Paul Heyman's Role going forward

[NegativeFeedback]

Paul Heyman is the best talker in the business. His promo on Raw sold me on the importance of the streak more than any other Raw segment, DVD set or article has. The fact is, Heyman adds value to any segment, and it would be a shame if he takes a hiatus along with Brock after Mania.

But there's a problem finding a good role for Heyman post-Mania.

WWE tried pushing Ryback and Curtis Axel as "Paul Heyman Guys", but it didn't work. They thought that by just adding Heyman, these guys would succeed. And while Heyman is an amazing manager, he isn't a miracle worker. They need to try something different this time around. I think it's too much of a risk to have Paul manage an untested talent. If they waste Paul on too many guys who just can't cut it in the ring, it will end up hurting Paul's credibility as a manager. Therefore here are three other scenarios that I think could work:

1. Commentary- I would love it if Heyman goes back to the booth. He's a natural, and would be a nice break from all the ""She's Twerkin Maggle!!" crap we've been hearing for months. He will probably end up on SD instead of Raw, but that might be a blessing in disguise, as he'll probably make that show his own.

2. General Manager- Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero have been afterthoughts in their GM roles. I think it's definitely time to switch things up. Every year, since WM26, Triple H takes some time off in April. If he does that again this year, that means we'll be seeing a different lineup of authority figures on Raw. The rumor is that Sting or Hogan will be in charge, but imagine if they went with Heyman?? I think it would be a breath of fresh air to see someone like Paul in charge of the show. He's perfect at cutting promos, setting up matches and selling the main events without making it all about himself. It's a lost artform and he'd be a great GM. Again, he could do SD while Hogan does Raw, but I'd much rather see Paul on the A-show.

3. Managing Batista

It's obvious that Batista will be pushed as the #1 heel going forward. The problem is, Batista has always struggled in being able to sell an actual match-up with his promos. Yeah, he can get the crowd to hate his guts, but he can't really get them excited to see him step in the ring. Paul could really help in selling Batista as a force of nature the same way he sells Brock. Plus, this pairing could set up enough story for the eventual Batista vs. Brock Lesnar match that will happen at either SummerSlam or WrestleMania 31.

So what do you guys think of the 3 choices?
And what's your hope for Paul Heyman's role going forward?

 

[MoxleyCrue]

Personally, when Brock inevitably takes his hiatus after Mania, I would have Heyman taken off Raw and Smackdown, and put into a role on NXT. He could run a scouting mission to find his next Paul Heyman Guy, which if try outs go well, I think would be the perfect role for Kevin Steen.

Alternatively he could be the NXT GM replacing JBL who doesn't appear to do much, or push some of the NXT commentators, like Saxton, up to the big shows and have Heyman on commentary down there.

I don't think he should remain on Raw/SD if he isn't with Lesnar or Punk, because if you put him with anyone else it kind of cheapens the response you'll likely get when Lesnar returns.

 

[enviousdominous]

Paul Heyman has been looking very sympathetic for having to use his star power to make people relevant despite being abandoned by the creative staff.

I think the WWE depends on him way too much to allow him to be a commentator. I doubt if they'll force him to pull double duty by doing commentary and managerial duties, when Bobby Heenan did that the commentary was recorded after the event.

I don't think that the GM position is worth anything these days. Obviously it would look a Hell of a lot more significant with someone like Paul Heyman taking the helm. I would like them to go this route after a few story lines have run their course, he could perhaps be used as a foil to whichever baby face is the most over. I think if they made Paul Heyman the Smackdown GM (again) they would need to find someone with a comparable amount of star power to run RAW. Maybe they could persuade Hogan to be an on-screen GM to compliment this if it happens.

I'm not sure how to properly book a Batista vs Brock Lesnar match if the catalyst in their feud is that Paul Heyman abandoned Brock Lesnar for Batista. That's a pretty deep story line for a part timer like Brock Lesnar, ditto for Batista. If Paul Heyman invests his hype-man skills in Batista, then Batista would need to step up his own game so he doesn't end up like another Ryback. I personally don't like the idea because seeing a guy like Batista, who was so under at the ECW gig he did, suddenly fall into favor with Paul Heyman.

I hope that Paul Heyman is given some kind of role that doesn't involve being a manager, I think he's a great talent on his own. While he does a great job of complimenting the abilities of those who have potential, they keep sticking him with individuals who, while being very talented, are lost causes when it comes to earning an emotional response from the crowd. I like the GM idea, and I think it's the best option for him if he's going to stay on tv.

 

[Eddie Menuek]

Personally, when Brock inevitably takes his hiatus after Mania, I would have Heyman taken off Raw and Smackdown, and put into a role on NXT. He could run a scouting mission to find his next Paul Heyman Guy, which if try outs go well, I think would be the perfect role for Kevin Steen.

