Paul Heyman believes no one else could fill his shoes as the special counsel to Roman Reigns.

Reigns has seen a bit of a resurgence in his career. While he wasn’t likely to lose his top spot within WWE, many agreed he needed a fresh coat of paint. That’s exactly what Reigns has been able to receive thanks to the “Tribal Chief” character. Heyman has served as his manager, or “special counsel” as WWE calls him.

During a chat with Ryan Satin on Out of Character, Heyman said he thinks he’s the perfect person for Reigns to be alongside with.

Paul Heyman: A Lot Of People Want This Gig

Paul Heyman has been at the top of his game for many, many years. He knows better than anybody that people who fly at his altitude need to constantly push themselves and stay two steps ahead of his competition.

“This, I can do, and I dare say I do it better than anybody else,” said Heyman. “I have redefined the medium from manager to advocate to special counsel. That may be me drinking my own kool-aid, but it tastes good at the moment. I’m challenged every day to be even better.”

Heyman is an all-time great television personality. However, he knows he can’t rest on his laurels. To remain the best, he keeps a hungry mindset.

“If my promo tomorrow is not better than my promo today and my promo two days from now isn’t better than my promo tomorrow, I’m not progressing, I’m not getting better, throw me out the door and get rid of me. It’s time for me to go. The whole point is to be better tomorrow. Someone else wants this gig. A lot of people want this gig. If you don’t want this gig, you are out of your mind because this is the gig to have. I have to defend it.”

WWE has an interesting angle on its hands involving Reigns and Heyman. Brock Lesnar made his surprise return at SummerSlam after Reigns defeated John Cena. Heyman had a nervous breakdown as he had served as Lesnar’s advocate before aligning himself with Reigns.

Wrestling is an emotional business. Tensions can run high both in the ring and backstage. Talking during a recent interview with Inside the Ropes Paul Heyman addressed recent rumours of backstage heat between him and AJ Styles.

Rumours sparked about a disagreement between Paul Heyman and AJ relating to the release of The Good Brothers. Both Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are close friends to AJ Styles, predating their time in WWE. The trio was part of the Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling. A stable they pseudo continued in WWE as The Club.

Addressing their fallout, Paul Heyman was, as always, deliberate with his word choices.

“That is an inaccurate portrayal of what AJ Styles has said,” Heyman said. “AJ Styles has not said that we weren’t on the same page or that we clashed. AJ Styles has been quoted as blaming me for the departure from WWE of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. That is what AJ Styles has been quoted as saying. He has never made a statement regarding whether or not our collaboration on Monday Night RAW was to his liking or not—and if he wishes to, I’d be happy to accept whatever assessment he had on our time together behind the scenes.”

Paul Heyman Plays a Wide-Reaching Role Backstage in WWE

While many just know Paul Heyman as being the special counsel for Roman Reigns, or the advocate for Brock Lesnar, he also plays a deeper role backstage. It can be hard to keep business and real-life associations separate. Heyman understands this and likens the difference between the boardroom and the wrestling rings to a magic act.

“It’s not for public consumption. Triple H had a very interesting analogy the other day that he and Stephanie love to take their kids to magic shows and that the kids are fascinated by the magic that happens in front of their eyes, despite the fact that they understand it’s a trick. And even though you know it’s a trick, no one wants to see the wires that lift the magician up in the air and bring the magician back down, and I really enjoyed that analogy.”

“Whatever you think of sports entertainment, I’m not here to expose the wires, so whatever happened between Gallows and Anderson happened behind the scenes, behind closed doors in a meeting that I’m not going to expose to the public because it was an inner sanctum meeting with the chairman of the board, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. And unless Vince wants to talk about it publicly, I’m not going to be the one to expose what happened, why, and what the other conversations were in that meeting.”

Paul Heyman is wrestling through and through. He knows there is no place for sentiment when it comes to the business side of things. It is surely no easy task to be in such a dual-sided position.

This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown began with a heated back and forth promo segment between John Cena and WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

Cena and Reigns exchanged words ahead of their WWE SummerSlam 2021 match for the Universal Title, the match that will most likely headline the show inside of Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, August 21st.

John Cena vs Roman Reigns

According to a new report from Fightful Select, we now know who produced the segment between the two main event Superstars on this week’s episode of the show.

Former WWE Superstar Jamie Noble produced the opening segment, or according to Fightful he was “at least listed as such.”

It was also noted that Paul Heyman has “also had heavy influence over Reigns’ stories” over the past few months and that Roman and Cena both have significantly more creative freedom over their segments than most within the company.

