others referenced ECW, and if they should let it finally die: “I think it’s very much time for anybody and everybody to move on, especially on a product that you’re trying to push forward. Nostalgia tours are great, but not in a youth oriented and dominated industry. I think the lesson learned in all this is that Spike TV didn’t renew them. And one of the reasons has to be that the most passionate reaction they can get is for a product that went away in 2001. And they’ve been trying to brand themselves since their inception and they can’t get it done. They should have spent that time and energy trying to brand themselves and not trying to elicit a response of an audience based on a product that they don’t even own.”
Check out the complete interview at Newsday.com.
The following are highlights of a new Bleacher Report interview with Paul Heyman:
B/R: You say you haven’t seen your own Blu-ray yet. I have—amazing. It’s the best documentary WWE has ever done on any of their talent. Everyone’s life is a series of highs and lows, but usually these things are really glossy. They leave out the lows all together. What made you decide to open up about everything?
Heyman: Unlike Frank Sinatra, I have no regrets in my life. Zero. Whatever hardships I have faced, or have caused myself, are moments I have to embrace in order to move forward. I have no problem coming to grips with either the highs or lows in my life.
It’s not a compelling story when someone bats a thousand or if they consistently pitch a perfect game. Adversity, as I once said on Monday Night Raw, and I did hear Vince McMahon’s father say this, “adversity defines a man in his darkest hour.” And I strongly believe that.
I’m very proud of the worst moments of my life. Because I’m still here today to talk about them.
B/R: We’ve been delving into the past, but I like to be forward looking and I know you do too. I’ve been trying to think of what’s next for Paul Heyman? Where can he leave his imprint on this business, what can he do that he hasn’t done before? It strikes me that women’s wrestling is the place. There was always a rumor that All Japan Women were coming to ECW and it never happened. With the success of Ronda Rousey in the UFC and the bright young crop of talent lurking in the WWE system, will we see you explore this area? Is this something new for Paul Heyman to sink his teeth into?
Heyman: I’ll give you two answers. Number one—forever the pay-per-view industry has been looking for the next Mike Tyson. They have found it. And the next Mike Tyson is Ronda Rousey.
Ronda Rousey is a box-office attraction for UFC the likes of which they’ve never had. And that’s because she’s so fascinating. The mainstream media won’t get enough of her for years. There’s no saturation point with her. She’s never going to be complacent. She’s a phenomenal attraction who keeps getting better with every fight.
I think my contribution to this industry in the next year, and this will sound like a lot of hype but it’s not, will be the work that I do with Brock Lesnar. We are both driven, not only to cement our legacies, but to insure the body of work that we compile in this next series of matches and this next run will be the career-defining year of Brock Lesnar.
I’m attached to his hip. I’ve been riding Brock’s coattails now for 12 years. As John Cena said on television, 40 men have held the WWE championship. Only one man has broken the streak.
Check out the complete interview at BleacherReport.com.
The following are highlights of a new Digital Spy interview with Paul Heyman:
On Sting in WWE: “I think Sting would be denying his fans a great moment if Sting did not step into WWE competition at least once. I have always been a huge admirer of what Sting brings to the table and his relationship with his audience, and I would be dramatically disappointed if Sting does not wrestle a WWE match.”
On why fans are having a hard time letting go of CM Punk: “It’s a very difficult break-up when an audience loses its ability to thrust its adulation upon their hero. CM Punk clearly established during his time as a Paul Heyman Guy that he was, as the billing suggested, The Best In The World.”
“So when he abruptly disappears and the audience doesn’t have the ability to say goodbye or shower him with their affection, then it causes a situation. It causes the audience to miss him even more vociferously, because they never had the closure of letting him know how much they appreciate his hard work.”
Check out the complete interview at DigitalSpy.com.
Courtesy of WrestlingDVDNews.com, the following are a couple of teaser clips from the new WWE-produced, “Ladies And Gentlemen, My Name Is Paul Heyman” DVD documentary.
http://youtu.be/OyWYXfOflCc
http://youtu.be/cul0vwEUIeg
http://youtu.be/7nOBg4eQPfQ
– Several wrestling legends, as well as current talent have been praising Paul Heyman and John Cena for their promo work in the opening segment of this past Monday’s RAW. WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, for example, tweeted the following:
@HeymanHustle serves up a tremendous promo for @JohnCena on #RAW. Cena returns fire with an A-1 promo. Great work by both guys. #wwe
— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) July 29, 2014
– The tag-team combination of Heath Slater and Titus O’Neil is now being called “Slater Gator.”
– The new nickname for Summer Rae and Layla’s duo is “The Slayers.”
– The following is a new video from the official YouTube channel of WWE, which features Paul Heyman comparing himself to other great wrestling managers of the past.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features interviews with Christian and Matthias Jabs from The Scorpions, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP60 – WWE’s Christian & Snooks + Matthias Jabs from The Scorpions
“WWE’s Christian and Snooks – together in one room with Y2J moderating! Oh man… first-time together in 20 years! Will it be friends or fistacuffs? Plus, Chris talks to Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs about the talkbox solo in “The Zoo,” his favorite guitar solo, the Berlin Wall & “Winds Of Change,” learning to speak English, and the fighter jets that buzzed the US Festival crowd in 1983″
You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.
