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Paul Heyman has done it all in the professional wrestling business. From being a photographer, announcer, booker, company owner and everything else in between, Heyman has a spectacular resume in the industry.
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The former ECW boss got his first taste of television exposure in early 1987 when he managed in Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF). Despite all he has done since Heyman remains known to modern-day WWE fans for the very same role.
As Special Counsel for current Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman is the mouthpiece behind WWE's biggest star right now. The 55-year-old is magnificent on the microphone and understands perfectly how to highlight the strengths of his client - without ever overshadowing Reigns himself.
This isn't the first time that Heyman has excelled in such a position, either. Paul E. was the Advocate for Brock Lesnar for the vast majority of The Beast Incarnate's two stints with WWE. CM Punk also benefitted from having Heyman by his side during his record-breaking 434-day reign as WWE Champion, which ended in January 2013.
Although not every Paul Heyman Guy has gone on to be a main-event level attraction for WWE (think Curtis Axel), he has a pretty impressive overall track record.
Through his initial run with Lesnar - when Brock was labeled as 'The Next Big Thing' - Heyman is recognized to have an eye for up-and-coming talent.
With that said, there are also several men and women in WWE at present who have the potential to shine under Heyman's guidance. Here are five current superstars who could benefit from being aligned with Paul Heyman.
#5 Kevin Owens could benefit from an alliance with Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman has made no secret of the fact he is a big fan of Kevin Owens as a performer.
The 37-year-old Canadian is a former WWE Universal Champion. However, since his sole title reign ended in March 2017, Owens has yet to get another taste of top-tier gold in WWE. Here is where Heyman can work his magic.
During a segment on the January 16, 2021 edition of the SmackDown post-show, Talking Smack, Heyman and Owens shared an intense back-and-forth debate. Their exchange was designed to build an upcoming bout between Owens and Roman Reigns. While furthering that storyline, though, there seemed to be some very real feelings on show from both Owens and Paul Heyman.
Heyman put over how much faith he had in Owens, particularly during his run as the off-screen Executive Director of RAW a year prior.
For his part, Owens admitted that he had been a Paul Heyman guy for most of his time as a wrestling fan. The pair clearly brought out the best in each other as they traded opinions - making for some very compelling television.
Currently, Owens seems stuck in the upper-midcard on SmackDown. Most recently, KO has been feuding with Sami Zayn on Friday nights. Although the two have engaged in an entertaining rivalry, Owens is a far cry as a character from when he debuted on RAW in May 2015 and went straight after John Cena.
Back then, Owens had a far grittier persona. Going by the alias of The Prizefighter, he was driven to snatch glory by any means necessary. With Paul Heyman by his side, Owens could return to these roots. Heyman could handle the talking, with Owens focusing solely on handling business in between the ropes.
It goes without saying that Heyman would not need much inspiration to pull off the role as a hype man for Owens. The duo obviously have a good relationship behind the scenes. By bringing the same dynamic to its television product, WWE could reinvigorate the character of Kevin Owens and bring him back into the main event picture.
#4 Paul Heyman could guide Shayna Baszler to singles gold in WWE
Paul Heyman has long been an admirer of legitimate competitive athletes, particularly those who have crossed over to professional wrestling.
In his early days as the promoter of ECW, one of Heyman's most-pushed stars was Taz. Known as The Human Suplex Machine at the time, Taz had an MMA-inspired gimmick and was portrayed as the toughest man in the company.
Heyman's most high-profile client during his time with WWE, Brock Lesnar, is also a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Paul Heyman has a close friendship with Lesnar - and was part of his inner circle during his run inside the Octagon.
Put simply, Paul Heyman understands and appreciates MMA. In addition, Heyman has the ability with the microphone to fully explain how dangerous an MMA background can make a superstar inside of the WWE ring.
With 26 professional MMA fights to her credit, current RAW superstar Shayna Baszler certainly has that background. Winning by submission in exactly half of those bouts, Baszler more than justifies her WWE nickname - The Submission Magician.
Since joining the main roster in February 2020, Baszler has won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships twice (alongside Nia Jax). However, the singles success she achieved in NXT - where she held the Women's Championship for a combined 548 days across two reigns - has eluded her.
Baszler made a strong start when she was first called up to RAW. Immediately challenging Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship, things looked bright for her.
Lynch, though, emerged from their match at WrestleMania 36 with the championship still around her waist and, within a few weeks, Bazler's big push had stalled.
There is no way of knowing for sure why WWE threw in the towel on Baszler as a solo star, but it is fair to say that her in-ring work is better than her promo ability. Paul Heyman more than has that aspect of the industry covered.
With Heyman by her side (and WWE creative in her corner), Baszler could quickly be rebuilt as a massive threat on either RAW or SmackDown. All it would take is for Baszler to snatch one of the champions in her Kirifuda Clutch submission hold while Paul Heyman cuts a promo in the background - and Baszler would be right back in title contention.
