Today (Monday, June 11, 2018) marked the milestone of WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar holding onto the title for 435 days, which means that he has broken a WWE record.
That record was Lesnar passing CM Punk to become the longest reigning world champion of the modern era as Punk held onto the WWE Championship for 434 days.
Paul Heyman took to his official Twitter account to comment on the achievement by writing the following:
“Congratulations to @BrockLesnar for day #435 as the reigning defending undisuputed @WWE #UniversalHeavyweightChampion. This is yet another historic accomplishment for my client, the longest consecutive-day tenure as a globally-recognized champion in the modern era!”
Congratulations to @BrockLesnar for day #435 as the reigning defending undisuputed @WWE#UniversalHeavyweightChampion. This is yet another historic accomplishment for my client, the longest consecutive-day tenure as a globally-recognized champion in the modern era! pic.twitter.com/bVAhhBtdKT
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Little Rock, AR at the Verizon Arena on the USA Network, Baron Corbin showed off a new look in the opening segment of the show. He decided to shave his head and is now bald.
Flair has taken the WWE by storm since being called up to the main roster in 2015 during the Women’s Revolution storyline. She has won championships both in NXT and on the main roster.
At first, she was portrayed as her real-life personality then she started to come out of her father’s spotlight and become her own person, who has transformed into not only one of the best wrestlers in the sports entertainment company but a top star in the women’s division.
Heyman wrote the following on his official Twitter account about the former WWE RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion:
“I deserve no credit for believing in @MsCharlotteWWE since day one. How could one NOT believe in her? She has everything a @WrestleMania main eventer requires. The right look, talent, instincts, work ethic, workrate, charisma, extraordinary timing in the ring.
@MsCharlotteWWE’s every performance is propeled by her mission in life, which transcends mere ambition, pursuit of fame/ fortune, or even desire to achieve one’s own greatness. Once you even begin to grasp what motivates her, there’s no conclusion other than to believe in her!”
I deserve no credit for believing in @MsCharlotteWWE since day one. How could one NOT believe in her? She has everything a @WrestleMania main eventer requires. The right look, talent, instincts, work ethic, workrate, charisma, extraordinary timing in the ring. (1)
(2) @MsCharlotteWWE's every performance is propeled by her mission in life, which transcends mere ambition, pursuit of fame/ fortune, or even desire to achieve one's own greatness. Once you even begin to grasp what motivates her,there's no conclusion other than to believe in her!
Flair is slated to take on Sasha Banks, Ember Moon, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Lana, and Naomi in the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match at the upcoming MITB PPV event.
What are your thoughts on Heyman’s praise for Flair? Sound off in the comment section below.
As we’ve previously noted, WWE Superstar John Cena recently made an appearance at the MegaCon in Orlando where he answered questions from fans. One such question was about the 16-time WWE World Champion becoming a Paul Heyman Guy.
Cena noted that while he goes to Heyman for various opinions and insight behind-the-scenes, he believes The Advocate is best utilized for those who have trouble on the microphone. He also said he thinks Heyman would be ‘wasted’ on him:
“Paul is an extremely valuable asset because of his accomplishments. I have relied on Paul a lot for opinions and insight behind the curtain. I think Paul is best for those who have trouble articulating opinions when they have [a microphone] in their hand.
“I enjoy being able to relate to all of you and I enjoy the negative response and the positive response that comes from being so honest after 15 years of us being together as friends, partners, family whatever you want to call it.
“Paul would be wasted with me and me likewise with Paul. Paul is a great vehicle for someone who can’t describe themselves but he is a wealth of knowledge and insight behind the curtain that I regularly lean on.”
– The WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida now has an official website. If you’re interested in becoming a WWE Superstar, visit WWEPerformanceCenter.com, where you can learn more about the facility and submit an application to attend a tryout and begin your Superstar journey.
– The Heyman Hustle has released a video of Paul Heyman kicking off WrestleMania 34 Week from New Orleans with his sold out “An Evening With Paul Heyman” live show from the Joy Theatre. Award-winning documentarian Ary Dalton was on hand to capture this exclusive report from the event:
– Former WWE Superstar Summer Rae (Danielle Moinet) is featured in this new ad for Kicker Audio. The spot will air on national television in the coming weeks.
Kicker produces a wide range of audio products and is the official sponsor of the upcoming Country Stampede music festival.
– Former WCW Champion David Arquette returned to the ring over the weekend. Arquette stopped by RC’s Wrestling School in Woodford, Virginia and spent the day training with Chris Sharpe. According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Arquette was there filming for a documentary and spent all day there running drills. Sharpe noted that Arquette got put through his paces but showed dedication throughout the day.