Last night’s Raw was held in Houston, TX, and a few superstars on the roster certainly had problems. In total, eight matches were held and a few matches were confirmed for SummerSlam.
With Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella set for SummerSlam, a few questions were answered last night, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following Monday’s Raw.
5. Will Orton And Reigns Disappoint?
The Viper unleashed a devastating attack on Roman Reigns last night, delivering two RKO’s and driving Reigns through the announce table. This match is all but set in stone for SummerSlam and should be one of the most anticipated contests on the card.
However, recent reports indicate that the match could be a bust. The WWE has been running this match at live shows in recent weeks and fan reviews seem to indicate that Orton and Reigns have not been working well together. Although many think this will disappoint, I think they will work things out and put on a great contest, and the build so far has actually been pretty solid.
4. Was It Time To End Bo’s Streak?
The most shocking moment of last night’s Raw was probably Bo Dallas being pinned clean by R-Truth. It seems odd that the WWE would end Bo’s undefeated streak after talking it up over the past few weeks.
I think it will be a good move in the long run though. Undefeated streaks have pretty much always been a no-win situation for bookers. They can now have Dallas lose clean on occasion without having to discuss an undefeated streak, and the loss brought out a vicious side in Bo, which could add another dimension to his character. The only problem was that it looked like Dallas could sneak his way into an Intercontinental Title match SummerSlam, but that seems to be off the table now.
The following are highlights of a new interview with former WCW and ECW star Scotty Riggs:
Working with Paul Heyman: “I came into ECW after talking with RVD, Tommy Dreamer and Paul Heyman at an event in Atlanta and it was an honor working for the evil creative genius of Paul. He actually sat down with me and helped me with my character, moves and attitude… something few office guys beyond Arn did in WCW.”
Backstage Attitude In WCW vs. ECW: “The crew in WCW when I got there in 1995 were a tight bunch of guys but by the end in 1999 a big divide had happened because of too many “bigger than thou” players had come into the company and created a separation in the locker room. Not all the in coming talent had the “better than thou” attitude and were actually great teachers and friends… but the entire ECW locker room and crew ALL had the attitude of wanting the best for the whole of the show. They welcomed me lime I belonged and that was humbling to me. I was honored to be considered extreme.”
Sting in WWE: “Sting is one of the few men in the wrestling business I’m blessed to still know as a friend and as I told him the week of his WWE 2K15 announcement that this whole WWE deal was and is a well deserved honor for his blood, sweat and tears that he gave to wrestling. I’m very happy that he gained this honor for his character and today’s fans can respect his work.”
Check out the complete interview at PWMania.com.
The following are highlights of a new WrestlingINC.com interview with Vince Russo:
On his vision for WCW: “The vision was to flip the roster to get the middle guys out of that middle slot and start rising them to the top to be built around. With this format, I went into WCW with a giant target on my back from the veterans. I still went ahead with the plan because it was the right thing to do. As much as these guys are going to kill me, bury me behind my back, try to get me out quicker than I came, I stuck to the plan because I knew it was the right thing to do. To this day, I don’t regret that because that’s what needed to be done at the time.”
On the reason Vince McMahon turned down his idea to bring WCW back in 2002: “Probably because it was my idea. The last person I should have been pitching was Eric Bishoff, but he was a phenomenal on-air talent. Anything personal between us wouldn’t have mattered. Bishoff deserved to be on TV. I literally laid out this plan and then obviously things didn’t work out. I left WWE and Eric was hired. I watched it unravel at home on TV and I was like ‘are you freaking kidding me?’ They had a goldmine and week after week they were butchering it. They killed a million dollar idea.”
On how close Paul Heyman was to signing with TNA: “I don’t know if he was close. I called Paul to bring him into TNA and we had a couple of conversations that were hours long. I was under the impression Paul wanted to come in and have things 100% his way, but that’s not how TNA works. I turned it over to Dixie [Carter] and was out of the loop. I didn’t care how I was going to be working with Paul or who had what title. I thought Paul Heyman could make TNA a better product and that’s why I made the original contact.”
On Bret Hart’s issues with him and if he likes him: “Deep down inside, I don’t know if he does. When I went to WCW, I wanted Bret Hart in a position he longed to be in. I approached him my first day there and we sat down for an hour and discussed the Owen [Hart] incident. We talked about it man-to-man and I thought everything was behind us. Six months before I left TNA, I had a phone conversation with Bret about bringing him to TNA. He was very excited about that idea and I spoke to him personally on the phone for an hour. Face-to-face or on the phone, there has never been an issue between me and Bret.