The actual promo segment had a lot of elements of the original feud between Cena and Reigns, except that on this occasion Reigns is no longer portraying the all-conquering babyface.

It has not been confirmed if Jamie Noble will be producing the actual match between John Cena and Roman Reigns, however he does appear to have a big hand in the structure of the segments between the two going forward.

WWE is hoping to book one of the biggest matches in recent history at either WrestleMania 38 or WrestleMania 39 between The Rock and Roman Reigns.  It’s been reported that WWE has plans for The Rock to appear at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November to set up the match for the Universal Title. 

Paul Heyman talked about the possibility of such a match in an interview with ITRWrestling.com. Heyman started off by asking who doesn’t want to main event WrestleMania against Reigns and if they say they don’t then they’re lying. 

Heyman put over Reigns as the most dominant WrestleMania main eventer in history. He said Rock is just one of many people who are clamoring to step into the ring with Reigns at any time and especially at WrestleMania. 

Heyman wouldn’t comment on whether The Rock is a member of the table, but would rather leave that up for Reigns. 

“That is not a subject Roman Reigns wishes to address publicly at this time, either in The Rock’s favor or to The Rock’s detriment, because The Rock may not be welcome at our table. Roman Reigns will let you know when it’s appropriate for Roman Reigns to let you know.

If The Rock steps into the ring with Roman Reigns at any time, let alone at WrestleMania, that will be The Rock’s farewell, whether The Rock wants it to be or not.”

Reigns also has another big match already lined up as he’ll defend the WWE Universal Title against John Cena at next Saturday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event.

Paul Heyman recently took part in an interview with Metro and commented on Brock Lesnar’s possible return to WWE. According to Heyman, he will “burn that bridge when he has to cross it.”

“Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do,” Heyman said during the interview. “If Brock Lesnar wants to return to WWE, he will. If Brock Lesnar wants to take the UFC Championship from Francis Ngannou, he will”

Heyman continued to list things Lesnar could possibly choose to accomplish.

“If Brock Lesnar wants to join football and run circles around Neymar and Ronaldo and [David] Beckham, he will. If Brock Lesnar to get involved with rugby, he’ll smash every record of any rugby player in the history of the game – and he will.”

“Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do,” Heyman shrugged. “So I’ll burn that bridge when I have to cross it.”

Should Lesnar return to the company, it’s not clear how Heyman’s on-screen role would adjust considering he now advocates for Roman Reigns on Smackdown. Heyman will be in Reigns’ corner this weekend when the Universal Champion faces Edge at Money in the Bank.

Lesnar was spotted recently sporting a new ponytail and cutting up meat with The Bearded Butchers.

It has been confirmed by Dave Meltzer that Paul Heyman will not be returning as host of Talking Smack. Last week Heyman was replaced on the show by Pat McAfee. However, the news is now out that Heyman is being replaced full time. It is not yet known whether McAfee will be the one to assume the mantle or not.

While people are always eager to find an angle in things, there appears to be nothing behind the change. It is just a company decision to move ahead with a new face.

Of course, there is increasing speculation that Brock Lesnar will soon be returning to WWE. Paul Heyman is a close friend to Brock in real life, and the pair have often worked together in WWE. With Heyman currently acting on behalf of Roman Reigns, it could be that there is a bigger storyline brewing for Heyman which would explain why he needs a break from hosting duties. However, that would be pure speculation.

Paul Heyman has been the host of Talking Smack since November 2020. The show has been through a few incarnations over the years. Originally hosted by Renee Young and Daniel Bryan. It was then moved to a post PPV only slow, before being pulled completely. November was the rebirth of the show, which has provided many memorable moments over the years.

Paul Heyman and Talking Smack Were Viral Gold

Paul Heyman is good with his words and he is good with people. Two things that are a must for a show host, or anybody working in the entertainment sector. His confrontations with the guests on Talking Smack have provided many memorable moments in the eight months he was the host.

Whether he was getting under someone’s skin with pointed barbs, or wisecracking the annoyance out of them, Paul Heyman was a master at getting the job done. He would rant and rave, going off on wild diatribes about different storylines – not only his own – with the annoyingly eloquent grace we have come to expect.

As irritating as Paul Heyman can be, it only serves to highlight the talent the man has for character building. Hopefully, Talking Smack can carry on without him at the helm and there is nothing nefarious work behind the move.

Rey Mysterio will be challenging for the Universal Championship at the Hell In a Cell PPV next Sunday. Interestingly, that’s also Father’s Day, so the ongoing story involving Rey’s son Dominik having been attacked by Roman adds an extra layer to the narrative.