#3 Paul Heyman could help establish Braun Strowman as an unstoppable force in WWE
When it comes to making the most out of an individual's talent, Paul Heyman has always had a simple philosophy -- accentuate the positives and hide the negatives.
Braun Strowman's most obvious positive is that he is a monster of a man. WWE knows this too, which is why Strowman is promoted as the Monster Among Men.
The problem for Braun, though, has been that the company has rarely booked him in a fashion that lives up to his name. Sure, Strowman is a former Universal Champion. However, that reign came about as a result of Roman Reigns pulling out of WrestleMania 36 at the last minute. WWE had never planned for Braun to hold the gold.
As of late, Strowman has been a part of the WWE Championship picture on RAW. Earlier this month at WrestleMania Backlash, though, Braun was the man to take the pinfall loss as Bobby Lashley retained his title in a Triple Threat match that also involved Drew McIntyre.
In order to truly break through as a permanent fixture at the top of the card in WWE, Braun needs to be booked in a consistently dominant fashion. As a man who has been involved at close quarters with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman is well aware of how to present a superstar like Strowman to the audience.
Paul Heyman could erase all of Braun's past negative history with just a few weeks of interview time. Memories of Strowman in a sheep mask as part of The Wyatt Family or of being insulted by Shane McMahon over his intelligence could soon be banished.
By verbally shredding the idea of WWE looking past such a can't-miss superstar as Strowman, Heyman can swiftly shift the narrative around Braun going forward.
Paul Heyman has the ability to turn Braun Strowman into a huge player for WWE.
#2 An alignment with Paul Heyman could cement Charlotte Flair as WWE's greatest ever female performer
The association between Paul Heyman and the Flair family dates back to his very first show as a promoter.
Just 19 years old at the time, a young Heyman produced a show at New York's famed Studio 54 nightclub - with Ric Flair as the star attraction. That night, Heyman honored The Nature Boy by presenting him with an award for Man Of The Year.
Fast forward more than three decades and Paul Heyman is now in a position to play the role of hype man for Ric's daughter, Charlotte Flair.
Some would argue that Charlotte does not need the assistance of Heyman. However, while the former 12-time Women's Champion is more than capable of holding her own on the microphone, the same was true of Roman Reigns and CM Punk before they joined up with Paul Heyman.
Heyman still helped bring the careers of those two men to new heights and he can do a similar job for Charlotte.
With multiple title reigns, a Royal Rumble match win and a WrestleMania main event under her belt, Flair's long-term legacy is secure. With that said, in WWE's official countdown of the 50 Greatest Women's Superstars Ever announced earlier this year, Flair only placed second - beaten to top spot by WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus.
To most, this would be a minor footnote. However, for a character as committed to being the absolute best as Charlotte Flair, the ranking could be taken as a slap in the face. Flair has already made it clear on television that she was unhappy at being left off WrestleMania 37 last month and could quickly build up a list of further grievances against WWE.
Similar to his role as Special Counsel for Reigns, Paul Heyman could become the personal advisor for Charlotte, letting the world know about her greatness at every turn.
When Heyman is fully invested in a performer, he has the ability to make them feel special to the audience. Paul Heyman can help The Queen become the women's equivalent of The Tribal Chief - and go down as the best ever.
#1 Paul Heyman could help to rehabilitate 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt
Paul Heyman is one of the most renowned storytellers in professional wrestling history. Over the years, Heyman has proven his ability to make any narrative sound believable - both behind the scenes and on the screen.
One WWE Superstar who could really use Heyman’s assistance in explaining his backstory and motivations is 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.
The Fiend is a truly unique character with massive potential. However, over the last year, WWE has not handled Wyatt as well as it could have done.
From ill-timed defeats to a few poorly executed angles, The Fiend has not been WWE’s top priority - and it has shown. If anyone can help rehabilitate The Fiend, it is Paul Heyman.
Over the years, Heyman has shown he has the ability to come up with an explanation for just about anything - and there is plenty that needs explaining with Bray Wyatt's alter ego.
Prior to The Fiend's return to WWE, Heyman could introduce himself as the only man the former Universal Champion now trusts. By having Heyman become the mouthpiece for The Fiend, WWE also avoids having to have the character on television every week. When he does make an appearance, it should be a big deal.
Heyman has already been represented as part of Bray Wyatt's Firefly Fun House when Wobbly Walrus appeared in a segment last year.
Although Heyman could have a close bond with The Fiend, it might be that he does not get along well with Bray Wyatt himself. Heyman could bring out the worst in The Fiend while Wyatt battles to stay on a better path.
An alliance with Paul Heyman offers a lot of possibilities for The Fiend character.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