Massive props to @DavidArquette who jumped right in & wrestled with the class all morning. He could have easily just come to hit a few moves, take some pictures & then leave. He didn't. He stuck it out & busted his butt for several hours. He has earned our respect! pic.twitter.com/iLS8MOXeXK
The independent All-In event being promoted by Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks is getting the attention of some of the biggest names in wrestling. The show has sold 10,000 tickets, making it the first non-WWE wrestling event to reach the 10,000 ticket mark in some time.
Former ECW owner and current WWE on-air manager Paul Heyman commented on the success on Tuesday, writing on Twitter that the “truly epic” ticket sales news would make the late Dusty Rhodes proud.
What @CodyRhodes and #TheYoungBucks@MattJackson13 / @NickJacksonYB have accomplished is truly epic. They have built a brand, self-marketed yourselves, negotiated your destinies on multiple continents AND sold over 10,000 tickets to your own event … on your own terms.
It goes without saying that #Dusty would be so very very proud of @CodyRhodes and @MattJackson13 and @NickJacksonYB, and I hope everyone involved is proud of themselves, because this particulatr accomplishment cannot and should not be understated.
Heyman previously credited Cody Rhodes in an interview with NBC Sports, where Heyman compared him to one of the biggest stars in wrestling history – Stone Cold Steve Austin.
“Cody reminds me a lot of when Steve Austin got out of WCW,” Heyman told NBC Sports in April. “In that Steve needed to find himself and when I put him on camera in Philadelphia at 5 o’clock in the morning, after a show, is when a truly pissed off, tired, aggravated Steve Austin found his inner persona that morphed into Stone Cold Steve Austin.
“Cody has found himself in that very same way in that his angst over not being able to bring forward what he envisioned for himself in WWE has propelled him to new heights outside of WWE. He would have never found that within the company. Kudos to Cody for leaving and for sticking to his vision and to finding that box office appeal that has always lived inside of him.”
All-In takes place on September 1st at the Sears Center in Illinois. The show is scheduled to be headlined by Cody Rhodes challenging Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Title. If Cody wins, it will mark the first time a father and son have both held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. (more…)
Advocate for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, Tweeted out a never-before-seen photo of former WWE star Summer Rae for his Heyman Hustle website. Check it out here:
WWE Superstars and their work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation is unprecedented. With stars such as John Cena and Daniel Bryan having granted plenty of wishes in their day, a new Superstar has joined the club – former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Naomi.
She Tweeted out this photo with Make-A-Wish kid Arianna:
“Thanks to @MakeAWish@WWE for allowing me to grant my 1st wish & meet Arianna! I truly made a new friend. Although i surprised her tonight, I couldn’t feel more rewarded bc I was impacted by her strength & joy.?? Tonights moments & memories I will never forget!”
Thanks to @MakeAWish@WWE for allowing me to grant my 1st wish & meet Arianna! I truly made a new friend. Although i surprised her tonight, I couldn’t feel more rewarded bc I was impacted by her strength & joy.? Tonights moments & memories I will never forget! pic.twitter.com/uwsCecfJ33
The WWE is heading to Saudi Arabia for their Greatest Royal Rumble event. WWE has stacked the card full of huge names, including some at the commentary booth. WWE Hall Of Famers Jerry The King Lawler and Jim Ross are making the trip across the globe, and Lawler posted the following photos from their flight:
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is set to defend his title against Roman Reigns inside a Steel Cage in Saudi Arabia tomorrow night for the Greatest Royal Rumble. There has been a ton of speculation regarding who will walk out of Saudi Arabia with the Universal Title, especially after Lesnar shockingly retaining the strap against The Big Dog at WrestleMania.
Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, took to Twitter to hype the upcoming Steel Cage title bout. Here’s what he had to say:
My client @BrockLesnar and I are ready to make even more history. The accomplishments continue to pile up. The box office records continue to be CONQUERED by the Beast … the reigning … defending … undisputed … pic.twitter.com/9ix3n6nxv8
The Beast Brock Lesnar is set to defend his Universal Championship inside a Steel Cage against Roman Reigns at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia this Friday. It turns out, his advocate Paul Heyman will not be at his side, per a report from PWInsider.
With reports suggesting that Lesnar could drop the title to Reigns in Saudi Arabia, this should make things very interesting indeed when Lesnar and Heyman return to WWE TV if he loses the title.
What Happened After Monday Night RAW?