Mysterio challenged Reigns on this week’s episode of SmackDown to make it a Hell In a Cell match. During Talking Smack, the ‘Special Council To The Tribal Chief’ Paul Heyman would accept the challenge from the Luchador legend.

“I get this story, I want to see it go down,” Heyman began on Talking Smack. “As special counsel to the Tribal Chief, the Universal Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns. I, Paul Heyman, hereby inform the public that I’m authorized to accept Rey Mysterio’s challenge against Roman Reigns inside Hell in a Cell. And that’s bad news for Rey Mysterio.”

Paul Heyman on Mysterio’s Challenge

“Because you are not stepping into Hell in a Cell with just a defending champion. You’re stepping into Hell in a Cell against the monarch of the mat” Heyman added. “The gracious God of the grappling game. The taste-maker of the island of relevancy. The savage Samoan sadist. The devil himself — inside Hell in a Cell. You’re stepping into the demonic structure with Roman Reigns.”

Here’s the full card for Hell In a Cell on Sunday June 20:

• WWE Championship: Hell in a Cell Match – Bobby Lashley (c) with MVP vs. Drew McIntyre
• Universal Championship: Hell in a Cell Match – Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio
• WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match – Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte
• WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match – Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley

Like him or loathe him, Paul Heyman is a man who knows wrestling. He has been involved in the wrestling business since he was 21 years old. Now, 35 years later he is still a major name. His allegiance to first Brock Lesnar and now Roman Reigns has shaped a character in both himself and the wrestlers he manages that will live on long in the memories of wrestling fans.

Talking in a recent High Spots Virtual Q&A session, Paul Heyman was asked which superstars he felt were most undervalued for their mic skills.

Heyman wasted no time in giving his answer. Naming a tag team as one of the most underrated talents in WWE right now. Talking about The Street Profits, Paul Heyman was quick to claim that the duo was great but also had so much more still to offer.

“The Street Profits. They get a lot of credit for being great promos, I don’t think they’ve even scratched the surface of how great they are yet. Both of them. The rhythm between the two of them is just magic,” Heyman said.

The Street Profits have become firm fan favourites during their time with WWE. Their chemistry on the mic extending deep into their in-ring skills also. The Street Profits are only the second tag team to have held all three WWE tag-team belts.

Paul Heyman also reserved praise for two NXT superstars. Citing both Austin Idol and Armando Estrada as being exciting prospects on the mic.

This is high praise, coming from Paul Heyman, who cuts some of the best promos in the business.

WWE has announced their return to touring for July and now Paul Heyman is teasing the return of Brock Lesnar for the company’s first show back on the road.

The former ECW owner recently appeared on SportsTalk 790 where he talked about a number of things. During the interview, he was also asked about the potential return of the beast incarnate.

Replying to the question, Heyman first mentioned how Lesnar does what he wants to do but he then teased the former universal champion’s return for the upcoming SmackDown episode from Houston:

 “Asking me about Brock Lesnar is a highly intelligent question and I commend you on your efforts. However, it’s a hypothetical. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do. If Brock Lesnar wanted to be back in WWE at this moment, at this particular time and place, he would be.

Maybe, maybe he has been waiting for the live events, and maybe he’ll choose Houston to make that return… or maybe not, because Brock Lesnar is going to do whatever Brock Lesnar wants to do.”

• Paul Heyman Discusses Potential Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar Match

WWE has confirmed a total of six locations for their 25 city tour so far. Their first show back on the road will be July 16 episode of SmackDown from Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Brock Lesnar is not the only big name which has now been discussed for a potential appearance and reports suggest that John Cena could make his WWE return during the show as well.

‘King’ Shinsuke Nakamura has gained some momentum on SmackDown in the past couple of weeks and now Paul Heyman is teasing a very interesting destination for his current journey.

The former champion appeared on the latest episode of Talking Smack where he discussed his new attitude and where he wants to take his newfound fame.

The Universal champion Roman Reigns, who recently defeated Cesaro now seems to be lacking in challengers for his title and so during the interview, Heyman presented an interesting proposition:

“Nakamura, does it [excite you] just to think that one day, we may actually do King Nakamura against ‘The Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns,”

The king seemed intrigued by this offer as well. When Shinsuke Nakamura asked Paul to give his word about this bout, he said “[I] promise, my king. Your kingdom is in good hands, sir. I shall send your regards to our Tribal Chief.”

Shinsuke Nakamura was defeated by King Corbin in a match during the May 17 episode of SmackDown. However, Nakamura then attacked Corbin from behind and stole his crown.

• Paul Heyman Discusses Potential Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar Match

On this week’s episode of the show, Nakamura introduced a new ally in Rik Bugez, aka Eric Bugenhagen who performed his entrance. Shinsuke then went on to defeat Corbin in a rematch from last week.

