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The concept of pro wrestlers having someone to represent them is hardly a new one. We've seen many iconic wrestler-manager duos in the past, but none of them compare to a Superstar being able to call themselves a "Paul Heyman guy".
Paul Heyman is arguably one of the best minds in the business today. And that's apart from being an exceptional mic worker who knows how to play the crowd. Currently, he is serving as the Executive Director of WWE's Monday Night RAW and is one of the front-line people to develop and shape their programming.
Heyman has been one of the most successful managers in the history of Sports Entertainment, and that is evident from the success of his "clients". After all, how can you not get over with the fans with someone like Heyman by your side?
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In this article, let's take a look at fifteen "Paul Heyman Guys" in WWE history - some of them very famous, others not so much. How many of them do you remember?
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#14 Brock Lesnar
Let's start with the most obvious one. Arguably the greatest Paul Heyman guy (in terms of success) ever, Brock Lesnar has been at the front and center of WWE for the last six years, and a lot of credit goes to the man behind him.
The sight of Heyman interrupting the announcer, taking the mic, and introducing himself and his client in the most unique way possible is hilarious. And don't lie, you all repeat in unison, right along with him: "Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman!", don't you?
It was Heyman who introduced the world to a young Beast in 2002 when Lesnar debuted. He then guided him to become the youngest WWE Champion by defeating The Rock at SummerSlam.
Well, we all know the impact that young Beast has had on WWE in the last two decades.
Losing his Universal Title this year at SummerSlam to Seth Rollins, Brock will be appearing next on the first episode of SmackDown on FOX, and one can expect his advocate to be there by his side.
#13 Tazz
Next up on the list is a Paul Heyman guy which many of you might recognize as the voice of SmackDown in the Ruthless Aggression Era. Before retiring from the world of pro wrestling, Tazz was a well established star in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), winning multiple titles in the promotion.
It was in ECW where Heyman saw the potential in Taz as a box office attraction. Being one of the best talkers and brawlers of that time, Taz used to openly call out the top champions of other promotions, and people believed that. He, in many ways, was the living example of what ECW was all about.
#12 Cesaro
The alliance between Cesaro and Paul Heyman looked promising for the time it lasted. It started after Cesaro won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31 by last eliminating the Big Show. The Swiss Superman was in for a push, and that was made crystal clear by the company when they introduced him as the new Paul Heyman guy after that.
Unfortunately, the two didn't stick together for long. In one of my other articles, I had stressed on the fact that Cesaro could do much better with a manager/mouthpiece by his side, and who better than Heyman himself. With Lesnar not around for long, Cesaro could be the ideal choice to be Heyman's next "client".
#11 Rey Mysterio
The wrestling scene of the 90s was much different from what it is now as fans liked watching giants dominate their opponents inside the ring. The technical wrestling part was not sought-after a lot.
At that time, Paul Heyman was the in-charge of ECW and the promotion was facing a shortage of new talent. In his efforts of doing something new, Heyman came across the guy we now know as the Master of the 619, Rey Mysterio.
The fans developed some great connection with the underdog who was trying to make a name for himself in that land of giants.
#10 CM Punk
The most popular and controversial Paul Heyman guys of all time, CM Punk has openly acknowledged numerous times that he owes his WWE career to Heyman. Apart from playing his on-screen manager, Heyman is also a great friend of Punk, being one of the few guys whom the former WWE star is still in contact with.
While Punk was languishing in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's developmental system before starting NXT, Heyman was championing for the Voice of the Voiceless to get on the main roster - even, in fact, expressing incredulity that nobody wanted him - he was so impressed with Punk's skill both in the ring and on the mic.
Somewhat poetically, it was WWE's relaunch of Heyman's original brainchild, ECW, where Punk was eventually introduced to the WWE Universe.
Heyman has been by his side during some iconic moments like his battle with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, and also the 'Summer of Punk' storyline. Later, he also turned on Punk, setting up a feud with him that led to an iconic moment of Punk destroying Heyman at the top of the Hell in a Cell with a kendo stick.
#9 Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam might not be the most well-known Paul Heyman guy, but he has had a fair share of success under the Walrus. While the higher-ups in WWF were unable to appreciate the unorthodox style of RVD, Heyman was highly impressed by it.
RVD also has Heyman to thank for one of the biggest moments of his career when Heyman helped him successfully cash-in his Money in the Bank contract on John Cena, when the referee was knocked out, by sliding inside the ring to make the count.
