Nowadays, “Wiseman” is becoming more recognized.
WWE announced Monday that Paul Heyman, 58, will be inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia in April. Heyman is where ECW ran in the 1990s.
In an interview with the Post to commemorate the news, Heyman revealed that he actually turned down the honor “several times” because he feels he still has a long way to go in the professional wrestling industry.
“It took me decades to understand this business and the art of presenting to an audience. So to use the old cliché: ‘You haven’t seen anything yet, I’m just getting started.’ “I hate to say it, but…I haven’t seen anything yet and I’m just getting started,” he said.
“I don’t want to get a lifetime achievement award if I haven’t accomplished something. There’s still a lot of work I want to do in this industry. I’m looking forward to WrestleMania in Havana, or the moon, or Mars, which Elon Musk has colonized. I want to be part of the first main event. These are things that will happen in the future, so I really want to be part of it.”
This is the first year that WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has taken full responsibility for the Hall of Fame, and with the 40th WrestleMania being held in Philadelphia, the That’s why I decided it was the right time.
Heyman’s on-air character has been on the rise for more than a decade, managing Brock Lesnar and CM Punk during their championship reigns, and later co-headlining WrestleMania four years in a row. managed Roman Reigns in the “Bloodline” angle.
Reigns has been WWE World Champion for almost 1,300 days, longer than the entire perceived “Attitude Era.”
Asked about the staying power of this angle, Heyman said, “It’s always evolving.”
“It’s not about instant gratification or shock value. Bloodline, a family story and tribal leader title that unfolds on television and premium live events, is unlike anything the industry has ever seen before. We aim to present you with the highest quality products possible. We are proud to be the product of generations of great performers in the industry, including Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, DX, Stone Cold, The Rock, and many more. I am aware of the fact that I have been inspired. I am done.
“So when Roman Reigns and I had the opportunity to work together starting in August 2020, our designations were, if you think about it, Peaky Blinders, The Sopranos, The Sopranos, The idea was to bring together a series of films that compete with The Wire, Fargo, Breaking Bad, and many more.It’s the most captivating drama with some of the most fascinating villains you’ve ever seen. . It’s something that disrupts the status quo of sports entertainment, and that’s what we’re constantly looking to disrupt.”
Heyman was proud of the fact that this would be his fifth consecutive time in the corner at a WrestleMania event, his seventh overall, and his eighth consecutive time managing a world champion at this extravagant event, his ninth overall. .
“These are statistics that no one can match,” he says.
Heyman pulled back the curtain a little on Reigns’ creative input into the storyline. At this point, this story has a dual trajectory with Cody Rhodes and The Rock.
“I have a significant say in how we are portrayed and represented, and that includes everything from camera angles to music to storylines,” Heyman said. revealed.
“That’s why Roman Reigns bestowed on me the blessed name Wiseman, as a thank you from the Tribal Chief to the Special Advisor, and also to my only manager, Grand Wizard Freddy. It’s also a historical reference to Blassie and Captain Lou Albano’s Vincent James McMahon (father of Vince McMahon) era.
“I don’t know if I can just be a performer. I won’t be satisfied. I won’t be satisfied with just going out and doing our boring stuff. I have to speak out. We need to get some input, and so far we’ve been fortunate that that input has not only been welcomed, but encouraged, and has been very well received.”
Another reason this Hall of Fame induction is special for Heyman is that he left in the wake of creative conflicts with Vince McMahon and needed to be appeased, so for five years he thought he would be out of the job forever. There was a period. Back to managing Lesnar.
“I thought it was over. When Brock Lesnar first came back in 2012, I didn’t come with him. I couldn’t imagine ever coming back to the industry. I thought it was over and I didn’t do anything with my life. It’s time to do something else,” Heyman said.
“They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and funny enough, Brock and I both agreed to come back for just one year until WrestleMania at MetLife in 2013. But by then… I had already worked with CM Punk.” It was so much fun both in front of the camera and behind the scenes that we decided to stick around. The following year, Lesnar achieved his undefeated record against The Undertaker. I thought once that happened, I would be here for the rest of my life. ”
