Could Paul Heyman turn things around?

[NxtBigThing]

After watching the Paul Heyman dvd which I thought was very good, I was thinking could Paul Heyman be the man that makes Pro Wrestling interesting again? The reason I ask is that he has numerous good (and bad) ideas and in my opinion was a big reason why wrestling was so popular in the 90s. Forget just creating ECW which was a small indie and turned that federation into something way bigger, but how he created a lot of the top stars of the 90s and incorporated an edgier, more extreme product that WWE and WCW then added themselves. With WWE he was on booking and put together some good stuff on Smackdown in mid 2000s but was hard to work with from what the dvd covered and then was let go to work with OVW. Paul Heyman stated that like anything wrestling needs to evolve with the times. Do you think Paul Heyman will get another shot either in WWE or elsewhere to make wrestling interesting again? I think if given some time and full booking power (leave the finances to someone else) that he could make wrestling popular again. What do you guys think?

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I get the feeling that Heyman is very comfortable in the role that he has right now. He is able to come in from time to time to help sell an angle or a wrestler, and get audience buy-in for the concept. He doesn't have the responsibility of making an whole show or promotion work -- there's a good amount of evidence to say that while he's got a great eye for talent and what will work in storylines, he's also got a lot of failures, and needs a lot of rope and time to let things come to fruition. Whether he's difficult to work with or not is tough to judge, because I've yet to hear of anyone at his level being "easy" to work with. Business-wise I think he and McMahon are just not close enough to allow him to work unfettered.

It's also not like throwing Heyman at every problem is a slam dunk. You can't just sprinkle him on a wrestler like magic dust and expect that guy to suddenly be a superstar. Ask Curtis Axel and Ryback how that worked out. However, pair him up with someone like Lesnar or Punk, and he can send an angle into the stratosphere. I have to imagine he's getting well paid...would he even want to come back in and take "the reigns" of a show or a promotion, again knowing how that's worked out in the past?

 

[laodaron]

Heyman was the a leading reason for the downward trend in wrestler health, mental wellness, and idiotic botchfest blood matches in the US. I don't mind him as a manager, but as a promoter or as a management style in real life, keep him away from my wrestling.

 

[chuckmdubya]

If there is a person out there who could start a new promotion, or take one over, and challenge WWE, it is Paul Heyman. Heyman really did more with ECW than Bischoff did with WCW and NWO. ECW was built from the ground up and used talent that was not well known. While, WCW was using talent that Vince McMahon discovered, built up, and promoted. Not in WWE, but in the industry, Heyman is the heir to the McMahon thrown, not HHH. I believe that one day, we will be on here discussing Heyman vs WWE.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Heyman was the a leading reason for the downward trend in wrestler health, mental wellness, and idiotic botchfest blood matches in the US. I don't mind him as a manager, but as a promoter or as a management style in real life, keep him away from my wrestling.

More or less, that's how I view it. I like Heyman fine as a manager, mouthpiece and commentator. I honestly wouldn't mind if he was part of the creative team. But Heyman as someone that's bottom line in charge? I don't see it happening in WWE or any other major pro wrestling company. A few years back, Heyman was offered the top booking spot in TNA. Personally, I don't think he was genuinely all that interested because what he wanted was too outrageous; some of what he wanted included millions of dollars and complete & total control of the creative process. Even Dixie Carter, or "The Money Mark" as she's sometimes called, wouldn't go for it.

ECW went out of business and that's going to hurt Heyman's credibility in the eyes of some, especially Vince McMahon. I imagine Vince's position would be something like, "Well, why should I listen to you? You did things your way in your own backyard and you went tits up while doing things here my way generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year." And, to be honest, there'd be some genuine weight behind such a standpoint.

Besides, in today's society, there's no room for anything that could be viewed as even remotely hinting at controversy. On my way home from work, I was listening to the radio and there was a story about a cop driving past protests in Ferguson, MO. today and he was blasting "Sweet Home Alabama" on his radio and people took offense. People are actually screaming racism because of a 40 year old rock anthem. The cop's alma mater is the University of Alabama and the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the University of Missouri Tigers recently, which is why he was playing the song. We've seen how some people have overreacted to various edgier storylines in WWE over the past few years, so just imagine how they'd react to some of Heyman's ideas. They'd be screaming for his head on a spit.

 

[capnwillie]

Heyman was the a leading reason for the downward trend in wrestler health, mental wellness, and idiotic botchfest blood matches in the US. I don't mind him as a manager, but as a promoter or as a management style in real life, keep him away from my wrestling.

This argument does have some merit, but consider the circumstances. Heyman had a territorial promotion under the NWA banner. He could have played it safe and featured old-school wrasslin' and done what everyone was already doing, OR he could have done what he did and become more than another NWA territory.

He had a roster full of guys who were willing to do the crazy shit, and he knew there was a market for it. He also gave guys like Malenko, Guererro, Jericho and Krispin Wah a platform to showcase some top-notch grappling without the garbage aspects. For the most part, he worked with what was available because he had WCW and WWF poaching his roster a couple of times a week.

Heyman probably wouldn't make the same decisions if he was head of creative for WWE. ECW was his baby... in the 1990s. Paul is one of the most forward-thinking men in the business. He understands better than almost anyone elae that what HE likes may not be what the audience likes, and he knows how to listen to them. ECW had a fanbase who wanted BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD and he gave it to them. WWE has a much bigger toybox than New Jack, Sandman and Dreamer so there are a lot of other avenues he could explore besides "barbed wire scaffold gondola full of weapons and a porcupine" death matches.

I've always wanted to see Heyman take a crack at it.

 

[FromGlasgow]

I would love to watch another Paul Heyman wrestling company, With someone else in charge of the sort of financial side of the company and Heyman solely in charge of creative and booking I think he does have a good mind for that and that his new company could be as successful and reach the levels ECW did or maybe he just doesn't have the desire or passion anymore for that kind of commitment.

 

[kadroan]

I wouldn't mind him as head booker of the WWE which I doubt will ever happen with HHH and McMahon family running things.

He did an awesome job with Smackdown in the early 2000's with the Smackdown Six - Edge, Rey, Chavo, Eddie, Kurt and Benoit.

 

[TheICChampion]

I realize NXT is doing quite well already with HHH running things, but why doesn't he take a break for like a few months and see how well Heyman does? If Heyman does well enough he can let him take over NXT when Vince goes while he takes over the main roster in WWE. There's no way they would EVER let Heyman take over WWE entirely but NXT is not completely outside the realm of possibility.

 

[Darkshadow1234]

I would love for heyman to be in creative or running another wrestling organization. He could pull it out. He just needs someone on the financial and business side. Thats all he needs.
I loved ECW. It had wrestling, blood, hardcore, high flying and great divas. Despite the hate it gets now from IWC.
Heyman is a wrestling genius.

My opinion

 

[Navi]

I realize NXT is doing quite well already with HHH running things, but why doesn't he take a break for like a few months and see how well Heyman does? If Heyman does well enough he can let him take over NXT when Vince goes while he takes over the main roster in WWE. There's no way they would EVER let Heyman take over WWE entirely but NXT is not completely outside the realm of possibility.

Right now NXT is the shining jewel in the WWE crown. Between HHH and Regal, who I think has a better grasp of today's product than Heyman does, is doing quite well for itself.

It's the main roster that needs a huge shake up, and I can't see McMahon letting Heyman anywhere near it. His idea would be considered too out there, and McMahon likes to play it safe in a way. The company is making money and I don't see him letting that go. If they are going to put anyone in charge then let Regal take over. HHH has faith in him, but the decision would ultimately be Vince's.