Paul Heyman believes that Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are destined for the “Ocean of Obsurity” and the two stars will begin to set sail on this Friday’s SmackDown.

Heyman took to his Instagram to make a bold proclamation before both his “Tribal Chief” and “The People’s Champion” The Rock show up in Salt Lake City

Ladies and Gentlemen, today is a picture-perfect day to ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR TRIBAL CHIEF!

“As WWE tries to grasp the enormity of the events that transpired at the #WrestleMania Kickoff Event in Las Vegas, I remind you that yet another chapter shall unfold tomorrow, LIVE on FOX as #Smackdown will feature not only your humble #Wiseman and the reigning defending Undisputed #WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns but also The #PeoplesChamp The Rock! 

“While Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins face an uncertain future, condemned to live life after #WM40 in the Ocean of Obscurity, it is quite apparent the #Bloodline’s rule on the Island of Relevancy has never been more powerful! The Delta Center in #SaltLakeCity will be the setting, and The People’s Slap was only the beginning of what’s to come next.”

“And that’s not a prediction.

“That’s a spoiler!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C3YCc6nuATe

“The People’s Slap” sure conjured up a lot of conversation and on WWE Raw this past Monday, Cody Rhodes promised retaliation against The Rock. As Heyman mentioned, Rhodes will not be without a “Shield” in Seth Rollins who offered his helping hand in dealing with The Bloodline. 

Right now, it’s Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, but where The Rock may fit in the equation remains a question mark, with many speculating a tag team match on night one.

The Rock and Roman Reigns may be determined to have their match, but Triple H put his foot down on the matter. The Las Vegas event in the T-Mobile Arena was quite a sight. This week’s SmackDown included some big shots at The Great One, and he will be around next week to continue this drama.

The Rock’s Next WWE SmackDown Appearance 

During WWE SmackDown this week, Triple H and Bron Breakker had a backstage segment where Breakker asked The Game if he could pick his brain about the big decision he has to make between RAW and SmackDown. Then, Paul Heyman stepped into the frame.

Heyman tried to speak to Triple H about what happened during the WrestleMania kickoff show conference, but The Game didn’t seem happy about Heyman’s presence. That stopped Heyman from proceeding with the WWE COO.

Instead, Paul Heyman stated that he will be back next week to further this discussion. He will not be alone, because Roman Reigns is coming with him. Also, The Rock will be there.

NEXT WEEK @HeymanHustle is bringing @WWERomanReigns and @TheRock with him to #SmackDown… ??? pic.twitter.com/VhzW7Gt8P5

— WWE (@WWE) February 10, 2024

What’s Next

WWE SmackDown is hitting the Delta Center in Salt Lake Center, Utah on Friday, February 16, 2024. It appears that The Rock will be in the house as well. 

SE Scoops will have continued coverage of this evolving situation. The Rock is still in the WrestleMania mix, even if Cody Rhodes got his match against Roman Reigns as well.

Logan Paul walked into Tropicana Field for the 2024 Royal Rumble event, and he left as the US Champion. That win came via DQ when Kevin Owens was caught using brass knuckles that were Paul’s to use. The two also had quite a high bar set for them with the Undisputed Universal Title match that came before their battle.

Paul Heyman’s Motivation For Logan Paul

Paul Heyman is more than just The Bloodline’s Wise Man. He is also brimming with useful knowledge and wisdom to impart on anyone he wishes to backstage. It turns out that he had quite the motivation for Logan Paul at the Royal Rumble event.

Logan Paul and Kevin Owens’ United States Title match came after Reigns was able to retain the Undisputed Universal against LA Knight, AJ Styles and Randy Orton in a fatal four-way match. In the end, the Tribal Chief stood tall as he carries on toward WrestleMania 40.

During his Impaulsive podcast, Logan revealed that Paul Heyman had some great words for him just before his US Title match. It seems that The Maverick was backstage, waiting for his match, when Heyman reminded him who just performed on the show.

The match was difficult. We were after the Women’s Royal Rumble and the fatal four-way with Roman Reigns, where he also retained his championship. And Paul Heyman, after the match, he comes out, everyone has their chest puffed out, they knew they just blew the f*cking roof off with Roman.

Paul Heyman goes, ‘come here, son,’ and he motions me over. I go over and I’m like, ‘What’s up Paul?’ He goes, ‘you want some motivation?’ I go, ‘absolutely!’ He goes, ‘follow that, motherf*cker.’

“Follow that motherfu**er” ? pic.twitter.com/uSG3w2ErCm

— Wrestle Features (@WrestleFeatures) January 31, 2024

Logan Paul In WWE

Logan Paul has re-signed with WWE, extending their incredible profitable and successful relationship. This partnership has also seen WWE get some great exposure with Paul’s massive fan base.

Paul may pull off some publicity nabbing antics, like trading his US Title belt for a Super Bowl ring, but he is all about WWE. It also appears that he will be walking into WrestleMania 40 as United States Champion.

I was told in November last year that “the internal feeling about Logan Paul is that he’s already generated great publicity for the US Title.”