“I find it hard to believe Bret feels that way because he had the opportunity on more occasions than one to tell me — especially when I tried to bring him into TNA. There’s the perfect opportunity for Bret to say ‘Vince I’m not working for a scumbag.’ That’s not how the conversation went; it was a very positive one. I find it hard to believe at his core that he feels that way, but I also know bashing and burying Vince Russo to the internet wrestling community is the cool hip thing to do. Some people think that’s what gets them over. Just throw a Vince Russo barb in the wrestling community and you’re over. All these people that have these issues with me and do interviews, never have I been confronted to my face. That’s unfortunate. I worked as hard as I could in the business, was very respectful, and am a family man. To consistently have to deal with all the negative comments, it gets old after a while.”
Check out the complete interview at WrestlingINC.com.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Stephanie’s Arrest: “Stephanie McMahon arguably stole the show with her interaction with Brie Bella and subsequently Steph getting ‘arrested.’ Her facials were priceless as was her timing and her natural ability to be a heel. The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree. Steph wrestling at Summer Slam is a gimme as it should be.”
Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at SummerSlam: “It makes perfect sense for Brock Lesnar to challenge John Cena for the WWE Title at Summer Slam and for Lesnar, as I’ve outlined on the Ross Report podcast the past couple of months, to win the title and then lose it to Roman Reigns at WM31. I love Lesnar as champion and his infrequent, in person schedule of making Monday Night Raw shows doesn’t bother me at all especially if the creative team has their thinking caps on and the booking is territory-like as in where the world champion was never on regular, weekly TV.”
Paul Heyman’s Promo: “Paul Heyman @HeymanHustle promo to close RAW was one of the best that I have heard in years. Even though I am WAY out of the WWE loop, I am still proud that I was able to help Paul early in his career and hope that his DVD that’s released soon will be a huge hit. Listen to Heyman’s promo again and see how he covered every base and will have the Summer Slam crowd in LA loudly cheering for the ‘Angry Viking’ vs. ‘ The Dr. of Thugonomics’ as Paul described Cena. In other worlds, the main event at S’Slam will be loaded with emotion especially if Cena takes it dead serious in his promos between now and then.”
It was announced on the post-Battleground edition of WWE RAW that Triple H would reveal his plan for John Cena’s opponent for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view.
After many teases, it was revealed that Triple H’s “plan A” was Randy Orton, his “plan B” was Seth Rollins, but by the end of the night, “The Game” was convinced by Paul Heyman to go with “plan C,” which is Brock Lesnar.
So there you have it, after weeks of rumors, it has been confirmed that SummerSlam this year will be headlined by John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
– The second web exclusive clip for WWE’s upcoming “Ladies and Gentlemen My Name Is Paul Heyman” DVD/Blu-Ray has been posted online and can be viewed at HeymanHustle.com. The description for the video reads:
“In this online exclusive, Paul Heyman discusses the creative process behind-the-scenes in WCW. Hear more insights from Heyman in his DVD, “Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman,” available Aug. 5.”
– Former WWE Superstar CM Punk was the red carpet host at Monday night’s AP Music Awards at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
– Entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet of Cleveland’s CBS 19 News spoke with Punk on the Red Carpet at the awards show and asked him if he’s a WWE Superstar or a former WWE Superstar. Punk replied: “Neither. I’m CM Punk.”
Here’s a photo of Punk with his co-host for the show, Juliet Simms.
Following Sunday night’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view, Paul Heyman tweeted a photo of himself on an airplane heading to pick up his “Plan C” for Monday’s WWE RAW from Miami, Florida.
It’s expected that Plan C will be Brock Lesnar, who will be returning to set up a match with WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at SummerSlam.
Here’s the tweet:
In case you’re wondering … Heading to pick up #PlanC … Just in case. @WWE #RAW pic.twitter.com/Sgpkz47ewv
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) July 21, 2014
Last night’s Raw was the final episode before this Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view. The Battleground card was finalized with the inclusion of Jack Swagger vs. Rusev and AJ Lee vs. Paige for the Divas Championship.
Overall, the go-home episode of Raw was fairly entertaining and featured a number of notable segments. However, although many questions were answered, a few still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Can Swagger stay over as a face?
The most over superstar this week on Raw was definitely Jack Swagger. The crowd really ate up the USA-Russia détente segment, with thunderous “USA!” chants ringing throughout the arena.
It appears that Swagger’s face turn is proving to be a success, but can he maintain the momentum after ending his program with Rusev? It is a natural rivalry between Rusev and Swagger, so it will be interesting to see where he goes after his match at Battleground. One thing is certain, though: both superstars are getting over during this program, which makes me hope that it is prolonged for a bit longer following Battleground.
4. Is Heyman planning to ditch Cesaro?
Cesaro competed against Big E last night on Raw. Notably absent during the match was Cesaro’s advocate, Paul Heyman. Brock Lesnar is scheduled to return to television within the next few weeks and will definitely be competing at SummerSlam, leading some to believe that the Heyman-Cesaro partnership will soon be dissolved.
This could go a number of ways. The best-case scenario would be for Heyman to continue to represent both superstars, sparking jealousy between the two before starting a feud. This seems rather unlikely though, considering Lesnar will almost certainly challenge for the title at SummerSlam. My hope is that the two are not separated without a legitimate backstory being provided, similar to the Ryback-Axel-Heyman breakup last fall, as it would amount to a pointless alliance for Cesaro.