Originally, the dark match advertised for last night’s Monday Night RAW in St. Louis, Missouri was a Six Man Tag Team match between Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins against Sheamus, Cesaro and Samoa Joe .
That match, of course, didn’t happen because Sheamus, Cesaro, and Joe are now on SmackDown Live following the Superstar Shake-Up. RAW went off-air with Ronda Rousey helping Natalya to the backstage area and that’s where the show ended for the live crowd as well.
It looks like Brock Lesnar isn’t the only one who just signed a new deal with WWE on WrestleMania week.
The word going around backstage at the Monday Night RAW after Sunday’s WrestleMania 34 was that Paul Heyman has also signed a new contract, per a report from PWInsider. F4WOnline is reporting that Heyman did in fact sign a new deal, and it’s a short-term agreement as well.
It was also noted that Brock Lesnar’s new deal with WWE would’ve included nearly everything he wants, including Heyman continuing to serve as his manager. There are no financial details for either contract as of this writing.
As for Lesnar, his deal is rumored to be a short-term one as well and he will also defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a Steel Cage match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia on April 27th.
Perhaps Heyman’s new deal also presents the possibility of him working with other talents as well. He has spoke highly of both Ronda Rousey and Roman Reigns recently in the lead up to WrestleMania.
Paul Heyman only throws his name behind talent he sees something in and it’s evident he sees something in Tommaso Ciampa.
The 32-year-old Ciampa has been involved in a buzz-worthy rivalry with his former tag-team partner, Johnny Gargano, on NXT recently. Gargano was expelled from the brand due to his loss in a career vs title match with Andrade “Cien” Almas. Despite this, he has come back to haunt his rival, Ciampa on several occasions.
Gargano has stocked Ciampa in the NXT parking lot, at his home, and anywhere he can get his hands on him. In response, Ciampa requested an unsanctioned match with Gargano which will take place tonight at Takeover: New Orleans.
Ciampa’s social media game lately has included several taunting photos directed at Johnny Gargano as well as releasing t-shirt designs only to later reveal they will not be going on sale.
Paul Heyman and his Looking 4 Larry agency have recently signed a deal with Banca Studios to produce un-scripted content.
– Below is the latest episode of WWE Playback with Paul Heyman re-watching Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg for the WWE Universal Title from WrestleMania 33:
– Kane, Aiden English, Curt Hawkins, Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable are now official for the fifth annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34. Below is the updated list of confirmed participants:
* Kane, Aiden English, Curt Hawkins, Shelton Benjamin, Chad Gable, Primo Colon, Zack Ryder, Rhyno, Heath Slater, Goldust, Matt Hardy, Scott Dawson, Dash Wilder, Tye Dillinger, Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Mojo Rawley, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, TBA
– Natalya revealed on Twitter that she’s filming a “Table For 3” episode with Nia Jax and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix in New Orleans. As noted, WWE will be filming several specials for the WWE Network this weekend. Natalya tweeted:
Paul Heyman recently did an interview with USA Today’s “For The Win” to promote WrestleMania 34, and his client Brock Lesnar’s Universal Title defense against Roman Reigns. Here are the highlights:
Brock Lesnar will take the stage at WrestleMania having held the universal title for more than 365 days – the longest reign of his career. Where does Brock’s reign rank among the great heavyweight champions?
“I never rank Brock alongside anyone else, because I don’t think Brock belongs in a category that should be shared by others. Brock Lesnar is the most unique athlete in this history of World Wrestling Entertainment, and I say that with without embellishment or exaggeration.
“A, there’s no one that has his credentials that has ever stepped into the ring. B, I daresay there’s no one that has his ability, either in the aspect of entertainment or in the aspect of legitimate fighting, that’s ever stepped into the ring. And C, he is the only person in history that has been able to go back and forth between mixed martial arts and sports entertainment with this level of success. So I never compare Brock to others, nor others to Brock, because I feel he’s a category all unto himself.”
You shared an amazing photo on Twitter from when you managed the Samoan Swat Team – what was that experience like and how well did you get to know that family?
“I’ve known the members of Roman Reigns’ family since I was 15 years old. Afa and Sika [Reigns’ father] were very generous with their time and their teachings with me and to me. I knew Roman Reigns when he used to come into the locker room with his father, holding his father’s hand, barely out of diapers. And I don’t say that as an ironic statement… I mean it sincerely. So I’ve known Roman Reigns his entire life and I’ve known his family and worked with his family since I was 15 years old. I had a wild time with the Samoan Swat Team in 1989. Samu and Fatu, who’s now better known as Rikishi, were just coming into WCW from Dallas, Texas, and they were as wild as wild could be.