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is far from thrilled after his efforts to prevent a challenger for his title backfired immensely on SmackDown. 

The January 5, edition of the blue brand was the ‘New Year’s Revolution’ episode of SmackDown and concluded WWE’s stacked first week of programming in 2024. In the main event, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight competed with the winner earning an Undisputed WWE Universal Championship opportunity. 

Roman Reigns Reacts

Before the match could reach a decisive finish, Roman Reigns and The Bloodline interfered and attacked all three potential challengers. Unhappy with this, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis informed Paul Heyman that Reigns would defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at the Royal Rumble in a fatal four-way match. 

Backstage, Heyman was given the daunting task of informing Reigns about the upcoming title match. The Special Counsel was clearly terrified when telling Reigns of what Aldis had told them. Reigns was infuriated but refrained from shouting and simply demanded that Heyman “fix this.”

EXCLUSIVE: Following #TheBloodline's beatdown of @RandyOrton, @AJStylesOrg and @RealLAKnight, The Head of the Table is riding high until @HeymanHustle informs him of @RealNickAldis' decision to make a Fatal 4-Way Match for #RoyalRumble.#SmackDown: New Year's Revolution pic.twitter.com/LGUqeCa6vt

— WWE (@WWE) January 6, 2024

This match will be the first time in over two years that Reigns has not defended his title in a singles contest. Reigns’ most recent match which saw multiple challengers was at WrestleMania 37 where the Tribal Chief bested Edge and Daniel Bryan. This will be Reigns’ first time defending his title in a fatal four-way match. 

WWE Royal Rumble 2024

Reigns’ fatal four-way match will be part of a stacked event on January 27. The show will also feature the two titular Rumble matches. So far, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Lashley have been announced for the Men’s Match. Bayley, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, and Bianca Belair have been announced for the Women’s Match. U.S. Champion Logan Paul will defend against Kevin Owens at the event. 

What happened after the New Year’s Revolution edition of SmackDown went off the air? Click here to find out. 

WWE has changed in a lot of different ways over the past few years. While some of these changes are pretty evident, there are others that are more subtle. One such change that is not talked about as much is in the characters of broadcast personalities.

At a time, the role of show hosts or backstage interviewers was limited to asking questions. In the past few years, however, we’ve seen the broadcasters showing more personality and even getting involved in storylines every now and then.

Kyla Braxton is one such name who has made her mark among other broadcasting talents. Though it’s not something that came naturally to her when she joined the company in 2016. She has had to work hard to get the reorganization from fans. One of the things that has helped Kyla make this transition is her on-screen interactions with Paul Heyman on SmackDown and other shows.

Braxton recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast. She discussed her work with Heyman and gave the Special Counsel a lot of credit for her growth:

“Paul Heyman. I give a lot of credit to Paul. I had so much fun doing all that back and forth with him with the Bloodline. Paul and I were doing Talking Smack together and we didn’t really know each other at the time.

We didn’t really interact a lot and getting to know him on that panel and getting to go back and forth and realising we’re both kind of spitfires helped immensely. Then he got me on camera to do those bits with him on SmackDown with the Bloodline. Now I am the sassy backstage interviewer.”

When asked how the segments with Paul came about, Kyla Braxton revealed that she has no idea how it happened. According to her, Heyman wanted to help her and so he made it happen:

“I don’t even know. I think he just really wanted to help me. He does that with a lot…I see him with talent, other interviewers. He just really wants to see what our strengths are. Then I don’t know he just makes it happen. I honestly don’t know how he made it happen. But he did.”

Kyla Braxton Is Not Intimidated By Paul Heyman

One of the recurring segments featuring the two that fans love is Kyla jump-scaring Heyman backstage for an interview. Speaking about the origin of the running gag, the WWE personality claimed that it wasn’t pre-planned:

“I don’t even remember how the first one happened. A lot of times like Paul and I would just go. There’s not really talking about beforehand. We just [said] whatever happens, happens. I think that his freakout happened on one and it just hit big. So we just kind of kept doing it. [It] got a good reaction, fans loved it.”

Due to his decades of experience in the business and his impressive clientele, Paul Heyman can prove to be an intimidating personality for a rookie talent. Though Kyla Braxton said that it’s not the case with her:

“He can be but not to me. We have great rapport. We have a great relationship. He’s always so helpful. Even if it’s a segment that he’s not a part of he wants to give feedback and give notes. I really appreciate it because everyone’s so busy on those days. There’s not a lot of time to stop and show that you care enough to give feedback. So it’s definitely helped me become a better broadcaster.”

More originals from SEScoops:

• Dominik Mysterio Is Prepared For Elimination Chamber: I Already Bailed Out of Prison
• Mick Foley Reveals Pick For 2024 Royal Rumble Winner
• Seth Rollins Has Not Watched Becky Lynch’s Jeopardy Appearance: ‘She Won’t Allow Me’
• Ethan Page Praises Matt Hardy For His Unselfish Nature
• Randy Orton Reflects On Being A ‘D**K’ Early In His Career

If you use any quotes from the article please credit Insight With Chris Van Vliet with an H/t to SEScoops for transcription

The case of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline is a curious one. The former NXT champion wasn’t even considered a main event talent by many fans up until a year ago. However, he has turned haters into supporters with his performance in the past year. Many believe that he should have beaten Roman Reigns at the Elimination Chamber PPV. Though Paul Heyman is promising that Sami’s story is not finished despite the loss.

