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The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on April 5 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In an exclusive interview, WWE commentator Corey Graves reacted to the news that Paul Heyman will be among this year's inductees.
Heyman is widely viewed as one of the most creative people in the wrestling industry. The 58-year-old ran the popular Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion in the 1990s. He has also worked on WWE's creative team and performed alongside several top stars on television, including Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Graves only had positive things to say about Heyman's creativity:
"Paul is in a class unto his own, as you know. You've been around Paul. He is an absolute genius. He is a mad scientist in every sense of the word, and Paul's fingerprints and footprints are throughout this business." [0:44 – 1:00]
Graves went on to compare Heyman to wrestling icon Dusty Rhodes. He also referenced the fact that Roman Reigns' on-screen special counsel will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in ECW's former home city:
"I would put him, as far as influence, up there with the greats, with a Dusty Rhodes, any of these great wrestling minds, and I think it's really, really special to be in Philadelphia, the city that has meant so much to Paul, despite being a New Yorker!" Graves said. "Philadelphia is where ECW made their home and really changed the industry." [1:01 – 1:20]
Watch the video above to hear Graves' reaction to Ronda Rousey's recent disparaging remarks about Vince McMahon and WWE.
Corey Graves views Paul Heyman as a WWE all-time great
In 2014, Corey Graves was forced to retire from in-ring competition due to concussion issues. He has worked as a commentator for the last decade and recently became SmackDown's lead play-by-play announcer.
Graves thinks Paul Heyman, a WWE commentator in the early 2000s, deserves every accolade given to him:
"I think it's really, really cool and appropriate that, for all of his contributions, Paul will get his moment in the sun on his own because he is so proud to be a roleplayer and to continue to add to this business in any way possible, and I truly think Paul is invaluable. He is one of the greatest minds this industry has ever known, and I'm grateful to have been able to be around him and learn from him." [1:33 – 1:58]
Graves does not always view the wrestling business in the same way as Heyman, but he respects the former ECW owner's opinions:
"There are times we disagree and we see things differently. That doesn't mean one's right or one's wrong, but he's been a very positive influence throughout my career. I've learned so much from Paul, and he's taking a spot that he deserves in the Hall of Fame." [1:58 – 2:13]
In the same interview, Graves confirmed rumors that Triple H made a big behind-the-scenes change after replacing Vince McMahon as WWE's creative figurehead.
Do you have a favorite Paul Heyman moment? Let us know in the comments section.
Please credit Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
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