Roman Reigns, on the other hand, defeated Cesaro at WrestleMania: Backlash. Now it would be interesting to see if the Paul Heyman teases come to fruition and we see a feud between these two stars in near future.

Roman Reigns defeated Cesaro to retain the Universal Championship at WrestleMania Backlash last night. Following his victory, WWE correspondents attempted to speak with Reigns and Paul Heyman.

“Roman Reigns is the end all be all, he’s the head of the table, he’s the Tribal Chief, he’s the Reigns-ing, defending, undisputed, incontrovertible, Universal Heavyweight Champion,” Heyman said. “Cesaro was a qualified opponent but he’s not a champion. That distinction belongs to Roman Reigns.”

The interview with Paul Heyman can be viewed below:

The win over Cesaro was Reigns’ 11th successful title defense since winning the Universal title on August 30th, 2020 at Payback. No other holder of the title has defended it more than 6 times. Brock Lesnar held the title for a 504-day stretch from April 2017 until August 2018 but only defended the title 6x before losing it to Reigns at SummerSlam 2018.

Reigns holds the record for the most defenses of the Universal title in one reign (11) and across all reigns (13). Lesnar holds the record for most reigns with the belt (3x) and total days spent with the title (688) as well as the longest single-reign (504).

ECW legend “New Jack” Jerome Young passed away yesterday at the age of 58. Former ECW owner Paul Heyman closed out Talking Smack this week with a touching tribute to the man.

“I was asked before the show went on the air if I would like to say a few words about the passing of ECW original New Jack,” Heyman said. “And I avoid eulogies as best I can because anytime I’m faced with death, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘hey, this sucks and there’s no good spin that I can put on it.'”

Paul Heyman Pays Tribute To New Jack

“When I heard that New Jack had passed away, my hope was that New Jack had turned to his wife and said ‘hey, I’d like to read my own obituary, call a bunch of people and tell them that I died and then everybody is going to make a big fuss about it and then I’ll read about my own life.’ And then at some point this weekend, they’d sell a bunch of t-shirts and he’d sit there and go ‘got ya’ because that’s what New Jack would do. And apparently it’s not so, which sucks.”

“Usually when we would pay tribute to somebody here in WWE we’d show a lot of footage of that person and to be blunt, we can’t show you a lot of footage of New Jack because he was the most non-PG performer in sports entertainment history. Because New Jack was a gangsta. And everybody who was a fan of ECW, that came to see ECW, who watched ECW knew that fact from the moment his music hit and no, we never had rights to use his music. Why? Because as an organization, we were gangstas and New Jack was the most gangsta of all of us gangstas.”

“That’s over 20 years ago. Anybody that ever saw New Jack perform live, or heard him cut a promo, understood just how real he was. Jerome Young was quite an individual. Deep in his heart he was every bit of New Jack that he could offer you.”

“I wish you all a most extreme weekend, gangsta style.”

.@HeymanHustle pays tribute to the late Jerome Young, better known as New Jack in ECW, on #TalkingSmack pic.twitter.com/6jXg2agCm9

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 15, 2021

Tributes To New Jack

Below are some notable tributes to New Jack that have been made online:

Paul Heyman recently spoke to DAZN. The Special Council To The Tribal Chief discussed a wide variety of topics during the interview, however his answering of a question regarding Brock Lesnar returning to face WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns as particularly intriguing.

Although Reigns and Lesnar have already fought on multiple occasions, including WrestleMania main events, a meeting between the two now would be arguably the one that draws the most intrigue from the audience. With Heyman now aligned with Roman, and Reigns portraying his Head of The Table character, it means that Lesnar has a different reason to go after the Samoan Champion.

“The problem that I have with your question is that it’s based on a hypothetical” Heyman said to DAZN during the interview. “My father was a far smarter man than I will ever be, which is a testament to my father. My father used to have a saying, ‘If your aunt had balls, she’d be your uncle.’ She doesn’t. So she’s not.”

“If Brock Lesnar were to return, ‘if’ is a hypothetical. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do” the former ECW owner continued. “How you can be cognizant of the fact that Brock Lesnar does not want to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal championship, or at least not yet, is because he hasn’t done it.”

Paul Heyman on Brock Lesnar

“Because if Brock Lesnar wanted to it, it would have happened already” Heyman noted, in an extremely telling manner. “And it hasn’t happened already because he doesn’t want to.”