The special counsel recently appeared on the SI Media podcast. He was asked if there was ever any inkling to change the WrestleMania plans for Reigns due to Zayn’s rise to popularity. The former ECW owner claimed that it’s always a possibility:

“There’s always an inkling to change any plan because the old expression is you have a test audience every night and we’re very adaptable. We think we have a really good formula here. We think we have a really good path. I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Sami Zayn. In fact, I can guarantee you haven’t seen the last of Sami Zayn, nor Kevin Owens, nor any of the other players in this act that we’ve put together.

There was a very compelling reason to put Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn on Elimination Chamber. The timing was perfect for us and oh my god, we just happened to be putting that show in Montreal, where the reception to Sami would be something that other audiences will aspire to top just because they wanna be the best audience ever.”

‘That’s What We Do’: Paul Heyman

Many people still believe that WWE should have saved the bout between Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn for WrestleMania 39. Paul Heyman addressed this belief and explained how the loss still helped the Honorary Uce:

“So we saw this Montreal opportunity. We also saw the timing could not be better. We’re heading into the Royal Rumble with Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens, and then all the different opportunities that interweave themselves with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. The timeline for the story just fit. I understand that people have wanted more and more and more for Sami. That’s the object. We try to do that with every challenger. We did that with Drew McIntyre going on over to Cardiff in the UK. We did that with Brock Lesnar going into SummerSlam when he drove a tractor out to the ring and demolished the ring. We did that with the group that we took on in the WarGames in Survivor Series. We did it with Kevin Owens going into the Royal Rumble.

We try to do that with everyone that comes into the co-starring role with Roman Reigns in terms of who his opponent’s going to be for the match that we’re trying to sell. And hopefully, on the flip side of being defeated by the Tribal Chief, the Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns, you are worth far more. Have a far more passionate fan base. Sell far more merchandise, sell far more tickets than you did before. You are more famous, more accepted, more valued by the audience than you were before we got our hands on you. That’s the whole object of what we do. I hope six months from now, people are still clamoring more and more and more for Sami, that’s what we do. We try to make stars out of everyone that’s within our orbit.”

You can check out Paul Heyman’s full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Seth Rollins Didn’t Realize When He Became A Locker Room Leader In WWE
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• Cody Rhodes Explains Why He May Never Want To Face Dustin Rhodes Again
• Cody Rhodes Says WWE Star Reminds Him Of Dusty Rhodes

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Paul Heyman and Cody Rhodes had a memorable promo segment on the February 6 edition of WWE Raw.

This was where Heyman talked with the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble winner on behalf of WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns ahead of their clash at WrestleMania 39. 

The topic of Cody’s late father Dusty Rhodes was the main focal point of the promo. Rhodes thanked Heyman for reigniting Dusty’s passion during his ECW days. Heyman told Rhodes that in the last conversation he had with Dusty, the legendary wrestler told him that  Cody was his favorite son, but Reigns was the son he always wanted.

The Pressure

While speaking on the SI Media podcast, Heyman looked back on the promo. 

“I like pressure. I don’t find pressure to be burdensome. I find it to be inspiring. We have Cody coming out of the gates now one-on-one with Roman because this was the night after the Elimination Chamber where Roman Reigns defeats Sami Zayn. so you know it won’t be Sami, you know it’s going to be Cody challenging Roman and an audience. I’m sorry, this was before the Elimination Chamber, but an audience that is really honed in on the arrival of Sami Zayn as a superstar.”

Heyman continued, “Here’s Cody, with his own narrative, his own story to tell, and as he will tell his story to finish. And a compelling one at that, and an emotional one at that. We have to tell his story as well. The pressure is we have a first time WrestleMania main event and an audience that is very critical of new people in the main event of WrestleMania….The pressure really was to demonstrate Cody Rhodes as someone who is capable of hanging with and telling himself a WrestleMania main event level story for the audience to absorb and become invested in.”

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

This week’s episode of WWE Raw featured a heavily praised segment between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman that saw them both get emotional. 

The promo segment was done to promote further Cody Rhodes challenging  Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

Fightful Select had details on the backstage reaction to the promo that was said to have benefitted from looser scripting under Triple H compared to what he had been under Vince McMahon. 

Those close to Heyman stated that he was surprised by Rhodes mentioning Dusty Rhodes getting booked by ECW in 2000 and that the family needed those bookings. People close to Cody stated they weren’t sure whether Heyman had been told how important the ECW bookings were to the Rhodes family in general.

The Reaction

Heyman wrote his part of the promo, while Cody wrote his.  Those involved with the segment were very pleased with it, and WWE officials were thrilled with the content and the reactions from fans. 

One WWE higher-up source told Fightful: “Cody Rhodes is a star, and Paul Heyman is a starmaker. They were in a difficult position, and made something that seemed like a manufactured booking decision become a personal, WrestleMania main event if it ends up going that direction.”

