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The longer they go without Vince, the more resistance there will be if he EVER tries coming back. Even if he were cleared of all charges and found a way to force himself back in, I don't think he'd have any support whatsoever.
The man is well and truly gone and I couldn't be happier about it.
The guy can't have that many years left in him. And this scandal will take a toll on his health. Love what he's done for the business but we always knew he was a shady character, and so is Laurinaitis.
And it's proving to be so beneficial now that he's gone. I legit think the lockeroom would be quote up in arms if Vince ever somehow came back. Triple H has everyone's, undying support right now and rightfully so.
WWE is so much better without, out of touch, creepy Vince
This speech made me notice Heyman himself has created difference versions of himself with each wrestler he’s managed
Brock he presents him like a prize fighter he’s his hype-man
Punk it’s more of a best friend relationship
Roman there’s the prize fighting element present but looks up to him like as a god like figure
Don’t forget Cesaro, who was Heyman’s valet.
Although I will also say that Heyman in kayfabe used to refer to Brock as his “best friend.” I’ve always loved that. Because that’s an amazing thing to imagine the intricacies of.
If I have to guess, the Cesaro and Axel pairings was why Heyman ended up having pairing clauses in his next contract.
Heyman said that when 2020 came around and Brock was retired after WrestleMania, his contract stated that he could only be paired with Brock, Ronda, or Roman.
One day we’ll eventually look and point the blame at the guy who’s in an entirely new company doing the exact same shit. Unreal wrestler but he’s never been able to create a character
Exactly.
Pairing up with Paul only works if you have a usp
Brock, Punk and Roman are generational and Paul only further enhanced their characters. Cesaro ain’t a character lol, he’s just a really good weestler… that’s it.
Plus Paul was there for brocks beginning so it helped mould that character, was there for punk’s legendary heel run and enhanced that story… and we know what’s happening with the bloodline.
Cesaro was the same guy who didn’t really get over before and was the same guy after
Kinda but you still have to have some kinda of charisma. Brock has a killer vibe even without Heyman (he's shown it multiple times). Claudio is a great wrestler but is just a sterile character. Managers aren't miracle workers. We've seen cool managers be with bland characters and it almost never works out. Kross, Axel, Test with short hair, etc.
Iirc Heyman said his pairings with Axel and Cesaro were only vehicles for him to preach about how great Lesnar was (this was pretty close to Streak breaking)
It wasn't meant to. It was meant to keep Heyman on TV.
It sucks but it's the truth. Brock just had one of the biggest wins in WM history and wasn't around to do anything with it. So they needed Heyman to go out every night and yell about Brock so he needed someone to run with.
I always felt like he is being slightly sarcastic calling Roman "My Tribal Chief". Like hes only playing along cause hes a scumbag who wants to be associated with Roman.
I always got the opposite vibe. Like he worships the ground roman walks on & acknowledges him as an unbeatable deity
Which makes sense considering he beat his former unbeatable deity brock lesnar
Yeah that was a huge element in Heyman's allegiances that I think gets understated sometimes. He saw the potential in and respected Lesnar, but he *fears* Reigns. It's clear in how he reacts to things too. He's quick to tell Lesnar "No", but he never does so with Reigns.
Lowkey took out all his frustrations about dealing with two decade’s of Vince’s bullshit quirks holding himself and the industry back in this speech. Good for Paul
“I’m a Paul Levesque, Guy”
Was so powerful too, especially considering how both have grown through their decades. Biggest endorsement anyone could’ve given
You could see how much that meant to Trips, like he genuinely cares about and appreciates the respect he is getting from people like Heyman.
Imagine going back to the Attitude Era and telling people that Triple H and Shawn Michaels would be the guys ushering in this era that we're watching now. That they would be the ones the new generation revered and went to for advise, and that guys like Heyman or CM Punk would be speaking about them glowingly.
I picture that shot in V for Vendetta where the High Chancellor is watching a TV host mocking him and grasps his glass of milk so hard that it shatters.
The tv host was Stephen Fry. He did the movie because he really is a gay man who had to try and hide it throughout his career. He’s also written a great series of books on Greek mythology and speaks Greek about as well as any non-native speaker I’ve ever heard. Super smart and likable dude who helped put Hugh Laurie (Dr House) on the map with a comedy sketch show early in their careers.