“Now, there may be reasons why he doesn’t want to” Heyman added. “And that’s for Brock Lesnar to reveal if Brock Lesnar ever decides to reveal it. Man doesn’t tweet. He doesn’t post pictures on Instagram. He’s not a public persona. He’s a very private beast. He does enjoy being on his tractor and on his combine, and the man loves the farm.”

“If Brock Lesnar ever decides to appear in public, it’ll be when Brock Lesnar wants to appear in public because Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do” Paul Heyman concluded, leaving the door open to a potential mega match down the line.

In 2006, at the second ECW One Night Stand PPV, Rob Van Dam defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship. The atmosphere inside the arena that night was intense and Cena played into the negative reaction he got that night. Paul Heyman recently spoke to Metro UK about Cena’s performance on the show.

“John Cena feeds off of the interaction with a live audience like very few people on the face of the planet in history ever have, ever could, ever would, or ever have the ability to generate that level of passion from a live crowd,” Heyman said.

Cena threw his t-shirt into the crowd as he normally does during this show, only this time the ECW faithful tossed it right back at him.

“I think John Cena, to this day, loved every single micro moment of it.”

“Anybody that says that they wouldn’t cherish the opportunity to work with John Cena on any level is a fool,” he continued.

Heyman continued to reflect on the ECW shows in 2005 and 2006. He also reflected on the type of atmosphere the promotion regularly had before going out of business.

“Everybody talks about the atmosphere of Rob Van Dam versus John Cena at the 2006 show, or The Sandman’s entrance at the 2005 show, or the atmosphere of the entire night at the 2005 show,” Heyman reflected.

“I’m happy the memories of those two shows are so vivid to so many people – and I will use the word “and” instead of “but”. And I would add to that statement – we did this every night in ECW. That was the atmosphere every night in ECW.”

The ‘Special Council To The Tribal Chief’ Paul Heyman recently sent a warning to Daniel Bryan ahead of next week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Daniel Bryan will be facing Roman Reigns in the main event of the show for the Universal Championship.

Should Bryan lose, he will be ‘banished’ from SmackDown.

“If Roman Reigns wins, and I assure you he will win, that’s it for Daniel Bryan” Paul Heyman began on Talking Smack. “He’s out of here, he’s not coming back, like the Midnight Rider. He’s out. O-U-T. Gone! Banished from SmackDown.”

Paul Heyman on Daniel Bryan vs Roman Reigns

“No more Daniel Bryan. No more Bryan Danielson, no more ‘American Dragon,’ no more Brie Bella’s baby daddy around here” Heyman added. “Gone! Finished! Kaput! Out the damn window!”

“If you’re a fan of Daniel Bryan, I encourage you, I implore you to watch next Friday night, live on SmackDown” Paul Heyman continued. “It’s the last chance you’re going to get to see Daniel Bryan in action.”

“You [Daniel Bryan] pushed the Tribal Chief too far. Now, as you should have learned at WrestleMania, now come the consequences” Heyman concluded.

Do you think that we’ll see Daniel Bryan end up on RAW, or maybe even NXT? Let us know in the comments

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcription

WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley recently spoke to TV Insider. The Australian Superstar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including her RAW Women’s Championship victory at WrestleMania 37.

Ripley defeated Asuka on Night 2 of WrestleMania 37, using her Riptide finishing move to get the win and cement her place on the Red brand of WWE going forward on Monday nights.

Rhea Ripley Talks Vince McMahon

“One of the big ones was talking to Vince McMahon afterward” Rhea Ripley said during the interview, discussing what it was like backstage after her big win. “Hearing him say ‘well done’ and that I did great. It was so surreal.”

“It’s a dream, and I’m living it” Ripley added. “To have the big boss man say well done was pretty insane to me.”

Rhea Ripley also revealed some advice that Paul Heyman gave her. “It was Paul Heyman who said to me, ‘You can stay humble, but don’t stay silent’” Ripley revealed. “That really hit me because I’m a very humble person.”

• CM Punk Comments On Potentially Wrestling Kenny Omega or Triple H

“I do my job and do what I’m told” Ripley added. “Sometimes that isn’t the best way to do things. I will take that advice with me as I keep working.”

Paul Heyman recently appeared on the Pat McAfee show and talked about Roman Reigns’ upcoming match at WrestleMania. During the discussion, McAfee asked Heyman when he knew that Roman Reigns was going to be a top guy.

“When Roman Reigns was 3 years old, his father was working in the Continental Wrestling Federation. Which at the time, the creative was being head by Eddie Gilbert and I was Eddie Gilbert’s assistant. There was a show in Panama City Florida, and Roman Reigns’ father, the legendary WWE Hall of Famer Sika came into the locker room and he brought Roman Reigns with him,” Heyman said.