WWE had an important objective to achieve in booking Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman’s memorable in-ring segment on Monday’s Raw.

Rhodes has a one-way ticket to the main event of WrestleMania Goes Hollywood. As of this writing, he’s scheduled to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Of course, Sami Zayn is the X-factor that could change everything when he challenges Reigns for the titles at Elimination Chamber in less than two weeks.

We’re most likely going to see Reigns vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania, but WWE has to walk a thin line and make sure this long-planned bout is not derailed by Zayn’s surging popularity.

On the Feb. 7 episode of Monday Night Raw, Rhodes addressed the Orlando, Florida crowd. While he was talking, Heyman came out to continue the build for Rhodes’s match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. Rhodes and Heyman got personal because of Heyman’s history with Cody’s father, Dusty.

The segment struck a chord with WWE fans and created anticipation for the inevitable confrontation between Rhodes and Reigns. According to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, it’s reported that the segment was made to make the WrestleMania 39 match the primary focus for fans.

He added, “It’s very important to the entire company that the Cody match is not the secondary match. But it’s also important that people don’t look at it as a competition between the two of them (Rhodes and Zayn), and then the people get behind Sami Zayn, and then that screws up Cody as a babyface.”

Walking a Fine Line with Rhodes & Zayn

WWE is entirely behind Rhodes vs. Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39. However, they will first have Reigns defend the title against Zayn in his home country of Canada at Elimination Chamber on Feb. 18. The WWE fans are behind Zayn. Still, they also support Rhodes and seem to look forward to the WrestleMania match.

It seems WWE is in a good position with two great babyfaces. WWE may have already figured out a way to get to Rhodes vs. Reigns without the fans complaining about Zayn. However, we will have to wait and see how the story will transpire.

• Related: WWE Had Plans for New World Championship at WrestleMania 39

H/T: Liam Winnard of Wrestletalk for the transcribed quotes

The emotional in-ring war of words between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman has got everybody talking, including a member of the AEW roster.

During Raw, Cody Rhodes’ address to the WWE Universe was interrupted by Heyman, who spoke about the close bond he had with Cody’s father Dusty.

After some heartwarming reminiscing, Heyman spoke about the names Dusty trained, including Roman Reigns (Rhodes’ WrestleMania 39 opponent), and noted that the American Dream did not train his son.

Heyman (fighting back tears) recalled his final talk with Dusty, who said that Cody was his favorite son, but Roman Reigns is the son he always wished he had.

In response, Cody said that since Heyman has made this personal, he vows to dethrone Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania

Reaction

Cody may have been Dusty’s favorite son (according to Heyman) but the American Nightmare isn’t the only son of the American Dream.

Dustin Rhodes now works in AEW, and in a tweet, showed his support for his brother, and had a piece of advice for what Cody should do to Heyman.

Dustin and Dusty

Dustin Rhodes and his father would share the screen throughout the respective careers of both men.

As part of Dusty’s feud with the ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase, the father and son teamed at the 1991 Royal Rumble in a losing effort to DiBiase and Virgil.

After making appearances together in WCW and outside televised wrestling, the two reunited for Goldust’s green card wedding to Aksana on NXT in 2010.

The American Dream would also be present for his son’s tag-team match against The Shield (Reigns and Seth Rollins) at Battleground 2013, which earned a Match of the Year nomination at that year’s Slammy Awards.

ESPN First Take commentator and sports personality Stephen A. Smith recently tweeted his thoughts on comments recently made by Paul Heyman about him.

Paul Heyman, often regarded as the great wrestling manager since Bobby Heenan, took issue with a complementary tweet comparing him to Stephen A. Smith. US Democrat Party strategist and LA Times journalist Kurt Bardella suggested a “mic battle” between Smith and Heyman would be “the greatest manager promo” ever.

In response, Paul Heyman dismissed both the manager title for himself, and the notion of Stephen A. Smith being on his level.

Stephen A. Smith took the time to tweet out an amusing response to Paul Heyman last night. Most interesting of all was his implied interest in potentially doing work with WWE in the future.

“I Am Coming One Of These Days” – Stephen A. Smith On Paul Heyman Tweet

Stephen A. Smith was unimpressed by Paul Heyman’s tweet, taking particular issue with the former ECW and WWE booker’s “land of obscurity” jibe. After threatening to show up Heyman’s acclaimed work as Special Counsel to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Smith eased the mood by confirming he was merely kidding around.

Rumors have recently swirled of him potentially doing something with the WWE in 2023. If so, it’s not implausible that this recent back-and-forth on social media with Paul Heyman could be used in a storyline or segment when Stephen A. Smith shows up. He has discussed his WWE fandom in the past and has even tweeted about The Rock being his favorite wrestler in the past and admiring Vince McMahon.

The Enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa, recently revealed his backstage relationship with The Wiseman Paul Heyman.