I like this idea myself, although it's something that might not necessarily work until after Brock Lesnar's contract had expired. The main problem with the last couple of projects was sticking him with an unremarkable talent like Curtis Axel, or a character that has been driven into the ground like Ryback, and expecting him to make either of them relevant just by being Paul Heyman. However, it also didn't help that all of the time that we knew that Brock Lesnar was still Heyman's main guy, that in itself prevents 100% investment in either of those guys. How are we supposed to take Curtis Axel seriously when we know that Brock's waiting in the wings, ready to make his next big return and be the centre of attention?

I think that Heyman can still be a tremendous help to a young superstar who needs the help. Back in 2002 Brock Lesnar had all of the tools, except one, to make it in the WWE, and Paul Heyman provided the tool that Brock lacked. It was a perfect match, which - if it comes back to picking a new 'Paul Heyman Guy' (although I could do without that phrase - I'd rather they were just his clients) - needs to be found again.

 

[Leveller]

I would have a tournament booked between Mania and extreme rules and who ever wins the tournament gets Paul Heymans managerial skills. This could be used in the same way as the Terri Runnels invitational at no mercy 1999 was used.

The tournament could be 16 guys. So this would mean 8 matches to eliminate 8 men in the first week. The second week we could see 2 tag matches with a mixture of the stars and the losers of each match are eliminated. Third week we could have four way match and the final two progress onward. week four you have a contract signing where Heyman reveals the match at Extreme Rules will be a ladder match for the contract.

Its a good chance to elevate guys and could be a good opportunity for wwe to let stars showcase what they can really do in the ring.

Its could also play out that although Heyman doesnt like the winner of the tournament, he would work with them anyway and eventually turn on the. There is also the possibility that Heyman could like the winner more than Brock and this could later lead to a feud between Brock and said individual.

 

[the green b@stard]

For me the problem with all three of your senieros is this. Brock absolutely has to have paul as his mouth piece. I fully expect to see brock at summer slam and brock generally only makes 2 to 3 raw appearances to sell a ppv. Thats not nearly enough.... brock doesn't work without paul filling in the gaps and selling the match.

I wouldn't mind them taking another stab at creating a new heyman guy. Hopfully with a little more thought than the last time tho. How about the rumoured zigler/miz tag team? I think heyman could really sell their burried/held down by managment angle.

 

[Rich the UK WWE Fan 2k14]

Call me ignorant if you will, but it's a total joke IMO that Brock Lesnar's Manager has better mic skills than Brock himself will ever have.

And for all the posturing, Brock will get handed his ass at Mania, 22=0 here we come.

 

[the green b@stard]

Call me ignorant if you will, but it's a total joke IMO that Brock Lesnar's Manager has better mic skills than Brock himself will ever have.

And for all the posturing, Brock will get handed his ass at Mania, 22=0 here we come.

Jeeeez thats a little harsh.... I mean that fact the manger is a better talker than the wrestler is pretty much why managers were introduced to wrestling, no?

And of course brock will get his ass kicked at wm.... everyone does.

The question is can brock and paul do the hardest job in wrestling... convice the the fans there is even the smallest chance the streak is ending.

Will they be able to? Perhaps not.... but how else to you book it? I'd argue if a beast like lesnar and a talker like heyman can't create doubt than noone can.

 

[MCMG]

Managing Batista is a pretty good shout. Batista is good on the mic but having Heyman will help him. It makes sense from a Heyman standpoint as Batista is a big star and he would be able to share his success.

Other than that I'm not sure. He tried helping younger stars and it didn't work. I thought Axel was doing ok but they pulled the plug: it was an incredible duo. Heyman/Punk and Heyman/Lesnar are great combinations. It is difficult to replicate either and I can't see many names on the roster that would work as well as the aforementioned names - Batista is the best choice.

Heyman would be a brilliant commentator but it isn't likely. If Lawler ever goes then Riley and Regal are the most probably options but Heyman would certainly be better. JBL can be a regular commentator and Heyman can do what he does best - be the antagonist.

Heyman being the manager of Batista is an option I think would really work well for Heyman but as long as he is on TV then I'm fine. He is too good not to be used.

 

[Eddie Menuek]

Jeeeez thats a little harsh.... I mean that fact the manger is a better talker than the wrestler is pretty much why managers were introduced to wrestling, no?

Bingo. That's often the entire point. I'm not sure where the total joke lies when it aided Brock in getting as popular as he did, early on. It's a great bit of thinking.

 

[MoxleyCrue]

I would have a tournament booked between Mania and extreme rules and who ever wins the tournament gets Paul Heymans managerial skills.

