Paul Heyman: he’s one of the best in the business, both in front of and behind the camera, and an integral part of the evolution of professional wrestling.
I was first introduced to Heyman as Paul E. Dangerously back in my early teens as the creative force behind ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) which was based right here in the Philadelphia area at the ECW Arena, now known as the 2300 Arena, located right at the corner of Swanson & Ritner Streets in South Philly. Each week, I would catch this crazy wrestling show on TV that glorified professional wrestlers beating the holy hell out of each other, sometimes with the help of the Philly fans!
Everything from cheese graters, to the original Nintendo Entertainment System, and plenty of other “foreign objects” were used as “weapons” to help the wrestlers conquer their opponents. But it was the style and charisma of Paul E. Dangerously that had me glued to the TV screen. His long black ponytail, the black leather trench coat, the old 80’s style “brick” mobile phone, and of course, the way he presented himself and his company on the microphone. It was loud and brash, but thoughtful and certainly impactful.
He bounced around between wrestling promotions, leaving his mark as a manager and performer, but for me, it was his time in WWF/WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) that resonates the most. He was the manager for some of the biggest names and stars in wrestling, many of whom went on to secure the ultimate prize, the World Heavyweight Championship.
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For the better part of two decades, Heyman was known as the “Advocate” for “The Beast” Brock Lesnar. He led the charge to many memorable championship reigns with Lesnar. However, over the last 3+ years, Heyman has been the “Wiseman” to Roman Reigns, who is the current and longest-reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in the company’s history. At over 1,300 days, this is the 4th longest world title reign in WWE history, and the longest championship title reign in over 35 years! And Paul Heyman is one of the biggest reasons why this title reign has lasted so long.
Heyman is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in professional wrestling history, but he is also an amazing commentator. He, alongside fellow WWE Hall of Famer “Good Ol’ JR” Jim Ross, called many memorable matches in their time behind the desk. But Heyman on the mic, and in the ring, is where he had his best moments.
It is fitting that Paul Heyman was announced as the first inductee into the 2024 class of the WWE Hall of Fame, which is set to take place here in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center on April 5th as part of WrestleMania Weekend. It’s his home away from home! Other nominees for the 25th class include: The U.S. Express (Mike Rotunda & Barry Windham), Bull Nakano, Thunderbolt Patterson, and Muhammad Ali, with more names to be announced. The event will be live streamed from “The Big Joint” in South Philly starting at 10pm EST via Peacock.
Massive congratulations to Paul Heyman and the entire 2024 WWE Hall of Fame Class! –Brent Porche
Brent Porche is spotlighting WrestleMania and WWE themed events happening in and around Philadelphia. See more of those here, and stream Brent’s show on WMMR every weekday from 3pm to 7pm via the MMR App or by asking your smart speaker to “Open MMR.”
PLUS: See Brent’s WrestelMania XL predictions here.
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5 Iconic Paul Heyman Managerial Moments
