Who's your guy?

[Rampage Bentley]

About two months ago, on May 20th, 2013 Paul Heyman announced that he had a new "Heyman Guy" who was later in the night to be revealed as Curtis Axel. In the two months since Axel's career has been revitalized and he's finally been given the opportunity to succeed, and only more time will tell if he is successful or not.

The purpose of this thread is not to debate whether or not Curtis Axel was the right choice, and it's not to debate whether or not an established veteran would have been a better route to go.

Rather, imagine yourself in Paul Heyman's shoes. You arrive at RAW and Vince McMahon approaches you backstage and tells you that a Superstar of your choosing is going to be repackaged (or brought up) and given a massive push under your tutelage. Who's YOUR guy?

 

[MCMG]

This is an interesting topic. There are many guys who could be repackaged and used correctly. Curtis Axel was a good choice. He has talent in the ring and needed to be on the main roster. My only problem is that, even with Heyman, he is never going to be a massive star. I just can't see Axel ever main-eventing WrestleMania.

Heyman doesn't JUST need to be a mouthpiece. He will obviously help with promos but his presence is helping the superstar. That would open up the opportunity for someone like Wade Barrett or Cody Rhodes who, in my opinion, have more talent that Axel and will go far after they are done with Heyman. They should try to use Heyman make a star of the company. While I do think Axel is good and I have enjoyed their partnership; I am yet to be convinced that once Heyman moves on that Axel will be a star. Hence, I think Rhodes or Barrett would have been a better choice.

 

[King Patrick Star]

If Paul Heyman can start managing CM Punk in the middle of his Championship reign, then I’m picking John Cena AND Alberto Del Rio. I wouldn’t repackage them necessary, but I would just join them and watch their backs. I’d play a dual role, one being a Face manager for the Face of the WWE and a heel manager for the Heel of the WWE. Think Jimmy Hart managing the Hart Family and Hulk Hogan at the same time. Yeah, I could pull off the Two-Face character. Only thing is, if one or both drop their respective WWE World Titles, then I drop them.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

Randy Orton is my guy. As his manager I'd try to be a corrupting influence on him, and get him to "embrace the anger" and become the sick son-of-a-bitch he used to be. Sort of like when McMahon tried to get Austin to become "the Old Stone Cold". Eventually I would get through to Orton and he would snap. He'd hit me with an RKO and punt me in the head, sending my sorry ass packing. You're welcome Randy.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Cool topic to think about...

Not necessarily a repackage per se but a heel turn: Miz. Miz is just sort of "there" right now. They're putting him in a feud with Axel just to get Axel a little more over but he really has no direction. Let's not forget that this is a man who, not too long ago, main evented wrestlemania as WWE Champion and defeated John Cena at WM (how many guys can say that?).

Heel Miz going back to his heel look would be who I'd pick, if I were Heyman. He can talk (unlike Axel who is straining so hard to remember his lines and such his delivery is suffering), he can wrestle, and he can quickly be legitimate (again).

 

[S.J. Maximus]

Everyone seems to be picking guys who get a lot of air time already, but I'm thinking the OP wanted us to pick someone who was in Joe Hennig's shoes before Heyman endorsed him.

If my presumption is the case, then my choice is Alex Riley. Alex Riley is so good on the mic that he actually doesn't even need a mouthpiece, but if I'm Paul Heyman then my presence alongside him will only help, much like Heyman really helped maintain Punk's heat during his reign. Heyman would cut a great promo, then Punk would cut an even better one right after. Doing this with Riley would really help him get over with the fans quicker and anyone who has actually seen him in the ring knows that he has the ability to put on a good match. I still don't know who he pissed off (maybe Cena) to put him in the land of obscurity but he really has the total package (look, charisma, athleticism) and definitely should be on RAW each week.

 

[chrispytoal]

Personally, I'd go for one of three candidates.

1. Drew McIntyre. Drew can do it all, he has the arrogance, the ability, the look but he is just missing that one thing.

2. Ted DiBiase. Same kind of scenario as Axel, legendary father, struggling to step out of his shadow. All kinds of ability, just needs a catalyst to show it.

3. Tyson Kidd. Same as Drew, he has the moves, the look, the ability. Just missing that one little ingredient.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

If I were to pick a guy that is currently getting little to no exposure it would for sure have to be Titus O'Neil. I'm such a fan of this guy. He's charismatic, he's jacked and he can talk, which is a pretty proven winning combination. Titus could definitely be a big star.