“There are famous stories about wars we had on the road, on the highways, with Sting and the Steiners that are legendary in the South. I, to this day, am blackballed from renting a car in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, because of the Samoan Swat Team…. It was a most unique experience for me, but it was a learning experience because I learned so much about the culture and the upbringing and the closeness of that family.
“Without any kind of exaggeration, there’s about 100 members of that family that are in and around and involved in the pro wrestling business. They all have each other’s back, they all have a passion for this industry – or the others won’t allow them in. So for Roman Reigns to now step up as the leader of the family, and taking the family name and legacy into the main event of WrestleMania for the fourth consecutive year is an awful lot of pressure on Roman Reigns. And I commend him on the dignity with which he carries that legacy.”
People love to speculate about who you may advocate for in the future – but it’s very clear that you have a special connection with Brock Lesnar. If Vince McMahon told you ‘hey, I want you with so-and-so tomorrow,’ is that something that could even work, or do you have to be invested in that performer first?
“Yes, I would have to be invested in that person first. B, I think I have established such credibility in the things that I say with Brock Lesnar, that I don’t envision Vince McMahon forcing someone to be paired with me – because unless I truly believe in that person, I don’t think Vince would want me to advocate for them. And again, to be blunt here, Brock and I are fully committed to making this WrestleMania, April 8th in the main event with Roman Reigns, as memorable an event as has ever been presented by WWE. Neither one of us has made the commitment to stay after April 8th yet because we’re so focused on April 8th.
“Brock is very task-oriented. He learned that on the dairy farm in Webster, South Dakota, when he was a child. 5 a.m., wake up, milk the cows. 7:30 a.m., get the eggs from the chickens. You handle the wheat at 11:00 a.m. And he takes on each task as it stands in front of him. We both made the commitment through April 8th. I can, with great candor, tell you I have no idea WrestleMania for either one of us in this business, because Brock is obviously eyeballing a return to the octagon.
“It’s no secret now. I’m developing projects in a co-production between my agency, the Looking 4 Larry agency, and Roy Bank’s Banca Studio, to pitch to networks. Whether that means April 8th is the last day in this industry? I don’t know yet, and I’m very comfortable with that because it just allows us to laser-focus on putting together the greatest main event possible for this year’s WrestleMania.”
You can ready Heyman’s full interview with USA Today’s “For The Win” by clicking this link here.
It looks like The Rowdy One has interest in becoming the first-ever Paul Heyman Girl – but don’t hold your breathe on the possibility.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer reports Rousey wants to have Heyman advocate for her in the ring. That’s highly unlikely to happen, however, due to backstage politics between Heyman and the McMahons.
Rousey is being booked up to be a huge babyface fighting against the authoritarian figure of Stephanie McMahon. Heyman is seen as a heel on WWE TV, despite the fact that current Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is received as a babyface due to Heyman’s representation.
Discussion: Does having Heyman paired up with Rousey make sense? Would Rousey do better as a heel? Will WWE bite the bullet and allow Heyman to advocate for The Rowdy One?
Paul Heyman is no doubt one of the greatest managers in the history of pro wrestling/sports entertainment. He is right up there with the likes of Bobby Heenan and Freddie Blassie. Heyman’s friendship with the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar started in the early 2000’s when Lesnar signed with WWE after he graduated from the University of Minnesota.
Lesnar, who is known to not be the greatest talker in the world, was paired up with Heyman after he was called up from OVW to the main roster. Heyman was his manager and mouthpiece. They truly are a good combination. Heyman talks while Lesnar backs up everything that his advocate has to say to hype the upcoming match.
When Lesnar decided to come back to the WWE in 2012, he came alone, and that resulted in a mistake being made by the company.
A few months into his second stint with WWE, the company signed Heyman and brought him back on television to be Lesnar’s manager. This was a wise choice as Lesnar is the biggest star that the company has right now.
Heyman recently spoke with NOLA.com (transcript via Pwinsider.com). During the interview, he talked about his relationship with the WWE Chairman as well as which ECW star leaving hurt the most. Here is what he had to say:
“Strictly platonic (laughs). It’s an honest answer (laughs). … I think Vince McMahon has begrudgingly accepted the fact that I am the greatest advocate in the history of this industry. And I have begrudgingly accepted his acceptance of that fact.”
“All of them. Because I had an artistic relationship with everyone who worked on that roster. We had a bond with each other, all of us together as one. We truly had a family atmosphere. We had each other’s backs. It was the most close knit team you will ever find in this industry or in any sport. So every defection hurt because we were losing a member of our family.”