This doesn't work. The fact is Heyman is meant to be a "heel" so you have 16 guys all competing to be Heyman's next project, meaning you need 16 heels. So what happens when only one guy can win and you have 15 supposed heels floating around without any real purpose or meaning behind them?

Heyman needs to pick the guy himself, not have a tournament for it, hence why I think he and Kevin Steen would be great together. That is if Steen has a successful try out.

 

[oldschool26]

I agree with your steen thoughts. Only guy in the world of
Independents should be put straight on the main roster.
Can Fued with everyone on the roster. Would be a perfect way
To introduce him,with Paul heyman saying he has found
The perfect client after lesnar goes missing for a while
Following a loss to taker. As far as the already existing roster
Or next. I'd have heyman manage the ascention tag team
. No one else on the roster. Maybe brodus clay if wwe books
Him as unstoppable montster with a bear hug for a finisher.
Not a funk dancer lol. Could be very useful if pushed right.
How ever he would be perfect To manage cena when he
does his heel turn in a few years time. Heyman is awesome.
Give him general manager for a while

 

[L@RISANO]

As I said in another thread;

I think that when the Shield breaks up, then Dean Ambrose can become the new Paul Heyman guy in his first run as a Singles competitor.
Even though he is great on the mic, I think he can use someone like Heyman in his corner, especially if he uses the Psycho Heel gimmick going forward.
CM Punk had a great partnership with Heyman when he was Champion, and he is an excellent Mic Worker, no reason why someone like Dean Ambrose can't have Paul Heyman elevate him as a Heel also.

 

[The Eighties]

I'd have Rusev win the Andre Battle Royal, then the next night when he is out in the ring with Lana and the trophy I'd have Heyman come out and offer a deal for him to be their US representative.

From there every time Rusev comes out for a match I'd have two guys from "The Bulgarian consulate" carry the trophy out to the ring in front of him and place it on a display pedestal at ringside for his match, then have Heyman join the commentary team to put over his new client while Lana works ringside as his valet.

 

[RedRegan1005]

No matter what WWE does with him post mania he'll be able to make it work cause he's great at what he does. The first three ideas that come to mind are:

NXT GM- Heyman has always had a good eye for talent, and having him work in NXT would be great. Had it not been for Heyman and his work in OVW we would have never gotten CM Punk. Love him or hate him, he's extremely talented and Heyman saw that. Let him work with the young guys and have a say in who deserves to be on the main roster with the big dogs.

Commentator- I love Heyman on commentary and he would be a good foil to Michael Cole. I think this idea is the most unlikely to happen as Cole, and Lawler aren't going anywhere soon, and it seems JBL is gonna be around for a good while, so theres just no room behind the headsets.

Manager for Dolph Ziggler/The Miz- If rumors are true and they decide to go with Ziggler and The Miz as a duo that is pissed for being held back who else would be better to help them than Paul Heyman. When it comes to giving promos about being pissed off we all know Heyman can do it. He would be a great brain behind the operation that can help Ziggler and Miz get back to the top. The Miz portion of the duo i'm not crazy about, but the Idea of the Show Off Dolph Ziggler and Paul Heyman teaming up seams great!

 

[MoxleyCrue]

No matter what WWE does with him post mania he'll be able to make it work cause he's great at what he does.

How did Rybaxel work out again?

Pairing Ziggler and Miz with Heyman would go the same route as Rybaxel. The reason Heyman is so successful is because fans want to see the people he has represented in the ring and on the mic.

There came a time when no-one wanted to listen to Ryback or watch him wrestle. I liked seeing Axel wrestle, but he was horrible on the mic so people got bored. Brock doesn't get on the mic, but he is such a monster people still want to see him. Punk was great in ring and on mic.

People want to see Ziggler in the ring, do they want to listen to him? I think it's split 50/50. Does anyone want to listen to Miz or see him wrestle? Not many.

Pairing Ziggler with Heyman might work, but Heyman's success has come being paired with monsters such as Taker or Big Show or Brock, or with "unstoppables" like CM Punk who reigned for however many days, or with extreme wrestlers like RVD and Sabu. Ziggler is none of those.

In wrestling terms, Heyman should be used to elevate already big presences even higher, akin to superplexing off the top rope. He shouldn't be used to make a name out of someone without presence, akin to Cesaro's superplex where he picks them off the apron. He simply can't do it all himself, no matter how genius he is.

WWE can't just think we'll throw whoever at Heyman and hope it sticks (and after the Rybaxel debacle they haven't done so to their credit). It cheapens Heyman and he deserves much more than that.

 

[rge2010]

I would love Heyman to create a faction and go to war with The Authority - proper shooting style too. Heel vs Heel factions can work, see Shield vs Wyatts and DX vs Hart Foundation.