 

[R.K.O]

Cody Rhodes. Good on the mic, great in the ring, turned crap gimmicks given to him in the past into gold, actually made the Intercontinental Championship relevant. But despite all these he hasn't reached the next level and is horribly used right now. Heyman could be what he needs to go to the next level.

 

[I_Am_Electro_Boy]

Brodus Clay - I'd make him get rid of the stupid gimmick, make him turn on Sweet T and just be the big, bad man he was before. He doesn't have to be a bodyguard to the stars, he has to take the spotlight from the stars. Heyman could possibly have Clay at ringside during a Lesnar match or beat down and tell him that's what he's got to be like. Not a wrestler, just a beast.

Tyson Kidd - Like Axel, Heyman could get him the tv time he deserves. Top 5 wrestler who deserves a lot more than he gets, so instead of waiting for his moment, help him take his moment. As Heyman has no longer got Punk who wanted to be the best wrestler in the world, Kidd can now want that.

 

[joduke41]

I like the idea of Ted Dibiase.I always thought he had a good look to him.just needed something a lil extra.Maybe make him super poor that he will wrestle anyone for money and maybe build up a lil fan sympathy for him.or go the other way and just make him the "Million Dollar Man 2.0" make it like he is trying to buyout the WWE from the McMahons.Team him with HHH for a corperate takeover.Team him Alberto Del Rio and they can call theirselves NAFTA,lol

I would repackage Kane for maybe the last 3 years of his career.make him the monster again but not a heel.i mean how many people watch Friday the 13th and root for Jason to kill those whiny teens.I know I did.I rooted for Freddy Kruger.tired of seeing him as the big red jobber.

 

[TheWhole'Fn'Show]

They Definitely Need to Repackage Kane, Since Team Hell no is over and after that Brutal attack by the Wyatt family This would be the perfect time to repackage him. Make him into the monster we all no he can be get him a new outfit bring back the one sleeve, or even something totally different just get rid of his current attire.

 

[DHInc]

Well since he went with CM Punk who was already a bonafide main event guy, I'll go differently with a guy that could be a Main Event guy like Christian because i draw one common similarity that being that Vince has never seen Christian as a bankable main event talent and at the same time he has always tried to undermine Paul Heyman in the same regard creatively when he was a SmackDown writer.

So they could draw from real life events as they did with CM Punk.

 

[newwaveknight]

I would personally focus on someone who isn't as good on the mic. The problem with Cena, Barrett, and The Miz is that they all have charisma and can cut promos. A manager's main job is

1) Use his established name to get some attention to an up-and-coming star.
2) Use his mic skills to aid a superstar who is weaker on the mic.

I would go with Cody Rhodes simply because (sans face fur) he has a good look, he is good in the ring, but his mic work is a little lacking. But, seeing who his father is, SURELY he has the ability to get better.

Have Heyman start off doing most of the promo work and let Cody do a little more of the promo work each time. When it gets to the point to where Cody can cut solid promos on his own, have him leave Heyman. This could lead to Heyman sending one of his heels to attack Cody, thus helping him start a babyface turn. It's worth a shot at least, right?

 

[Sid Schmid]

With myself being an Englishman my guy would be Wade Barrett. First I'd promote him as a singles star. I'd keep elements of his current gimmick such as the 'bare knuckle brawler' part.

Once Wade has built momentum I'd introduce another to my stable, Paige. I want my stable to have suitable 'eye candy'. Over the next few weeks I'd introduce a tag team to my stable, Oliver Gray and Adrian Neville. We'd call ourselves 'The All England Club'. Barrett will become WWE champion, Paige Divas Champ and Gray & Neville tag champs. We will dominate the entire WWE.

The end of my managerial career will come when the stable turn face and ditch me for William Regal.

Come on WWE, that's money right there, sign me up!

 

[LuckyLouie]

There is no doubt in my mind. The number one person would have been Antonio Cesaro. He has the it factors, he has the look, he is amazing in the ring, but he just needs a little help on the mic and do something that will leave him in the fans memories. Heyman could have turned a neutral Cesaro into a machine that would, in my mind reminds me of the MACHO MAN! To me they have a similar look and are both exciting to watch in ring.
But he just needs some help to get over and he will be a made man.
But if he could not do it, Kassius Ohno, it would start a great fued with Punk or Bryan to get him over quickly while making everyone in the match look fantastic.