Paul Heyman will walk down to the ring alongside Brock Lesnar for the main event at WrestleMania 34 this weekend but if he has his way, he’d love the opportunity to work with his opponent Roman Reigns as well.
It’s no secret that Reigns has remained one of the biggest superstars on the WWE roster and fans generally feel passionately about him — either he’s beloved or he’s despised and there doesn’t seem to be much of a middle ground.
Perhaps one of the biggest shortcomings during Reigns’ WWE career has been his inability to really cut a solid promo, which is a staple for most athletes that transcend from superstar status to icon.
That’s why some have suggested that Reigns teaming up with Heyman would be the best thing for his career as the former ECW owner is typically regarded as the best talker and hype man in professional wrestling today.
If given the chance, Heyman would love to work with Reigns and he believes that the 32-year old veteran performer might already be the biggest commodity on the entire WWE roster if not for his current client who holds the WWE universal championship.
“Three years ago in the buildup to WrestleMania 31 I said straight to Roman Reigns’ face a comment that can be taken as both story line and as reality. Roman Reigns is the right guy, in the right place, at the wrong time,” Heyman told NBC Sports. “In any other time in history, Roman Reigns would be so dominant on top, both in a story line capacity and a box office capacity in WWE. No one would be in his stratosphere. He would absolutely be the Paul Heyman guy for I would be auditioning every single solitary day to define my role as a Roman Reigns guy. We would be sitting here talking about Roman Reigns approaching 1,000 days as the top champion in WWE. There’s no doubt in my mind about this. No one would be in his league.
“But the unfortunate thing for Roman Reigns is that he lives in a time period that is dominated by Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar is the only athlete who can go in-between WWE and UFC seamlessly at a top tier, main event level.”
“Working with Roman Reigns would be an absolute career defining moment for me” ~ Paul Heyman
Still given the chance to work together, Heyman believes that he could do great things alongside Reigns while serving as his ‘advocate’ on television.
It’s entirely possible that scenario plays out considering Lesnar is a free agent after WrestleMania 34 and there has been a ton of speculation that he’s considering a return to the UFC rather than signing a new long term deal with WWE.
If Lesnar exits, that could open the door for Heyman to team up with Reigns after WrestleMania 34 is finished.
“Working with Roman Reigns would be an absolute career defining moment for me,” Heyman stated. “I have nothing but the upmost respect and admiration for him as an athlete, a performer, and as a man.”
Would you like to see Paul Heyman team up with Roman Reigns after WrestleMania 34 is finished? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
One of the most talented tag teams on the WWE’s roster right now is none other than SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions The Usos – and Paul Heyman has taken notice. In a recent interview with NBC Sports, where he also explained how Cody Rhodes’ success outside WWE parallels Steve Austin, Heyman expressed his high praise for the sons of WWE Hall Of Famer Rikishi:
“That’s on them. The Usos are a great example, a GREAT example. The Usos were always frustrated because they always felt that they could be the defining tag team of this generation. They didn’t just want to put on good matches, they didn’t just want to have a catchy entrance tune, they didn’t want to just look good on pay-per-view and on television, the Usos wanted the opportunity to be the defining tag team of this generation.
“They tried all of these different ways to get to that level until finally they just came out of the box with their promos and their promos now are so innovative, so progressive, so ahead of everyone else’s that they are now truly in my opinion now have an argument to say, they are not only the best tag team in WWE right now, but certainly of the last decade and could certainly wind up being the best tag team of all time.”
You can read Heyman’s full interview with NBC Sports by clicking this link here.
Former Universal Champion Goldberg will be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame class this weekend, the night before WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans. Inducting Goldberg would be none other than Paul Heyman, the advocate of the man Goldberg defeated at Survivor Series in 2016 and lost to at WrestleMania 33 – Brock Lesnar.
Some fans were scratching their heads wondering why Heyman was selected for the honors of inducting Goldberg into the Hall. The Advocate recently did an interview with Digital Spy to explain that Goldberg actually requested WWE for Heyman to induct him:
“I am inducting Goldberg because that was Bill Goldberg’s specific request to WWE. Bill Goldberg personally requested that I induct him into the Hall of Fame. I have such respect for Goldberg as so far the one person who has truly taken the fight to Brock Lesnar in WWE.
“I also got a chance to witness him behind the scenes as a man, a husband, a father and I have the utmost respect for him as a human being and am honored to be the one to encapsulate this moment for him and be the one to formally induct him into the Hall of Fame.”