Batista can align with his mate Triple H and the rest of the authority. Heyman can bring back RVD, take Roman Reigns to the next level and eventually bring back Brock Lesnar for a match with Batista at Summerslam.

 

[RedRegan1005]

How did Rybaxel work out again?

Pairing Ziggler and Miz with Heyman would go the same route as Rybaxel. The reason Heyman is so successful is because fans want to see the people he has represented in the ring and on the mic.

There came a time when no-one wanted to listen to Ryback or watch him wrestle. I liked seeing Axel wrestle, but he was horrible on the mic so people got bored. Brock doesn't get on the mic, but he is such a monster people still want to see him. Punk was great in ring and on mic.

People want to see Ziggler in the ring, do they want to listen to him? I think it's split 50/50. Does anyone want to listen to Miz or see him wrestle? Not many.

Pairing Ziggler with Heyman might work, but Heyman's success has come being paired with monsters such as Taker or Big Show or Brock, or with "unstoppables" like CM Punk who reigned for however many days, or with extreme wrestlers like RVD and Sabu. Ziggler is none of those.

In wrestling terms, Heyman should be used to elevate already big presences even higher, akin to superplexing off the top rope. He shouldn't be used to make a name out of someone without presence, akin to Cesaro's superplex where he picks them off the apron. He simply can't do it all himself, no matter how genius he is.

WWE can't just think we'll throw whoever at Heyman and hope it sticks (and after the Rybaxel debacle they haven't done so to their credit). It cheapens Heyman and he deserves much more than that.

Fair Point. But i think Ziggler and The Miz have more Charisma than either Ryback or Curtis Axel have. The second Axel was introduced as the new Paul Heyman Guy I started to smell a flop. Not cause Heyman, because in my eyes Axel was super bland and dull. Ryback? Eh has his upsides but i feel WWE has screwed his character over so bad that its irreparable. But i will admit that Heyman didn't make that work and don't think anybody could at this point. So touche good sir you got me there.

 

[lil steroid meat]

Let him legitimately write and creatively control Smackdown and on-screen put him in the GM role.

I also like the idea of him going to NXT and finding the next Paul Heyman guy, whoever said that.

He would be a welcome addition to the commentary but what happens when Brock comes back?

I say let him control Smackdown both on and off screen.

 

[kadroan]

Paul Heyman is the best talker in the business. His promo on Raw sold me on the importance of the streak more than any other Raw segment, DVD set or article has. The fact is, Heyman adds value to any segment, and it would be a shame if he takes a hiatus along with Brock after Mania.

But there's a problem finding a good role for Heyman post-Mania.

WWE tried pushing Ryback and Curtis Axel as "Paul Heyman Guys", but it didn't work. They thought that by just adding Heyman, these guys would succeed. And while Heyman is an amazing manager, he isn't a miracle worker. They need to try something different this time around. I think it's too much of a risk to have Paul manage an untested talent. If they waste Paul on too many guys who just can't cut it in the ring, it will end up hurting Paul's credibility as a manager. Therefore here are three other scenarios that I think could work:

1. Commentary- I would love it if Heyman goes back to the booth. He's a natural, and would be a nice break from all the ""She's Twerkin Maggle!!" crap we've been hearing for months. He will probably end up on SD instead of Raw, but that might be a blessing in disguise, as he'll probably make that show his own.

2. General Manager- Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero have been afterthoughts in their GM roles. I think it's definitely time to switch things up. Every year, since WM26, Triple H takes some time off in April. If he does that again this year, that means we'll be seeing a different lineup of authority figures on Raw. The rumor is that Sting or Hogan will be in charge, but imagine if they went with Heyman?? I think it would be a breath of fresh air to see someone like Paul in charge of the show. He's perfect at cutting promos, setting up matches and selling the main events without making it all about himself. It's a lost artform and he'd be a great GM. Again, he could do SD while Hogan does Raw, but I'd much rather see Paul on the A-show.

3. Managing Batista

It's obvious that Batista will be pushed as the #1 heel going forward. The problem is, Batista has always struggled in being able to sell an actual match-up with his promos. Yeah, he can get the crowd to hate his guts, but he can't really get them excited to see him step in the ring. Paul could really help in selling Batista as a force of nature the same way he sells Brock. Plus, this pairing could set up enough story for the eventual Batista vs. Brock Lesnar match that will happen at either SummerSlam or WrestleMania 31.

So what do you guys think of the 3 choices?
And what's your hope for Paul Heyman's role going forward?

I'd like to see him manage Batista. Heyman could capitalize on Batista's Hollywood experience, making him like The Rock in 2003 except having the fans legitimately hate him.

I could see fans still like Brock, he could easily turn to face. Possibly build up a potential Brock and Batista match at Summerslam or beyond