RVD is one of the legends of the business who still is an active in-ring competitor. He also is the only guy in the history to have ever held the WWE, ECW, and TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
#8 Matt Morgan
During 2003 when Paul Heyman was the general manager of SmackDown, WWE saw the debut of The Blueprint, Matt Morgan. His impressive size and physique soon attracted the attention of Heyman as he handpicked him into Brock Lesnar's Survivor Series team.
Apart from this, Morgan even fought tag team matches alongside Lesnar to solidify his status as a big-league player. Unfortunately, Morgan lacked the spark to be a huge star in the company. Add to that his not-so-impressive wrestling abilities, he was soon packed back.
Morgan has since had a run with TNA, but that too wasn't very impressive either.
#7 The Miz
The most must-see superstar in the history of WWE, The Miz is also another Superstar whose career has been impacted by Heyman. Being one of the biggest WWE superstars to have come out of Tough Enough, Mike Mizanin had a tough journey on his way to the biggest wrestling promotion in the world.
It was Heyman who brought him to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), allowing him to break his nerves and develop the cocky attitude of one of the most iconic heels in modern wrestling - The Miz.
He has been a huge star in the company ever since, having won all the major championships in the company and being a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion as well.
#6 Big Show
The World's Largest Athlete has also been a Paul Heyman guy, and at a very crucial stage of his career. Being a real-life giant, one would expect that life in WWE was easy for Big Show, but such was not the case as he was often used as a laughingstock in early 2000s.
The destiny for the Giant changed when he was shifted to SmackDown to challenge the then "undefeated" Brock Lesnar. At the 2002 edition of Survivor Series, Show became the first man to defeat Lesnar, also winning the WWE Championship in this process.
Heyman, in many ways, was responsible for his rebirth as a top Superstar.
#5 Curtis Axel
Being the son of the legendary Mr. Perfect, wrestling was in the blood of Michael McGillicutty aka Curtis Axel. Having the looks and skills to become a huge star, WWE showed immense faith in him by making him a Paul Heyman guy.
With Heyman by his side, Axel went on to win the Intercontinental Championship in 2013. Unfortunately, Heyman took a break and everything went downhill for Axel after that.
Currently, he is a part of the SmackDown Live roster, working as a tag team alongside Bo Dallas. The two have had a reign as the RAW Tag Team Champions, but the future doesn't look so bright for them.
#4 Stone Cold Steve Austin
Could you imagine someone making a mistake as huge as firing Steve Austin? Well, Eric Bischoff learned the consequences of it the hard way when he fired him from WCW. Heyman was quick to offer Austin a contract to ECW, which he accepted and that led to the birth of the "Stone Cold" persona.
Under Heyman's ECW, Austin unloaded his anger at WCW through vignettes directed at them, and it became an instant hit with the company. Soon after, WWE/F realized the star that Heyman had created and called him up.
We all know what the Texas RattleSnake did after that. Considered one of the biggest superstars in the history of pro wrestling, Austin has Heyman to thank for believing in him.
#3 Heidenreich
Having the gimmick of a Psychopath, Jon Heidenreich made his in-ring debut in 2004 with Paul Heyman by his side. While not many of you might remember him, the guy created a decent impact with attacking the Dead Man himself, The Undertaker, even costing him the WWE Championship.
He lost to him and joined the Road Warrior to win the Tag Team Championship. Soon, he split with them as well and was released from the company.
#2 Mick Foley
Yes, even the Hall of Famer Mick Foley was once a Paul Heyman guy. Did you know that?
When Heyman's ECW filed a lawsuit against WCW, Foley came as a part of the settlement to them. It was here he developed his hardcore gimmick of Cactus Jack and ruled the Land of Extreme.
While Foley has given him a lot of credit for his success many times, even in his book, Heyman has so kindly refused the same. Heyman is a huge fan of Foley's mic skills, even calling him one of the single most brilliant interview stars in the history of the industry.
#1 The Undertaker
Before we all were introduced to the (Dead) man named The Undertaker, he was known as Mean Mark Callous in WCW and was managed by a younger version of Paul Heyman - Paul E Dangerously. The alliance did not last long as WCW did not renew his contract and Taker went to WWF.
At this time, he was not the Prince of Darkness, but just another big guy in the wrestling circuit trying to make a name for himself. It was in WWF that Vince McMahon gave birth to the gimmick of the Dead Man, and the rest is history.
It's just incredible to see the variety of stars Heyman has managed and the impact that he has had in their lives and careers. We here at SportsKeeda salute the genius of Heyman. Take a bow, sir!
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