Sikoa made his impact felt this past Monday on WWE RAW. The Usos retained the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Matt Riddle and Kevin Owens. Jimmy and Jey were originally supposed to defend against Riddle and Elias on Monday but The Bloodline attacked Elias in the parking lot at the beginning of the show.

Owens was announced as Elias’ replacement but The Usos still retained. They defeated Sheamus and Butch of The Brawling Brutes this past Friday on SmackDown in a tag title match as well. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman were not at the show or ringside for the match. The Tribal Chief and The Wiseman will be returning next Friday on SmackDonw.

Speaking on the Superstar Crossover show, Sikoa discussed his relationship with Paul Heyman and disclosed that he viewed him “like an uncle”.

He’s like my uncle, man. First of all, he’s been around my family for over 50 years. He’s been around Roman’s dad, he was around my dad. I don’t know if a lot of people know this, but my dad was one of the first Paul Heyman guys when they started in WCW because he was their manager.

Now he’s with Roman and my brothers, and now with me. There’s a lot of things that he’s taught and is still teaching me. There’s just so many things that I can’t even… he does tell me, ‘This is the place where you go be a big superstar, make some money, and take care of your family.’ That’s one of the things that he does tell me.

Solo added that he feels very blessed to be working alongside Heyman and has learned a lot from him in the past couple of months.

He’s real, man. That’s what I love about Paul. They don’t call him the ‘Wise Guy’ for nothing. He knows the game, he knows the one, he knows the outs.

He’s been around the family. He knows our family. He knows how we move, he knows how we work. So I’m very blessed, especially coming up and only being here for two months, I’m very, very happy to be around him and to learn from Paul Heyman.

H/T:Fightful

The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn, & Solo Sikoa) were victorious over Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Butch, Ridge Holland & Kevin Owens in the Men’s WarGames match at Saturday’s WWE Survivor Series. 

At the end of the match, Reigns and Owens mixed things up, only for Owens to nearly beat Reigns with the Stunner, but Zayn, a good friend of Owens, stopped the referee from counting to three. To further prove his loyalty to the faction, he hit a low blow to Owens than the big boot to set up Jey, hitting a splash off the top rope for the win. 

• 5 Funniest Moments of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline in WWE

Paul Heyman’s Praise

At the post-event press conference, Paul Heyman and Zayn spoke about the big win with media members. Heyman praised Zayn’s work since joining The Bloodline.

“Sami brings a dynamic that none of us were prepared for and we are prepared for everything. And what Sami also brings is a connection with the audience that none of us can have because we’ve been too busy being the top act in the entire industry for over two years.”

Heyman said Zayn is the guy that does a guest spot on a TV series and ends up being part of the regular cast because of his passion and talent. 

“Sami Zayn was on the opposite side of Kevin Owens tonight. Kevin Owens was on a different team, he chose to be on that team. If anybody was disloyal to anybody, Kevin Owens was disloyal to Sami Zayn. He put Sami Zayn in a terrible position of having to pick his best friend or The Bloodline, the greatest faction in the history of the industry, the top star in the industry Roman Reigns, and the acceptance of Roman Reigns which makes all of us relevant. And Sami was not disloyal to Kevin Owens. He took on his opponent. He showed his loyalty to The Bloodline.”

• Best Moments of The Usos Historic Tag Title Reign

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription 

Logan Paul looks to do the impossible this weekend at WWE Crown Jewel. The social media influencer turned boxer turned wrestler challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in less than 24 hours.

• Logan Paul Will have Back Up at WWE Crown Jewel

Paul has proven to be a natural inside squared circle. He possesses the winning formula of athleticism and charisma that has led countless performers to legendary status.

WWE signing Logan Paul to a multi-year contract in June 2022 seems like a stroke of genius. According to Paul Heyman, he’s been pushing the company to get in business with Paul for years.

Heyman appeared on the latest episode of WWE’s After The Bell podcast. The Special Counsel to The Tribal Chief tells Corey Graves new co-host Kevin Patrick that he wanted to procure Paul’s services back in 2019, when he served as the Executive Director of Monday Night Raw.

This Is Global Publicity

“When I was executive director of RAW, I had pitched Logan Paul to Vince McMahon to get involved in a scenario that would ultimately culminate in a SummerSlam or Survivor Series or a Royal Rumble match,” said Heyman.

Say what you want about the the Paul brothers, they’ve made a dramatic impact on the world of professional boxing and prize fighting. Heyman saw this disruption coming a mile away and felt that WWE should get in on the axction.

“So, I had seen the Paul brothers disrupting the boxing industry from the very beginning when they got involved. I mean, they just came in at such a level and with so much fanfare. This is a no brainer to the Tribal Chief, and it’s a no brainer to his Special Counsel.”

Heyman, a master promoter and opportunist, saw the Paul brothers’ massive audience that could be leveraged to bring additional exposure to WWE and The Bloodline.

“This is global publicity,” he added. “This is a chance to take Logan Paul’s audience and put those eyeballs on WWE, and more importantly, on Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman and the Bloodline. Of course, the desire is to retain as many eyeballs as possible because we’re trying to seduce them with our brand of entertainment.”