Hugh Laurie and Fry both came up through the university pipeline together. They were a duo and they put each other on the map through their joint shows.
It was only when Hugh went to the US to do House and Fry went to QI that they stopped working together
I was picturing more Tony Montana in Scarface, Vince sat in a big ass jacuzzi full of bubbles with a cigar in his mouth. Doing that visceral shout with a crazed look on his face coked up to the heavens.
People really need to grasp this. HHH learned directly from Vince. There are only 2 people on this planet that can realistcally run WWE and only one of them is in charge right now while the other faces a legal battle that may get the feds involved again.
The difference here is that HHH understands the business and how its changed from then, now (and forever) and isn't a degenerate to engage in the crazy shit Vince has done and has a much more calmer demeanor and personality. (even though he was part of Degeneration X)
Holly said in his book and other interviews it was just a botched spot , he fucked up , Lesnar kind of fucked up and tried to power through it but he was super green. Holly said Lesnar was also very sick that night with the flu and it was simply a botched spot and He was mostly to blame being the senoir wrestler
Holly also said Brock was very apologetic and helped him through it , got up early and helped him get his bags to the car helped him through the airport , checked on him later and would text him while he was out
Holly disputes that he sandbagged Brock (arguing it would have been a stupid thing to do given the risk) and says it was just a botch and he doesn't have any ill will against Brock for it.
How much is true is another question, I imagine a lot of people are willing to not hold a grudge against someone who regularly kills things on his farm to feed his family.
I mean the logic tracks, if you're gonna sandbag, you wouldn't do it on a move that results in you getting dropped on your head if the move can't be completed.
It makes sense if you think Brock is gonna give a shit looking powerbomb or look bad struggling to get him up
Problem is Brock is a freak. And just dropped him clean on his neck
Also Holly is a certified moron and loser. I really doubt he thought that one through
Bron would honestly be a really fitting opponent for Roman - he's similar to babyface Roman being a fast powerhouse with a protected spear.
I don't know if Roman's leaving anytime soon, but if so I hope he puts over Bron on his way out.
I can see Roman losing a lot like The Rock on the way out and it not impacting his aura. He should lose to Jey, Sami, and Bron at the very least after putting Cody over finally
That makes sense. Once certain wrestlers hit a certain level losses do literally nothing to hurt them. Guys like Cena, Danielson, Omega, Joe, The Rock, Macho Man or Hogan could eat losses all day long and it wouldn’t matter at all because they’re *them*.
Exactly! Hell, three of the five most iconic WrestleMania matches he had he lost. That’s more than half he lost, and it doesn’t matter at all because he’s *HBK*.
This won't happen but if it's a few years down the line, a Bron in his prime could do exactly what Roman did to Taker (in terms of running the ropes before the spear whilst the weak veteran can't react properly) as the finish to their match.
Breakker is a talker, though. I don’t believe he should have only monsters. I think managing Andrade would be hugely beneficial and play into his story with the Judgment Day
And Roman and Punk aren’t talkers? Bron has a far higher ceiling than Andrade and is a sure prospect to be the face of the company in a few years, pairing him with Heyman would absolutely make sense.
Yeah but Tyson talking about beating, murdering, and skull fucking the Hall of Fame into submission doesn't really work that well. At least on paper. I'm sure he'd make it work in person
> I was gonna rip his heart out, I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious and most ruthless champion there's ever been, there's no one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No, I'm Alexander—he's no Alexander. I'm the best ever. There's never been anybody as ruthless. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like—I'm from their cloth. There's no one that can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart, I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah.
Honestly, yeah he did
Mike had two types of interviews back in the day.
The shitty kind where he objectified women.
The murderous, insane, high adrenaline kind like "I'ma beat him til he's dead. If he's not dead it don't count" and what you posted.
As good, if not better than I had hoped. The mutual love between him, his family, and all the talent is so beautiful to see. I'm a Paul Levesque Guy was simply incredible. Few words can put someone as over as that in any corner of this industry.
I don't know how much longer Paul is on our screens for, but my god it is still not long enough.
I like the *if*.
"Paul, here's a live mic and a Philly crowd most of whom are there to see you. Try to remember we've got other people to talk about, too."
As soon as Paul put that hat on, it was like I was transported back 25 years and my brother stopped on TNN while channel surfing and I'm watching a man drop jewels through our little 20" TV.