“At 3 years old this young man already had so much personality & so much charisma you could tell he was going to be a top level A1 top tier star no matter what he did in his life”

“I knew when he was 3-years-old, there you go, he’s the future.”

“How did the Shield come into WWE? The Shield came into WWE to protect the championship reign of CM Punk. Who was CM Punk’s special advisor, who was CM Punk’s advocate, who was standing next to CM Punk? Paul Heyman. Who brought in the Shield? Paul Heyman. I’ve been seeing this in Roman Reigns since before anybody realized I was seeing this in Roman Reigns.”

A clip of Heyman from the show cane viewed in the below Tweet:

Paul Heyman is one of the most influential wrestling managers of the modern era. He is a prominent figure on the current WWE programming as the special counselor to Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

However, the former ECW owner’s current contract with the company is set to expire in the next couple of months. A lot of people have been wondering how his negotiations with the company are going.

Heyman appeared on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch this week. He was asked if we will continue to see him on WWE programming for the foreseeable future. The wrestling mastermind is hopeful he will remain with the company.

“One would certainly hope so; I’ve always tried to avoid negotiating in public. I understand why some people do it though.”

Paul Heyman’s Negotiating Philosophy

Brock Lesnar’s former Advocate left WWE in 2006, but virtually nobody knew it at the time. Heyman and WWE kept his negotiations private. He explained why he believes it is best to conduct his business behind closed doors.

“I just don’t think it does WWE or Paul Heyman any good for me to negotiate a contract and agreement through the media in public. It doesn’t serve anybody. It’s not what I’m here to do. I’m an entertaining, or a director [and] producer of talent. I don’t think that’s what the public turns to me for.”

He continued by saying that he loves his current role with Roman Reigns. He also enjoys his role on the Talking Smack talk show. Heyman would be a hot free agent if he left WWE, but he is “boldly confident that I’ll be continuing in those roles.”

Paul Heyman’s signed a 3-year deal with WWE shortly after WrestleMania 34. Considering how vital he is to WWE storylines, the belief is that he will re-sign with the promotion.

• Paul Heyman Reacts To Eric Bischoff’s Hall of Fame Induction

Paul Heyman appeared on the latest edition of Talking Smack and spoke about Eric Bischoff being announced as part of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

“This is an honor that is long overdue, and it’s well-earned,” Heyman said. “It’s most deserved. The criterion to be in the WWE Hall of Fame is impact upon the industry and it would be very hard for anyone to argue that Eric Bischoff did not make as significant an impact on this industry as almost anybody else in its history.”

“I respect WWE for having the intelligence, and for understanding just how much Eric Bischoff belongs in the Hall of Fame. And I congratulate, profoundly congratulate my old rival Eric Bischoff for his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021.”

Heyman and Bischoff were both in WCW in the early-90s but Heyman was gone by the time Bischoff was promoted to an executive role. More recently, Heyman served as Executive Director of RAW from 2019-2020. Bischoff was Executive Director of Smackdown for a few months in 2019 as well.

“The 1990s in this industry were ruled by Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, and Vincent Kennedy McMahon. And only one of us is still relevant enough to be on television each and every week,” Heyman continued.

Jake Jeremy looks at Paul Heyman’s recent bombshell remark that The Rock called him to set up a match with Roman Reigns at WWE WrestleMania.

Check out our opinion editorial video below and let us know if you think The Rock will return to WWE at some point and challenge Roman Reigns.

For context, Paul Heyman recently made the following comments in an interview with GiveMeSport.

“If I could show you one day’s worth of text messages, emails and calls that come into my phone from some of the biggest superstars in sports and entertainment on this planet, it would blow your mind” Heyman stated.”

“Crossover celebrities in their prime would love to step into a WrestleMania ring with Roman Reigns. It’s not just Dwayne Johnson. The Rock is just one of many. Top stars in many sports are yearning for the publicity, the notoriety, fame, legacy and money of main eventing WrestleMania with Roman Reigns.”

Roman Reigns himself has commented on the possibility of this match in the past.

“He’s the biggest box-office attraction for the big screen. So, to be able to take that and match it up with the biggest box-office attraction in sports entertainment, I think some magic would be made.”

Check out the full article for this story below:

• Paul Heyman Says The Rock Contacted WWE For Roman Reigns WrestleMania Match

What would you like to see us produce for video content on YouTube going forward? Let us know in the comments

The Rock vs. Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 37 has been in the talks for a long time, but unfortunately it isn’t going to materialize, at least this year. The dream match has been teased for over a year now and fans had hoped to see the match at the Grandest Stage Of Them All. While there doesn’t seem to be any indication of the match happening anytime soon, Paul Heyman said in an interview that negotiations for the match are taking place.

