Why does Stone Cold Steve Austin owe his promo skills to Paul Heyman? Exploring the revelation

On the last episode of Monday Night RAW, it was made official that Paul Heyman would l be the first name in WWE's Hall of Fame Class of 2024. It is an incredible honor being bestowed on an equally incredible individual.

Heyman is a pro wrestling legend and, over the years, has lived up to his monicker of "The Wiseman" for several talents in the industry. One of these talents happens to be the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin, who, in fact, credits Heyman for his exceptional promo skills.

Over the course of his career, Austin delivered some killer promos, with his "Austin 3:16" promo being the most iconic. However, he may have never developed his skills on the mic if it weren't for Paul Heyman. While the two were rarely seen together in the ring, they share a special relationship that dates back to Heyman's time in ECW. A relationship that Stone Cold elaborated on in his book "The Stone Cold Truth."

In his own words, Austin wrote about how he struggled to establish himself in WCW. However, working for Paul Heyman and ECW broadened his horizons and allowed The Texas Rattlesnake to be himself. This happened because Heyman insisted that the talent should speak from the heart and always gave them feedback about what they could say without really telling them how to say it:

"I owe Paul Heyman for that opportunity because he was the guy who let me do it. And he’s the guy who gave me feedback. He’d tell me what I might want to talk about, but he didn’t tell me how to say it. He’d just say, “Talk about this.” I’d say, “Well …” And he’d say, “Just talk about how you really feel.” Man, once he said that there I was. So I have to give Paul E. a lot of credit for my learning how to cut a promo," wrote Stone Cold.

Heyman truly is a legend in the industry and fully deserves his place in the Hall of Fame. And, to have him inducted in Philadelphia, where he made his mark as a creative genius with ECW, makes the honor all the more special.

Paul Heyman is honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Philly

Speaking of the man of the hour himself, Paul Heyman recently shared his opinion on his upcoming Hall of Fame induction. While he is surely pleased about the honor, when speaking to The Philadelphia Inquirer, all he could talk about was the city of Philadelphia itself and ECW.

Heyman claimed that while he is a native New Yorker, having his induction in Philadelphia is fitting. After all, it was Philly where his brainchild, ECW, really took off. Furthermore, he mentioned that while having his name enshrined is special, having it happen along with the name of ECW is, in his own words, "an induction that's destined to be extreme."

In the weeks to come, WWE will announce more inductees for the 2024 class.

Who do you think should be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year? Sound off.