• Backstage News on Who is Training Logan Paul for WWE Crown Jewel Match

Logan Paul is just days away from having the biggest pro wrestling match of his career thus far when he steps into the ring to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title in the main event of Saturday’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. 

Paul’s brother, Jake, will be paying attention to the match, and he thinks Logan can dethrone Reigns as the champion. 

Jake Paul Wants Paul Heyman in his Corner

“My brother is going to become champion. I believe that. This is his time. It’s crazy, so crazy Logan has this match,” Paul said to Sports Illustrated. “I’m so proud of him. It’s surreal he has this opportunity, and it’s serendipitous that his event and my event are happening on back-to-back weekends. We’re taking over the world. We’re the next Kardashians.”

Jake is four days removed from picking up a boxing victory against former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. He sees himself potentially working with WWE and would be open to partnering with the legendary Paul Heyman, the special counsel of Reigns. 

“Paul Heyman is very entertaining and smart. I love a lot of the WWE characters, and he’s on another level. I’d love him in my corner. We’d be Paul and Paul.”

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is having a face-to-face with Logan Paul tonight on SmackDown ahead of their title match at Crown Jewel on November 5th.

The Wiseman Paul Heyman took to Twitter just before the season premiere of WWE SmackDown went on the air and revealed the opening to tomorrow night’s Premium Live Event. Reigns is not scheduled to defend the title at tomorrow night’s show in Philadelphia.

Paul Heyman took ECW to new heights in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena. The Wiseman narrated the video package and you can check it out below. A child appears at a spelling bee and Paul Heyman gave him the word “extreme” to spell.

The kid asked for a definition of the word “extreme” and Heyman said it is “an act or measure taken to excessive lengths beyond the ordinary or average.” The child then asked for the word in a sentence and Heyman said the following:

“The unbridled passion, the fearlessness to just go into something with a reckless abandon that allows you to create something from nothing. That allows you to innovate, that allows you take things to the Extreme.”

He was then asked the place of origin for Extreme and The Wiseman said “Philadelphia”. Paul appeared on the screen at the end of the video to congratulate the child for spelling the word correctly.

Over Summerslam weekend, WWE hosted a series of try-outs in Nashville, Tennessee.

Several athletes, including NBA star Dwight Howard tried out, hoping to earn a contract with WWE.

Headlining WrestleMania

Triple H conducted the Summerslam tryouts, in his first major role as the new Head of WWE Talent Relations.

In addition to ‘The Game’ Paul Heyman was present to observe those trying to earn a WWE contract, and was impressed by some of the names he saw.

Heyman spoke to “Bleacher Report” about the try-outs and sees big things in the future of some of the athletes (via Wrestling Inc.)

“There are plenty of people I saw today that are qualified. Are they going to main-event WrestleMania? There’s a few people I can see that happening with, but not everyone, and I’m very excited about working with them in the future. But not all of them.”

“There’s a few people I can see that happening with.”

Paul Heyman on some of the Summerslam try-out athletes possibly headlining WrestleMania.

Heyman added that while not everyone is destined to headline WWE’s biggest event of the year, but that’s not all the company is looking for.

“If you’re not going to main-event WrestleMania, are you a disruptor? Are you someone who’s going to change the industry? Are you someone who’s going to give us a vision that we don’t have? Someone who’s 20 better not look at this industry the same way I do.”

WWE reportedly signed 14 of the 50 athletes who tried out for the company over Summerslam weekend.

In the Attitude Era, Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon led different promotions, but the two weren’t entirely at odds.

Heyman, aware that his ECW could never compete for dominance over the much bigger WWF, struck a deal with McMahon.

This deal saw McMahon pay ECW $1,000 a week, as well as a $500,000 payment in mid-2000, while the WWF received the first chance on signing ECW talent, and had a much easier time purchasing ECW when the company eventually collapsed.

The Advice

Before ECW folded, Heyman jumped to the WWF and returned to the WWE in 2012.

This return saw Heyman work closely with McMahon now in the same company, and the two workaholics worked well together until the latter’s retirement last month.

In June 2019, Heyman was appointed an Executive Director of Raw, and during an appearance on The Mackmania podcast on The Ringer Wrestling Show, shared some advice he got by McMahon when receiving the role.

“Make sure you pick your successor, in case you drop dead.”

Paul Heyman reveals the advice given to him by Vince McMahon.

According to Heyman, McMahon made it clear that even in the times of Vince’s passing, the show must go on without him.

McMahon was under the impression that he would remain as WWE CEO and Chairman until his death.

Heyman’s Future

While many are optimistic for WWE’s future with McMahon now retired, Heyman isn’t celebrating.

On the show, Heyman made it clear that he’s fully on board with the new vision for WWE, but it’s foolish to celebrate McMahon’s departure, as his work ethic made a lot of people a lot of money.

Many believe that Heyman could be in line for a backstage role with creative, as he has good relationships with WWE Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and Head of Creative/Talent Relations Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque.

WWE is holding talent tryouts ahead of Saturday’s SummerSlam event to sign the next Performance Center class. 

While speaking with the media on Friday at the WWE tryouts in Nashville, Triple H talked about Paul Heyman possibly being involved in creative and development aspects. 

