Details on the backstage incident that led to Paul Heyman's WWE suspension (Exclusive)

Paul Heyman is one of the few current WWE performers to receive a real-life suspension due to a backstage altercation.

Heyman and Brian Gewirtz were the lead writers of SmackDown and RAW, respectively, in the early 2000s. On one occasion, both men received seven-day suspensions after a creative disagreement turned into a minor physical confrontation.

Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Riju Dasgupta, Gewirtz downplayed suggestions that he and Heyman engaged in a fist fight:

“That’s a very, very generous way of putting it. I think that’s an insult to fist fights! I don’t think fists were ever actually involved. I think perhaps some light swatting for a few seconds was the extent of it.” [3:52-4:06]

In the video above, Gewirtz discloses what his relationship with Heyman is like now when they see each other backstage at WWE shows.

---

What caused the altercation between Brian Gewirtz and Paul Heyman?

A protégé of Paul Heyman once pitched a bizarre storyline idea that would have resulted in Torrie Wilson appearing naked on WWE television.

Brian Gewirtz was strongly opposed to the idea and had no problem voicing his opinion in a production meeting.

“The 2002-2004 era of WWE, both on-screen and backstage, it was a little bit more wild west than what we’re accustomed to seeing and experiencing today,” Gewirtz continued. “We had split writers’ teams. Paul was the lead writer of SmackDown, myself was RAW, and sometimes you work so closely with someone… tensions mount.” [4:24-4:48]

Two decades on, Gewirtz acknowledged that he probably said something unwise to upset Heyman:

“There was an incident. Paul took offense to something I did, and not necessarily unjustified. I’m sure I was the quintessential wisea** at the time. As you can see by the baseball souvenirs behind me, I’ve matured so much since then!” [4:50-5:08]

Gewirtz added that he thought the idea involving Wilson was “disrespectful” and “ludicrous,” which is why he reacted so passionately.

---

What are your favorite memories of Brian Gewirtz’s RAW shows and Paul Heyman’s SmackDown shows? Let us know in the comments section.

---

Brian Gewirtz’s new book, “There's Just One Problem...: True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE,” is available to buy on Amazon.

---

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.