 

[Headman]

Wade Barrett. The guy is good on the mic, can work a decent match and looks like a main eventer. The only problem is he keeps getting his pushes pulled out from under him. Barrett once described himself as a conqueror in the tradition of Caesar. I would run with that. Build an aura of greatness around him similar to the way Triple H was built up in 1999-2000. Get him a grand entrance and make him seem important. The most important thing is that he would win 99.9 % of the time so that a victory over him seems important.

 

[Dum Dum Dudley]

Being a Paul Heyman guy doesn't automatically make you a main event guy, and I'd love to see him drag someone up to a prominent role in the midcard. I'd like to see Heyman propel Justin Gabriel to a U.S/I.C run. He's entertaining in the ring but he never seems to go anywhere. Paul could be the mouthpiece and help Gabriel like he's helped Axel.

I don't think the gimmick would need majorly tweaking but a little hype from Paul. E would certainly bring more focus to an entertaining high-flyer. I can't recall an outstanding Gabriel promo but I can't ever remember him having the chance so I'm not pairing him with Heyman because I think he can't cut a promo. Instead, I think being a Heyman guy would give him some exposure and see what he can do.

 

[newwaveknight]

With myself being an Englishman my guy would be Wade Barrett. First I'd promote him as a singles star. I'd keep elements of his current gimmick such as the 'bare knuckle brawler' part.

Once Wade has built momentum I'd introduce another to my stable, Paige. I want my stable to have suitable 'eye candy'. Over the next few weeks I'd introduce a tag team to my stable, Oliver Gray and Adrian Neville. We'd call ourselves 'The All England Club'. Barrett will become WWE champion, Paige Divas Champ and Gray & Neville tag champs. We will dominate the entire WWE.

With myself being a fan of people who have the mic skills and in-ring talent to be main-eventing and are being underutilized on the mid-card, you would think Wade Barrett would be my guy. The only reason why I would go with Cody Rhodes and not Wade Barrett is because Barrett's mic skills are WAAAYYYY better than Cody Rhodes.

Also, Barrett's been stabled out twice. Is another stable really what he needs?

Being a Paul Heyman guy doesn't automatically make you a main event guy, and I'd love to see him drag someone up to a prominent role in the midcard. I'd like to see Heyman propel Justin Gabriel to a U.S/I.C run. He's entertaining in the ring but he never seems to go anywhere. Paul could be the mouthpiece and help Gabriel like he's helped Axel.

I don't think the gimmick would need majorly tweaking but a little hype from Paul. E would certainly bring more focus to an entertaining high-flyer. I can't recall an outstanding Gabriel promo but I can't ever remember him having the chance so I'm not pairing him with Heyman because I think he can't cut a promo. Instead, I think being a Heyman guy would give him some exposure and see what he can do.

I am all for Justin Gabriel having a manager, just not Paul Heyman. While Paul Heyman is good at cutting promos on behalf of other talent, the simple fact of the matter is that Paul Heyman is best as a heel manager. Justin Gabriel would possibly have to go heel in the process, and he has NO business playing heel. Remember how bad he stuck out like a sore thumb when he tried to play heel in Nexus and The Corre?

 

[Dum Dum Dudley]

I am all for Justin Gabriel having a manager, just not Paul Heyman. While Paul Heyman is good at cutting promos on behalf of other talent, the simple fact of the matter is that Paul Heyman is best as a heel manager. Justin Gabriel would possibly have to go heel in the process, and he has NO business playing heel. Remember how bad he stuck out like a sore thumb when he tried to play heel in Nexus and The Corre?

I don't think that anyone on the roster is incapable of being heel and face; its just the way have been given a bum deal the previous run. Nexus bombed, hard. Same with The Corre. But I don't think that stops you from revisiting the well and trying again with a twist. I'd love to see him have a go as a real chickenshit midcard heel with Heyman doing the talking. Sure, the 450 splash is a very captivating finisher but you could have him cheat on the run up to hitting it to cement the heel turn. Heyman can hit the guy with the belt. Axel can run interference.

Gabriel doesn't have a great connection with the WWE audience so I don't think it would be a massive job to turn him and cement him as a heel.