You can read Heyman’s interview with Digital Spy by clicking this link here.
Paul Heyman will be ringside Sunday night for the main event of WrestleMania 34 when his client, Brock Lesnar, defends the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns.
Later this week (Thursday, April 5th), Heyman’s one-man stage show, An Evening With Paul Heymandescends upon New Orleans as one of the weekend’s must-see events.
Heyman has been doing the media rounds to promote both shows and made some very interesting remarks to NBC Sports about Cody Rhodes’ meteoric rise. As a former manager and promoter of wrestling icon Steve Austin, Heyman explained that he sees a parallels between Austin’s success after leaving WCW in 1995 and the success of Cody Rhodes since leaving WWE in 2016.
When asked which WWE Superstars he think could thrive outside of the company like Cody has, Heyman said, “Cody reminds me a lot of when Steve Austin got out of WCW. In that Steve needed to find himself and when I put him on camera in Philadelphia at 5 o’clock in the morning, after a show, is when a truly pissed off, tired, aggravated Steve Austin found his inner persona that morphed into Stone Cold Steve Austin”
Heyman continued, “Cody has found himself in that very same way in that his angst over not being able to bring forward what he envisioned for himself in WWE has propelled him to new heights outside of WWE. He would have never found that within the company. Kudos to Cody for leaving and for sticking to his vision and to finding that box office appeal that has always lived inside of him.”
Heyman said there are certainly WWE performers who could do better working for other promotions, but a big part of peoples’ success is timing and how well they pitch themselves to management. As someone who is well known for recognizing talent and maximizing the value of talent, Heyman says sometimes it’s simply a matter of making the right pitch at the right time to the right person. It’s advice that translates to all aspects of professional life – people should be pitching,
“This is how the company can make more money with me.”
There’s much more wisdom to be found in this interview, which we strongly encourage you check out over at NBCSports.com.
Brock Lesnar will once again become the most coveted free agent in professional wrestler or mixed martial arts in just a matter of days.
The reigning WWE universal champion has a contract that reportedly runs through WrestleMania 34 where he will compete in the main event against Roman Reigns. Now it’s entirely possible that Lesnar will opt to remain with WWE but there’s also little doubt that he would love the opportunity to fight in the UFC again.
Lesnar is a former heavyweight champion but at 40 years of age, time will begin ticking away on how much longer he has left to compete with the best fighters in the world so his next contract negotiation may decide that.
Paul Heyman, who has worked alongside Lesnar for nearly two decades, knows that Lesnar is seriously considering a return to the UFC even if some believe that’s just a negotiating tactic to get the WWE to offer him a bigger deal.
‘I don’t think it’s any secret that Brock is looking to get back into the Octagon,” Heyman told Newsweek about Lesnar’s future. “He is obviously eyeballing another fight in UFC. There’s no secret. He’s posing for pictures with Dana White wearing a UFC shirt in the UFC offices in Las Vegas.
“That’s not a negotiating tactic, Brock Lesnar wants to compete inside of the Octagon. There’s no leveraging that; it’s a fact.”
“That’s not a negotiating tactic, Brock Lesnar wants to compete inside of the Octagon.” ~ Paul Heyman
While it might seems that Lesnar is stuck in an ‘either/or’ situation, Heyman suggests that it’s still entirely possible that the hulking heavyweight has an opportunity to do both at the same time.
Lesnar’s last fight inside the Octagon took place at UFC 200 while he was still under contract with WWE. Vince McMahon signed off on allowing Lesnar to fight again while UFC president Dana White was more than happy to have him back if only for one night.
There’s no telling if that would happen again but it’s entirely possible Lesnar could use that as part of his deal to re-sign with WWE so long as they allow him to pursue another fight in the UFC.
“Brock Lesnar fought Mark Hunt at UFC 200 and, six weeks later, main evented SummerSlam against Randy Orton,” Heyman said. “Brock Lesnar can do both and he has proven that time and time again.”
Because Lesnar rarely makes public appearances much less does interviews, he’s been quiet on any decision making about his future behind his current contract.
As for Heyman, he’ll certainly address Lesnar and much more during WrestleMania 34 weekend when he conducts a popular one man show in New Orleans where he engages with fans and answers questions on stage.
Will Brock Lesnar return to WWE or go back to fight again in the UFC? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Paul Heyman spoke with Digital Spy this week to promote next weekend’s WrestleMania 34 pay-per-view. Heyman will be ringside for the main event when his client Brock Lesnar defends the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns.
