Being Paul Heyman in the WWE means you can work with some interesting people. As such Paul Heyman had many “guys” over the course of his career.
But which were the most successful and prominent in the WWE? And is Paul Heyman an automatic guarantee for success?
1. Brock Lesnar
Heyman has been accompanying Brock Lesnar since 2002. And there is no denying that he has been one of the most successful WWE Heyman guys in history.
While The Beast went to the UFC during his wrestling career, he has always been a major attraction in pro wrestling. Since his return in 2012, he has pretty much been unstoppable with Heyman by his side.
2. Roman Reigns
While this “friendship” is relatively new, he is certainly a prominent name to add to the list. Indeed, Roman Reigns took over the mantle of John Cena as the face of the company.
By becoming one of the WWE Paul Heyman guys, Roman Reigns also changed his persona. In fact, he returned to his Shield roots as a heel.
Reigns enjoyed a great return since the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, he recaptured the universal championship and put The Fiend on the proverbial bench.
Roman Reigns is set for greatness with Paul Heyman by his side. Although, you could argue that Roman already obtained greatness on his own.
3. CM Punk
Out of all the Paul Heyman guys in wrestling history, CM Punk was the one who sparked magic. Heyman and Punk formed a duo that will be difficult to recapture in the future.
Interestingly, Punk and Heyman had a good bond outside of their on screen cooperation. In fact, both men had fought each other’s battles backstage.
Heyman was always in Punk’s corner, especially when it came to convincing Vince McMahon. CM Punk’s pipebomb from 2011 also included a number of references to Heyman.
4. The Big Show
While Big Show does not need that much support to succeed in wrestling, he was a Paul Heyman guy at one point. In fact, Big Show actually did three separate stints along Heyman.
Big Show had separate stints with Paul Heyman in 2002, 2003 and 2006. And the influence of Heyman was noticeable, as his bookings visibly improved with Heyman by his side.
Of course, the sky’s the limit for The Big Show these days. Not only is he a WWE legend, he also has his own comedy TV show these days.
At the end of the day, Big Show did not really need Paul Heyman, just like Roman Reigns. Nevertheless, Heyman certainly helped to give Big Show the position he deserved among heavy competition.
5. Eddie Gilbert
The cooperation between Eddie Gilbert and Paul Heyman changed the wrestling landscape forever. Unfortunately, not every modern wrestling fan is aware of this particular story.
Eddie Gilbert and Heyman met and became friends in the mid 80’s. And this friendship paid off in ECW.
When Gilbert and Heyman joined forces, they brought a much more violent and edgier product to television. Many believe that this was the true start of the Attitude Era that led to a wrestling world transformation.
Unfortunately, Gilbert never got to enjoy the revolution he started. The pro wrestler died of a heart attack in his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico.
6. Rick Rude
While most remember Ravishing Rick Rude as a standout ravishing guy, he was also one of the Paul Heyman guys. This makes you wonder if there is a major star Heyman hasn’t promoted?
Now, Rick Rude and Heyman’s cooperation was not the most prominent in the list. Nevertheless, Paul did make his transition to a standalone competitor more smooth.
Before Heyman, Rude was a part of The Heenan Family. With Paul Heyman, it seemed like he found his standalone footing a bit easier.
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin
When Stone Cold Steve Austin was a Paul Heyman guy, he did not find himself yet. Long before his Texas Rattlesnake days, Stone Cold was just like any other wrestler out there.
Of course, Paul Heyman saw something in Stone Cold not everyone did. When it comes to an eye for talent, nobody can deny that Heyman certainly has that eye.
The real success of Stone Cold Steve Austin did not come until that epic King of the Ring moment. Nevertheless, Paul Heyman saw something in Stone Cold many years before his success in WWE.
8. The Midnight Express
Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose) were managed by Paul Heyman at this point. And while Heyman had a massive effect on their overall career, it was a short-lived cooperation.
Heyman’s manager role worked a bit too well when it came to the Midnight Express. After all, everyone involved got babyface status, even Jim Cornette.
At the end of the day, this could have gotten much bigger if Condrey did not leave the promotion when he did. Nevertheless, it made our list of the most notable Paul Heyman managed groups.
9. Arn Anderson
Heyman managed a lot of guys as a part of the Dangerous Alliance in the early nineties. Of course, it was still surprising he was managing a legend like Arn Anderson.
Arn Anderson had been wrestling for many years and joined the Dangerous Alliance. Being one of the Four Horsemen, he was one of the biggest additions to the faction.
Unfortunately, Anderson did not need Heyman to do the talking. That being said, Heyman did deliver some entertaining moments supporting Arn Anderson’s in-ring career.
10. The Dudley Boyz
Even the Dudley Boyz were WWE Paul Heyman guys at one point. However, their cooperation was motivated by a lack of interest in their performance.
When Paul Heyman and the Dudley Boyz were not getting over in the early 2000’s, the men found each other. Heyman lost his job as the SmackDown general manager and eventually managed the Dudley’s.
While the Dudley Boyz are not exactly small calibre wrestlers, Paul Heyman helped them to keep relevant in a competition heavy WWE. Unfortunately, their cooperation got less attention than it deserved and most have now forgotten all about it.
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