The Wiseman of The Bloodline, Paul Heyman, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame tonight in Philadelphia.
The former ECW promoter has become an incredible manager in WWE and has helped guide some of the most popular superstars to success.
While he currently serves as Roman Reigns’s special counsel,
Heyman managed CM Punk and advocated for Brock Lesnar. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns inducted Paul Heyman during tonight’s ceremony.
Listed below are five things we learned during Paul Heyman’s Hall of Fame speech tonight in Philadelphia
#5. WWE fans absolutely love Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman got an incredible reaction from the crowd and a loud “you deserve it” chant before he even opened his mouth. CM Punk was shown in the crowd, giving his former manager an ovation.
Heyman responded by stating that he absolutely deserved it to a massive prop from the crowd and the WWE stars in attendance. The crowd started a loud “ECW!” chant as The Wiseman smirked in the ring.
#4. Paul Heyman asked RVD for advice before his speech
Heyman revealed he didn’t prepare for this because he wanted to feel the room. ECW legend Rob Van Dam was shown in the crowd, and Heyman revealed that he had asked him for advice.
The 58-year-old noted that he also has an incredible amount of respect for CM Punk, which prompted a massive reaction from the crowd. He joked that his son told his father to ask Rob Van Dam as well.
The legend admitted that he is doing exactly what he wants with his life and is receiving a ton of praise for it. Heyman then said sports entertainment but cut himself off and referred to the art as professional wrestling to a thunderous ovation.
#3. Heyman put over Triple H’s leadership
During his speech tonight, Paul Heyman noted that he was the headliner in the first Hall of Fame class selected by Triple H. He said the locker room desperately needed leadership, and The King of Kings came to the rescue.
He joked that he always breaks the rules in his promos and claimed that The Game asked him not to mention him during the ceremony. The Bloodline member praised Triple H for allowing WWE Superstars creative freedom and guiding them to an incredibly successful era for the company.
He added that he will be a “Paul Levesque Guy” for the rest of his life.
#2. He wished Dusty Rhodes was at the ceremony
Cody and Brandi Rhodes were seated in the front row, and he said he wished Dusty Rhodes was at the ceremony as well. Paul Heyman broke character to speak kindly to Rhodes ahead of WrestleMania.
Roman Reigns will defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes during Night Two of WrestleMania. Rhodes fell short of dethroning The Tribal Chief last year at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles.
#1. Heyman believes ECW is still alive today
The veteran finally discussed ECW and pulled his infamous black trench coat out of a box. As the crowd cheered, he wore his old headset and a vintage ECW cap. Another “ECW!” chant broke out as Heyman paced around the ring.
He stated that there comes a time in everyone’s life when he has to accept reality. Heyman noted that the industry sucked in 1993, and he wanted to show everyone the way the business should be.
Heyman noted that WCW wouldn’t listen to him and that he needed to find a place that would accept his vision. Paul Heyman added that it would have never happened in any other place besides Philadelphia. He noted that Eric Bischoff got the idea for the Cruiserweight division in ECW, and some of the biggest stars became known in the promotion.
The Bloodline member claimed ECW still lives today within every company and told anyone who doubts that to “s*** his d***.”
The Wiseman joked that CM Punk told his son that his father just got himself canceled again. Paul Heyman said if he gets canceled, he will return bigger than ever as usual.
He referenced his time with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as an example of how he always bounces back. The former promoter closed his speech by vowing to continue disrupting the industry and noting that it wasn’t a prediction; it was a spoiler.