Just days before WWE’s biggest show of the year, Lesnar’ advocate will be the star of An Evening With Paul Heyman, a one-man stage show at the Joy Theater in New Orleans on Thursday night, April 5th.
Heyman spoke to Digital Spy about a number of topics, including his role as Bill Goldberg’s Hall of Fame inductor, CM Punk’s UFC career, the recent controversy surrounding the Fabulous Moolah, The Undertaker’s in-ring future and much more.
Here are some highlights of what Heyman said about:
Hulk Hogan Returning to WWE
“I’m not a ticket buyer. Nor am I part of the target demographic that is catered to to subscribed to the WWE Network. So whether or not I want Hulk Hogan back in WWE is irrelevant. It’s whether the audience and the advertisers and the sponsors and the chairman of the board want Hulk Hogan back in WWE.
“And when those stars align Hulk Hogan will be back and until then he won’t. My opinion on Hulk Hogan coming back to WWE, whether pro or con, is irrelevant and so is everyone else’s besides the audience itself, the sponsors themselves and the chairman himself.
“As for Hulk Hogan stepping into the ring with Brock Lesnar, Brock Lesnar is focused on April 8, he’s focused on Roman Reigns, he’s focusd on the main event of WrestleMania. We have not discussed any potential WWE opponents past April 8 because Brock’s focus is on delivering a main event for the ages at WrestleMania this year.”
Ronda Rousey in WWE
“Ronda Rousey is a woman of extraordinary accomplishment and anything that Ronda Rousey does is going to come with extreme scrutiny because she is such a pivotal figure in not only American sports but in global sports as well.
“Just remember Dana White was asked about a woman fighting in the Octagon as UFC was negotiating to buy out Strikeforce where Ronda Rousey was the biggest star. And Dana White said not only would a woman would never main event UFC, a woman will never fight in UFC.
“Within a year of that statement Ronda Rousey was main eventing a major UFC event. Ronda Rousey is a groundbreaker. She is one who charts through territory that has never been explored before and is one of the biggest sports stars in the world, male or female.
“I don’t think anything Ronda Rousey does is going to be the norm. I think everything she does is going to be to set a new trend and blaze a new trail.”
Visit Digital Spy to check out the full interview.
Goldberg has had quite the career in professional wrestling. He made his name known while being the top star of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) at the peak of the Monday Night Wars.
While under contract with WCW between 1997 and 2001, Goldberg rose to fame in WCW with a lengthy undefeated streak in singles competition from 1997 to 1998, which was considered the longest winning streak in professional wrestling. After twelve years away from the WWE, he returned to WWE in 2016 and headlined Survivor Series against Brock Lesnar, and Fastlane against Kevin Owens where he won the WWE Universal Championship. He lost the title to Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 in Orlando, Florida. He was last seen on WWE television the night after Mania on Raw. WWE has announced that Paul Heyman would induct Goldberg into the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame class.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the reason Heyman is inducting Goldberg into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year is due to Heyman being one of the instrumental figures in the Lesnar vs. Goldberg storyline heading into WrestleMania 33 last year. Heyman largely produced Goldberg’s material and helped put together the angles for all the Goldberg vs. Lesnar matches. Thus, that’s where they developed a personal relationship.
The advocate for the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is one of the best talkers in the history of pro wrestling. Paul Heyman is better than ever on the microphone as he represents his client.
With WrestleMania 34 around the corner, Paul Heyman has started to conduct interviews to promote the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company.
During an interview with Newsweek, he was asked what happens if Lesnar loses the WWE Universal Championship to Roman Reigns.
There is a lot of speculation about Lesnar’s future with WWE as his contract is up after WrestleMania and he could head back to the UFC.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that Brock is looking to get back into the octagon. He is obviously eyeballing another fight in UFC. There’s no secret. He’s posing for pictures with Dana White wearing a UFC shirt in the UFC offices in Las Vegas. That’s not a negotiating tactic, Brock Lesnar wants to compete inside of the octagon. There’s no leveraging that; it’s a fact. I have an agency that has expanded so fast we’re now expanding into also being a full-fledged production studio. We have several projects and deals we will be announcing after April 8, for film, television, representing clients etc. We both have a number of projects we have been interested in pursuing that will start to kick off after WrestleMania.”
Since SmackDown General manager Daniel Bryan was cleared last week by WWE doctors, various WWE Superstars have commented on the news while fans have speculated on who Bryan could wrestle in the near future.
It’s already been confirmed that Bryan will team up with Shane McMahon to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34.
During this interview, Heyman was asked about Bryan being cleared to return to the ring and Lesnar potentially wrestling Bryan.