Heyman, who had been the Raw Executive Director from 2019-2020, was at the tryouts to help scout talent. 

“I want ideas from everybody, I want thoughts from everybody,” Triple H stated. “To me, this is inclusive. When I say, that goes for the talent. When I say this is going to take all of us, it’s going to take all of us. I want that, Paul is one of the best promos in the history of this business. Who better?

When I asked him to be part of this, he was thrilled. We both joke about the fountain of youth at these things. Paul always does this (rubbing his chest). Who better to come here to talk about that skill? Paul has the gift of gab, always has. Who better to come here and motivate these kids?”

Triple H mentioned Big E and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair as people who have helped out with the tryouts.

Heyman worked on the WWE creative team from 2001-2003, including the lead writer for SmackDown from July 2002 to February 2003.

If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

Brock Lesnar is perhaps the most successful WWE Superstar to be deemed a ‘Paul Heyman Guy,’ having won several World Championships alongside his advocate.

In March 2002, Heyman debuted Lesnar on WWE TV and it would be mere months later that the “Next Big Thing” captured the WWE Undisputed Championship.

While the two would split at that year’s Survivor Series, they would reunite upon Brock’s return to the company in 2012.

Lesnar’s career will always be tied to Heyman, who now serves as the special counsel to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, but there was someone else considered for Heyman.

The Other Paul Heyman Guy

Speaking to Inside The Ropes, Heyman said that while he eventually got to work with Lesnar, WWE at first wanted him to be the manager of Chris Benoit (via Sportskeeda)

“I was off-air, I was behind the scenes. I was supposed to come back on the air, in 2002, at WrestleMania, with Chris Benoit.”

Paul Heyman.

Heyman had last appeared on WWE TV on the Raw after Survivor Series 2001, where the WWF defeated the Alliance in a Winner Takes All match.

While McMahon had seemingly forgiven Heyman, this was a ruse, as the WWE Chairman fired Heyman and replaced him on commentary with the returning Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler.

Benoit had missed the entire Invasion storyline after a serious neck injury that occurred during a TLC match on the May 24, 2001, SmackDown.

• Paul Heyman Declares Himself the ‘Undisputed’ Best Manager of all time

Roman Reigns vs The Rock is one of the most highly anticipated matches of recent years. Paul Heyman says it’s up to the Great One if this showdown takes place.

The mad scientist of wrestling recently had an interview with James Stewart of the 98.5 Sports Hub Inside The Ropes Show where he discussed a number of things.

When asked about a potential match between his client and The Rock, Heyman said that The Tribal Chief will be happy to smash The Great One anywhere he wants:

“That’s up to The Rock. I mean, if The Rock wants to get his ass kicked in front of a hundred thousand people,

Whether it’s in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, New York, Miami, or the moon if Elon Musk colonizes it, Roman Reigns would be happy to smash to The Rock,”

• The Rock Teases Roman Reigns WrestleMania Match on Young Rock

Heyman was also asked about other potential challengers for Roman Reigns. He said that the Head Of The Table will be willing to give an opportunity to anyone who is a great box office attraction.

He explained that they are in the business to fill arenas and stadiums and draw money. So he wants anyone who is good box office to be in the ring with the undisputed champion.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

Paul Heyman believes The Bloodline is the greatest faction in professional wrestling history.

Shortly after The Bloodline (Roman Reigns and The Usos) defeated the team of RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania Backlash, Heyman took to a backstage interview to hail the trio as the greatest faction in history.

“Doubt? In my mind? No. I mean come on. Let’s shoot from the hip here. The undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns. The longest-reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions of all time, The Usos.

“The Bloodline is the most dominant faction in the pro wrestling/sports entertainment history. You can tell me all about The Four Horsemen. You can tell me all about the nWo.

“You can tell me about D-X. You can tell me about the Heenan Family. You can even tell me about the Dangerous Alliance. There has never, never been a faction as dominant as The Bloodline.”

Heyman didn’t stop there, he doubled down on those claims on Twitter earlier today.

Heyman certainly makes a strong case. Reigns is one of the longest reigning World Champions in history at the moment with over 600 days as Universal Champion. He also holds the WWE Championship, which he won from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38.

The pair headlined Night Two of WrestleMania from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas in April. Reigns was able to come out on top, bringing even more hardware to The Bloodline. As for The Usos, they currently reign as the SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions.

This is their fifth reign as SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions, and it’s also a record-breaker at nearly 300 days. The duo have established themselves as one of the best tag teams WWE has ever seen.

It will be interesting to see what comes next for The Bloodline after their WrestleMania Backlash victory. Roman Reigns recently inked a new deal with WWE, and is looking for a new challenger for his World Title reign.

As for The Usos, they teased potentially challenging for the RAW Tag Team Titles and unifying the belts, but it appears those plans were put on ice ahead of Backlash.

Quotes via WrestleZone

Paul Heyman wasn’t going to stay quiet on the 25th anniversary of the ECW Barely Legal event.