 

[newwaveknight]

I don't think that anyone on the roster is incapable of being heel and face; its just the way have been given a bum deal the previous run. Nexus bombed, hard. Same with The Corre. But I don't think that stops you from revisiting the well and trying again with a twist. I'd love to see him have a go as a real chickenshit midcard heel with Heyman doing the talking. Sure, the 450 splash is a very captivating finisher but you could have him cheat on the run up to hitting it to cement the heel turn. Heyman can hit the guy with the belt. Axel can run interference.

Gabriel doesn't have a great connection with the WWE audience so I don't think it would be a massive job to turn him and cement him as a heel.

I wouldn't quite say Nexus bombed. It was a great idea at the get-go, but around the time CM Punk took over shit went so far south that it hit Brazil.

It's not that I object to him going heel, but since he has pretty much NO connection with the WWE Universe, why not have him start his push as an alignment where he can get over better. It's not that he couldn't play heel, but his look is MUCH better for a babyface. After he's started to get over as a heel and if his mic skills haven't improved much (which they probably won't), THEN have him turn heel and be the next Guy.

 

[TempestH]

Everyone seems to be picking guys who get a lot of air time already, but I'm thinking the OP wanted us to pick someone who was in Joe Hennig's shoes before Heyman endorsed him.

If my presumption is the case, then my choice is Alex Riley. Alex Riley is so good on the mic that he actually doesn't even need a mouthpiece, but if I'm Paul Heyman then my presence alongside him will only help, much like Heyman really helped maintain Punk's heat during his reign. Heyman would cut a great promo, then Punk would cut an even better one right after. Doing this with Riley would really help him get over with the fans quicker and anyone who has actually seen him in the ring knows that he has the ability to put on a good match. I still don't know who he pissed off (maybe Cena) to put him in the land of obscurity but he really has the total package (look, charisma, athleticism) and definitely should be on RAW each week.

I like Alex Riley, but I have to disagree with the idea of pairing Riley with Heyman. I feel that because Alex Riley is so charismatic, over with the fans, and he's a very energetic and athletic in ring worker. And for that reason, Riley deserves to get pushed as a face.

Riley's a guy who the crowd pops for whenever he comes out to the ring. And he wrestles with a very high energy, speed and agility based moveset. The guy could even be somewhat of a high flier if he wanted to. If Riley is paired with Heyman and working as a heel, he's going to regress as an in-ring performer and his matches would become boring due to his moveset being watered down. He won't be able to utitlize his full athletic ability.


I'm fine with Joe Hennig as the Heyman Guy. Any other heels on the roster are good enough that they don't need Heyman. Any faces on the roster, just like Alex Riley, deserve to get pushed as a face. No one seems to get any big moments as a face anymore. I'd rather see Riley win his first singles title as a face, because he really deserves to have that emotional, tear filled moment with the crowd all cheering huge for him.

 

[Mr. D]

I know...I know, they have given him Colter.

The truth is that Cesaro doesn't need a Colter. He needs a Heyman. Cesaro (aka Claudio Castagnoli) is one of the best workers you will find. The man can be grouped with guys like Undertaker and Christopher Daniels as one of those guys that can make ANYONE look good. He takes matches to such a higher level that he makes the people he's fighting look better.

I really don't know why he is not over.
- It can't be his wrestling, because I his name has come up in quite a few Match of the Year candidates.
- It can't be his build. The guy is freaky strong and well defined.
- He was trained in so well and to work so many styles, that he is one of the few people that can work a match with Sin Cara.

Sorry. I got a little side tracked.

The point is that Cesaro needs a mouth-piece. He needs character guidance. Cesaro needs a good heel push with a guy like Heyman. Heyman just needs to open the doors. Cesaro is more than capable of delivering the matches. I feel like a pairing of them two would actually change the landscape of the upper echelon of the WWE. He could EASILY be a top guy.

If you don't believe me, watch him and Sami Zayn go at it. Watch his match against Kofi Kingston...or go back and watch him and Mike Quackenbush go at it in Chikara, or his work in ROH and PWG.

Cesaro should be the next Heyman guy.

 

[CultOfPersonality123]

Mason Ryan or Alex Riley are my guys. Either one I am fine with. Riley was doing good he beat Miz and went after the U.S. title then just disappeared. Same with Mason Ryan came back went after former U.S. Champ Ziggler and disappeared. One of these guys I would like to see with Paul Heyman since they'd get the push they deserve and would bebrought back to TV

 

[Heat]

Easy answer for me......Alex Riley, Give him a different look (Not the College Jock look), make him seem dangerous and somebody you dont want to mess with give him a new finisher that backs up his Persona