“Ecstatic. This is all Daniel Bryan has wanted since the moment he was told he was being forced to retire. And the emotional rollercoaster that he has been on since that moment has always been with the light at the end of the tunnel, thinking ‘somehow, someway a miracle will be bestowed upon me that I can be cleared and step back into the ring and do what I love to do more than anything else in this world.’ That’s all he wants to do. It’s what he dreams about, what he envisions, it’s what he wakes up wanting to do and thinks about when he’s going to sleep. So ever since that moment the doctors told him ‘sorry we’re going to have to advise if you retire’ the only dream Daniel Bryan has had, the fantasy in his life, is to be cleared and to exploit the opportunity of stepping back into the ring. And now he has that chance. So I’m ecstatic for Daniel Bryan. Very few people I know deserve to live out their dreams more than Daniel Bryan.”
“I have wanted to see Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan even before Lesnar debuted on the main roster when Bryan was known as The American Dragon. I loved his matches even in the early part of his career and found him to be one of the most compelling, riveting performers in the history of this industry.”
Current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is scheduled to work the final live event of his current WWE deal on Friday in Boston from the TD Garden. WWE actually added Lesnar to this show early in February. He will defend his title against Kane and Braun Strowman in a Triple Threat match. Lesnar is currently involved in a storyline with Elimination Chamber winner Roman Reigns, who he will defend his Universal Title against at WrestleMania 34 next month in New Orleans.
Lesnar is currently scheduled to appear on tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW from Cleveland, Ohio, as well as next week’s episode from Atlanta, Georgia. Last week Lesnar made his return to WWE TV to attack Reigns, who had been handcuffed by the authorities for showing up to RAW during his suspension. It’s expected that Lesnar will drop the Universal Championship to Reigns at WrestleMania in order to anoint “The Big Dog” the new face of the company.
WWE is still in negotiations to re-sign Lesnar, who they’d like to work a program with the returning Bobby Lashley if possible. “The Beast” still has the option to return to the Octagon in the UFC. The interest is certainly there as he was photographed with UFC President Dana White in Las Vegas last month. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…
Ladies and gentlemen, Paul Heyman is about to crossover from professional wrestling into the world of unscripted television.
Heyman, best known as the advocate and mouthpiece for WWE Universal champion Brock Lesnar, has inked a deal with Roy Bank’s Banca Studio to develop several new television series including one that will star the former ECW owner.
Bank is best known for producing reality series such as “The Apprentice”, “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” as well as “Flea Market Flip”. Now Bank is teaming up with Heyman to produce a new series of unscripted television shows including the debut project that will star the humble advocate.
“Against my strenuous objection, Roy Bank has decided our first collaborative project will be centered around me,” Heyman told The Wrap. “I have come to the educated conclusion Roy has made this decision based on a desire when pitching from the networks that we learn how to deal with rejection.”
All jokes aside, Heyman’s initial project with Bank remains shrouded in secrecy but the series will reportedly “straddle the line” between a talk show, opinion, comedy and pop culture.
“If you are a fan of Paul Heyman or you’re a fan of the energy that Paul Heyman exudes — even if you are not familiar with him directly — you’ll love this show,” Bank said about the planned series.
Then on April 8 Heyman will join Lesnar for his WrestleMania main event match against Roman Reigns.
Heyman’s work on his new television series won’t interfere with anything he does with WWE, although it’s entirely possible there would be some future crossover with his new show and the professional wrestling world.
Will you watch Paul Heyman in his new show? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
WWE announced today that Paul Heyman will induct Goldberg into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend. Goldberg captured the Universal Championship last year at WWE Fastlane and then lost it to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33. Goldberg got the better of Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016 and eliminated him in the 2017 Royal Rumble match.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were fired by SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown. Bryan announced that he was medically cleared to return to the ring earlier in the night. Throughout the show, Bryan asked people backstage if Owens and Zayn had arrived at the arena yet. They finally arrived with about 15 minutes left in the show and Bryan stated that he would meet them in the ring.
Daniel then fired Owens and Zayn for their brutal attack on Shane McMahon the previous week. Owens and Zayn responded by brutally attacking Daniel Bryan and Powerbombing him on the ring apron.
WWE SmackDown held a Live Event last night in Trenton, New Jersey. During the event, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens rushed the ring and grabbed a microphone. Sami Zayn said in reference to Daniel Bryan, “we loved you man, we admired you just like all of these idiots. But now we see you for what you are, a corporate sellout!”. Shinsuke Nakamura’s music then hit and Owens & Zayn escaped as the lights in the arena went out.