The event took place back on April 13, 1997. It was held inside the ECW Arena, now the 2300 Arena, in Philadelphia, PA. In the main event, Terry Funk defeated Raven to become the ECW World Heavyweight Champion.

Paul Heyman Looks Back

Paul Heyman took to his Instagram account to reflect on the 25th anniversary of Barely Legal.

“Sigh.

“I suck at being nostalgic.

“I’m still too ambitious, looking for new things to accomplish. Yet I would be remiss if I didn’t say SOMETHING about this anniversary.

“ECW Barely Legal did not take place at a time where there was 1 brand so dominant, it was easy for companies to call themselves alternative or revolutionary.

“We took on two billion-dollar companies during the most hyper-competitive environment in the history of the industry.

“ECW’s fight to get on PPV has been covered in books, documentaries, et al. From PPV distributors’ confusion w/ MMA; our competitors doing everything to keep us off PPV; our uncompromising insistence on doing the show w/ our directors, a one-man announce booth, from the world’s most infamous bingo hall on literally the wrong side of the tracks in South Philly; we were willing to die before we’d sell out our vision.

“As much credit as we get for being outlaws, true to our cause … we weren’t the ones who got ECW cleared on PPV. It was our fans.

“The emails; letter-writing campaigns; bombarding cable company execs w/ round-the-clock faxes (what’s a FAX?); picketing #Cablevision offices. ECW was a true revolution.

“We didn’t have sponsors, billion dollar trust funds, secret financiers. We had balls, a belief in ourselves and our fans, who championed the cause, changed the industry forever.

“I don’t like writing these looks back because the journey to PPV was filled with such moment-by-moment heart-pounding pressure, it’s impossible to encapsulate in mere words. It’s why I’ve shunned all pushes for a scripted movie to be made about it. #BubbaRayDudley likes to say ECW was wrestling’s version of #Napster. We weren’t meant to last. We were there to lead the revolution, indeed evolution, of where the business would go. I often tap out trying to describe it better.

“We did it. We made it. The ECW fans got us there.

“For that, I will forever be indebted … and I’m going to spend the rest of my career continuing that passion, drive, ambition to over-deliver past anyone’s expectations; to be part of something where the level of performance is … all puns intended…EXTREME!”

ECW remains near and dear to Heyman. He ran the promotion until it was forced to close in 2001.

Heyman recently named two ECW legends who he’d like to see in the WWE Hall of Fame. He appeared on the Battleground Podcast and said his picks are Sabu and Joey Styles.

Whether it’s as a manager, advocate, special counsel, or “wise man,” there’s no denying that Paul Heyman is tremendous at what he does.

Often referred to as one of the best promos in the business, Heyman is also one of the best managers a professional wrestling talent can ask for. And he knows it. During a recent interview with 101 WRIF, Heyman claimed he’s the ‘undisputed’ best manager of all time.

“I think it’s undisputed that I am the greatest manager, advocate, and special counsel of all time,” Heyman said. “If for no other reason than the first 35 years of my stellar career on top.

“I am the special counsel for the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns, the Head of the Table, the end all be all, Roman Reigns who smashed, absolutely smashed Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania to unify the WWE and Universal Heavyweight Championships and is now the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world with this entire industry. Just based on that, let alone everything else I accomplished before, I’d say you got a pair of GOATS on your hand now.”

Heyman certainly makes a strong case. He has been by the sides of the likes of CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns, to name a few. His runs with each of those men were legendary, but the latter two are likely what fans will remember him for most.

During his rise to dominance in WWE, Lesnar had Heyman by his side as his “advocate,” including while he broke The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak in New Orleans.

Now, Heyman serves as the “special counsel” to the unified WWE Champion Roman Reigns, who often refers to Heyman as his “wise man.” Recently, Heyman was ringside with Reigns while he bested Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 38, unifying the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Title.

And although Paul Heyman admits he’s likely the best to have ever portrayed the manager role in professional wrestling, he’s not ready for a WWE Hall Of Fame induction just yet.

(Quotes via WrestlingInc)

Don’t expect Paul Heyman to accept a WWE Hall of Fame induction anytime soon.

Few can deny Heyman’s place in wrestling history. One can argue that his run manning the ship for ECW alone would’ve cemented his legacy. That wasn’t enough for Paul, however, as he’s become one of the best managers the wrestling industry has ever seen and is widely regarded as having a brilliant mind behind the scenes.

Paul Heyman Focused On Performing, Not Hall of Fame

Serving as a guest on 101 WRIF, Paul Heyman said that he’s simply too invested in his current role in WWE to think about a Hall of Fame induction (h/t Fightful).

“Yeah, I have absolutely no desire to go into the Hall of Fame. Well, I am the ‘Special Counsel’ to ‘The Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns. I’m putting together a Hall of Fame run simply based on what we do as The Undisputed Champion right now, let alone everything else that has been accomplished beforehand. So while we’re in the middle of this run, it would make no sense for me to go into the Hall of Fame.”

Heyman has been credited with the significant turnaround in Roman Reigns’ character. Even legendary commentator Jim Ross believes Heyman deserves credit for the “Tribal Chief” era.