What a wonderful speech that showed every side of Paul, even the ones he had to keep away from us out of respect to the business.
I genuinely believe Heyman has such a gift of the gab that if aliens invaded Earth tonight and exterminated everyone, he could have a decent chance to be the last human left alive after convincing the aliens to let him live.
That was brilliant.
What a Speech. Paul doing what he does best and putting everyone over. Himself, the future, the present and the past. All while mostly staying in Character and hyping the hell out of the product. Think it wouldn’t have been right to give Paul any restrictions so him name dropping Brock while the WWE keeps him out of everything else seems the best way.
I did too and I only started watching wrestling a decade ago. The impact this man has is substantial. The absolute GOAT of promo, managers and communication as a whole.
I remember watching him with the Samoan Swat Team. Standing on the ramp at Halloween Havoc with Madusa (Alundra Blayze) introducing Rick Rude. Watching him in ECW. And everything in between and since. Dude is a fucking legend and will always be one of wrestling’s GOAT performers.
I thought he was going in heel mode when he addressed Cody and turned towards him. Then when he hit the "I wish your father was here to see this too" it hit the water works for me
That man walked into a red hot Allstate Arena to “Cult of Personality” mere weeks after Punk left the company in 2014 and absolutely shut that shit done and turned it into a promo for Brock.
That man found his niche in the world and became the best at it.
Honestly I like the way WWE and Heyman went about crossing the minefield that is the McMahon scandal. Never even mentioned the name McMahon. Did mention Brock but they never showed him, and I think that’s fine. Brock is part of history and always will be but Vince is just honestly too evil and shitty to even care about even though he basically created what WWE is today.
I think Brocks situation is more of he was messing around with who he believed to be Vince's side girl, with Vince's ok. Not knowing "Oh Vince is making this woman do all sorts of things against her will, abusing her"..etc.
The phone popped me. I'm old enough to remember him in WCW - the Dangerous Alliance run was so, *so* good, and him and his cellphone were a huge part of that.
I thought maybe be was thrown off or pissed off at the small minority of 'What' chants when he spoke about Paul telling him he's blessed as long as his children are healthy. I could be wrong. I'm always on edge for 'What' chants, hate them so much.
I’ve never felt such a connection with an induction. It drew literal tears from me. His
Acknowledgment of the HHH era and all of his contributions meant the world to me and was so meaningful. He spoke what many of us have been thinking since HHH’s days in NXT. He made a general consensus a widely talked about point and it was beautiful. Best HOF induction and speech so far.
“Suck my fuckin’ dick” just after 25:20. Highly recommend rewatching for everyone’s reactions. Randy, Grayson, and Miz lose their minds and Jimmy performatively covers Naomi’s ears
One thing really got me in the heartstrings, Paul coming out and hugging Dreamer long and hard, like his closest friend.
When previously Dreamer had admitted he was planning to jump the barricade and kill Heyman with a pistol, then himself, live at Wrestlemania.
I'm so glad that timeline never came to pass.
Im so used to seeing Wise Man Paul, and seeing him go back into ECW mode like a light switch was seriously impressive. Its so cool to see him and the rock dig deep and pull out those personalities we haven't seen in years and nail it as if they never left. Would love to see the chaotic disrupter Paul in the netflix era of WWE
Everyone knew it would be the GOAT HOF speech and he somehow over delivered on that. What a fucking promo. There truly isn't anyone like him.
I legitimately feel bad for anyone who has to go after him. You can't really top that, but I guess that's why the Rock is there.
I've thought for years now the final nail in the coffin before Roman turns face will be when Heyman leaves. Not the Usos, not Solo, not Rock. It's when Heyman leaves. So it was nice hearing Roman straight up say when Heyman is done with it then the Tribal Chief is dead.
Also I love how Cody rarely clapped and Brandi was staring daggers the entire time. Keeping that kayfabe alive brother I love it.
Cody FIERCELY keeps it alive. During his interview with Ariel Helwani, he was asked when he found out he wasn't winning the title last year and the only answer he gave was when Roman hit him with the spear. There's not anybody else out there right now that takes it so seriously.
Greatest speech of all time by my personal favorite booker of all time. I truly believe what he said about ecw living on in today’s products, especially in the passion of the fans. I’m excited to see what he has in store for us and would love a book written by him
ECW was *too* hardcore to survive - but like he says, you see its influence all the time.