“If I could show you one day’s worth of text messages, emails and calls that come into my phone from some of the biggest superstars in sports and entertainment on this planet, it would blow your mind,” Paul Heyman told GiveMeSport in a recent interview. “Crossover celebrities in their prime would love to step into a WrestleMania ring with Roman Reigns. It’s not just Dwayne Johnson. The Rock is just one of many. Top stars in many sports are yearning for the publicity, the notoriety, fame, legacy and money of main eventing WrestleMania with Roman Reigns.”

Roman Reigns vs. The Rock is a match that both men themselves are interested in. It would be one of the biggest marquee matches that the company could assemble. Rock being one of the biggest movie stars right now with a demanding schedule could make it tricky to actually take place. Triple H has said that if Rock wants to do it then WWE will do “everything” to make sure it happens. “If fans want to see it, we will make it happen. But it really comes down to does The Rock want to it and does he have the time to do it.”

If not now, then later. Roman Reigns has said that it would make sense for him to face The Rock when WrestleMania returns to Hollywood. “We’ll go to Hollywood for WrestleMania 39, and I think it just makes sense, he’s the biggest box office attraction for the big screen. So, to be able to take that and match it up with the biggest box office attraction in sports entertainment, I think some magic would be made,” Reigns said regarding the matchup.

The match has been in discussions for a few years now and The Rock has discussed what the potential match could be like multiple times before. “The People’s Champ” said that he’d be honored to wrestle his cousin at a future WrestleMania. He even relayed that not only would he be honored to face him in the ring, he’d be also more than glad to put Reigns over on that stage.

WWE on screen personality and ‘Special Council To The Tribal Chief’ Paul Heyman recently spoke to GiveMeSport. The (former?) advocate of Brock Lesnar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including working with Roman Reigns and his cousin, Jey Uso.

“If you take a look at SmackDown’s global ratings, Jey Uso was not given the name tag ‘main event Jey Uso’ just because we placed him in the main event” Paul Heyman began.

“Jey Uso has been at the core of the resurgence of SmackDown ratings” stated the former ECW owner. “Since the end of September, he has been in more main events on SmackDown than anybody else on any of WWE’s brands – SmackDown, RAW, NXT, NXT UK…”  

Paul Heyman on Jey Uso

Paul Heyman also stated that Jey Uso is not only ‘worthy’ of the main event; but the Samoan family member is a ‘picture-perfect’ example of a modern day main event caliber talent.

“And I also will offer that Jey Uso will be ‘main event Jey Uso’… worthy of the main event” Heyman claimed. “Indicative of the main event and a picture-perfect example of the modern-day main event in 2021. Jey Uso is at the top of his game, he’s never been better and Edge will learn that first hand on SmackDown.”

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Jey Uso will be taking on Edge this Friday on SmackDown. The winner of the match will be the Special Enforcer for the Universal Championship match at WWE Fastlane this Sunday.

Paul Heyman, the Special Counsel to Roman Reigns, had a lot to say this past week on Talking Smack about the Edge vs. Jey Uso matchup that’s scheduled for this week’s SmackDown. The winner of this match will determine who will be the special enforcer at the Universal Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Reigns at Fastlane next Sunday. While he was ranting about the match, he also worked in AEW’s Christian Cage leaving WWE for the rival promotion into the storyline. Christian had made a surprise comeback after seven years at the 2021 Royal Rumble match, and even had a reunion with Edge in the ring. it was then revealed a month later at Revolution that he was the surprise signee for a multi-year contract with AEW.

Paul Heyman blasted Edge for challenging Roman Reigns for his title at WrestleMania. He said that he expected a person like him with a surgically repaired neck to not piss off the “Tribal Chief.” Then he brought up Edge’s friend and former tag partner Christian. Heyman said that Christian went to AEW so that he wouldn’t have to face Reigns someday.

“Edge, your best friend in this world knew he was going to become Roman Reigns’ target just to get into your head and what did he do?” Paul Heyman said regarding Christian. “He ran away, before Roman Reigns could target him. How many, of your ‘Christians’ need to convert before you realize it’s not smart to piss off Roman Reigns? You, Edge, have pissed off Roman Reigns. You wanna be the special enforcer? You wanna involve yourself in Roman Reigns’ match against Daniel Bryan? Why? Because you know, it’s an easier fight against Daniel Bryan than it is against Roman Reigns who is untouchable, who is unbeatable…”

Roman Reigns (with Paul Heyman) will defend his Universal title against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane on Sunday, March 21. This week’s SmackDown will determine who will be the special enforcer via a match between Edge and Jey Uso.

WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the Royal Rumble show from this past Sunday. During the event, Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens had a hellacious Last Men Standing match; with the ending of the bout unfortunately coming under scrutiny for an unexpected issue.

Roman Reigns was handcuffed to one of the lighting rigs and Paul Heyman had to unlock the cuffs whilst the referee counted Roman out. Unfortunately the referee had to stop the count at 5; as Roman was still stuck with the handcuffs just not playing ball. Bully Ray discussed how much he enjoyed the Last Man Standing match, and how the ending shouldn’t detract from the bout itself.

“One of the most enjoyable Last Man Standing matches I’ve ever seen” Bully Ray began on Busted Open. “Great, great car crash. And I’ve been in a few Last Man Standing matches that I’m very, very proud of; because of the psychology I was able to attach to the match, and how things made sense. It wasn’t just gratuitous violence for the sake of it.”

Bully Ray on The Last Man Standing Match

“The Rumble was very entertaining” Bully continued. “Kevin Owens…no matter when KO gets handed the ball? He finds a way to score with it. This is tailor made for him, he loves this stuff. Roman stepped up to the plate, whether you get Roman in a regular wrestling match or these Last Man Standing matches? He is shining through.”

Bully Ray then discussed the unfortunate botch at the end of the match. “Every once in a while, something goes wrong” Bully stated. “Something that you try to make sure won’t go wrong, but it just happens, it’s a broken play. And in that moment in time either something was wrong with the key or the lock. And I know people are harping on the second referee coming in and starting to count.”

“Actually, that’s what the referee HAD to do, he has to start counting. The problem is that he STOPPED counting. He got to five and realised, ‘Paul still doesn’t have the cuffs off.’ So, in that moment in time. What do you do? How do you cover it up? It is an absolute split second decision. So what the WWE did, they panned out. They got the referee out of the shot, and they focused on the handcuffs.”

Roman Reigns and Corey Graves ‘Covering’

“Roman was able to squat and get on his feet and Corey graves did a phenomenal job of covering it up” Bully continued. “Saying, ‘well, Roman is in a seated standing position.’ People took to social media so hard about that it’s almost like they were looking for the WWE to fail. And they found that moment in time to go ‘there, you see! That ruined it all! The booking, the creative, the psychology! It was all ruined, all ruined.’ How in the hell can you take that performance of those guys busting their asses and throwing their bodies around, this that and the other, and then harp on a mistake that is extremely difficult to cover up?”

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Bully Ray then finished by discussing how Paul Heyman would’ve felt in the situation, with Ray having known Paul for many years since their days in ECW. “Nobody’s anticipating the key not working. And those guys are trying to stay cool, calm and collected. You have no idea the panic that runs through your mind when that happens. Paul was most likely, from what I know of Paul Heyman, a mental mess when those cuffs wouldn’t come undone. And you have to stay in the moment, not freak out.”

Do you think that the handcuff botch distracted too much from the finish of the Last Man Standing match? Do you agree with Bully Ray that it didn’t? Let us know in the comments

The Kurt Angle show has now joined the AdFreeShows family and will be airing every week for free on all major podcasting providers. The debut episode of the show was released early on AdFreeShow’s Patreon page, with Angle discussing his WrestleMania 19 main event match against Brock Lesnar.

During the show, Angle also discussed former SmackDown Head Writer Paul Heyman. The former owner of ECW was instrumental in changing the perception of SmackDown back in the mid-2000s, with many fans dubbing the era the ‘SmackDown Six.’ The Superstars part of the famous, but ‘unofficial’ group were Angle, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero.

“I think Paul is very talented” Kurt Angle began on the show, describing Heyman as a creative mind. “I think that he comes up with excellent ideas and concepts. You know him coming in [to SmackDown] definitely helped us out. It seemed, like I’ve said before, the writing was more geared towards RAW.

Kurt Angle on Paul Heyman

“When Paul came in we were safe” Angle continued. “Smackdown was taken care of, because he has a great mind for wrestling, for the business. He comes up with some crazy things, but most of the time, they all they work…almost all the time.”

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Kurt Angle then finished by saying that his ‘Wrestling Machine’ gimmick from around that time was a Heyman’s brainchild. “Paul is the one that wanted me to change gears and become the ‘wrestling machine.’ And that’s what I did, I backed it up.”

Do you think that we’ll see Paul Heyman in an official creative capacity again? Do you think that Kurt Angle could become an onscreen character again? Let us know in the comments