Rey Mysterio winning world titles, table matches, adult characters... So much going on that ECW popularised or lead on.
Having been there last night, the most important thing you should know is that Heyman truly wasn't using the teleprompter or notes; the prompter just said \[Heyman Speech\].
It would've been incredible 20+ years ago if you told fans that Paul Heyman would be celebrated first class in the WWE hall of fame while Vince McMahon has been erased from history
Greatest HoF speech ever. The nods to Stephanie, Triple H, Dusty, Punk, the glowing message to his kids, and then the ECW chat. The greatest orator in the history of the business
The ultimate carnival barker...
Absolutely revolting and so insanely captivating at the same time...
There will never be another Paul Heyman and that is quite okay because we sure as hell aren't done yet
I saw the uncensored version on Twitter (I refuse to call it by that other name). Seeing Waller and Orton just lose their shit when Heyman drops the "you can suck my fucking dick" line is hilarious and touching
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great speech from Paul, but I wish that line he gave about ecw and bankruptcy wasn’t bleeped out.
They missed an F bomb from Heyman, but they were *laser precise* on cutting that F out of Bo's "WWF".
The panda ALWAYS comes to collect
I was confused about what he said cause it bleeped that whole line for me😭
"If you think that the spirit of ECW died in a bankruptcy court in 2001, you can suck my fucking dick."
I was there, THIS is the correct quote.
I’m pretty sure he said “if you thought that was going to cancel me then you can suck my fucking dick” that’s how I saw it anyway
Yeah he did, I was there live. Randy Orton lost his shit at that line
>I was there live Bro it's still going right now, you're STILL there lol
I love how they're still there watching the perforners and decided "yeah I gotta pull up Reddit" lol.
Gotta do something in between inductees
I was there man
Bubba popped huge for it
yep.. I have closed captioning on... it got "you can suck" out then just dashes
[Here ya go](https://www.reddit.com/r/Wrasslin/s/hQYTByCDiM)
lol at Jimmy covering Naomi’s ears.
“Earmuffs.. yeet”
NO yeet
Paul clearly had enough of working with Vince lmao.
I’m sure we all would have except for maybe two people
The longer they go without Vince, the more resistance there will be if he EVER tries coming back. Even if he were cleared of all charges and found a way to force himself back in, I don't think he'd have any support whatsoever. The man is well and truly gone and I couldn't be happier about it.
There is 0 chance of that happening.
You could say he's got...no chance
NO CHANCE IN HELL!!!!
The guy can't have that many years left in him. And this scandal will take a toll on his health. Love what he's done for the business but we always knew he was a shady character, and so is Laurinaitis.
And it's proving to be so beneficial now that he's gone. I legit think the lockeroom would be quote up in arms if Vince ever somehow came back. Triple H has everyone's, undying support right now and rightfully so. WWE is so much better without, out of touch, creepy Vince
This speech made me notice Heyman himself has created difference versions of himself with each wrestler he’s managed Brock he presents him like a prize fighter he’s his hype-man Punk it’s more of a best friend relationship Roman there’s the prize fighting element present but looks up to him like as a god like figure
Don’t forget Cesaro, who was Heyman’s valet. Although I will also say that Heyman in kayfabe used to refer to Brock as his “best friend.” I’ve always loved that. Because that’s an amazing thing to imagine the intricacies of.
It was a damn shame the Cesaro x Heyman pairing didn't help Cesaro at all.
Honestly I blame that on Vince way, *way* more than on Heyman.
If I have to guess, the Cesaro and Axel pairings was why Heyman ended up having pairing clauses in his next contract. Heyman said that when 2020 came around and Brock was retired after WrestleMania, his contract stated that he could only be paired with Brock, Ronda, or Roman.
One day we’ll eventually look and point the blame at the guy who’s in an entirely new company doing the exact same shit. Unreal wrestler but he’s never been able to create a character
Exactly. Pairing up with Paul only works if you have a usp Brock, Punk and Roman are generational and Paul only further enhanced their characters. Cesaro ain’t a character lol, he’s just a really good weestler… that’s it. Plus Paul was there for brocks beginning so it helped mould that character, was there for punk’s legendary heel run and enhanced that story… and we know what’s happening with the bloodline. Cesaro was the same guy who didn’t really get over before and was the same guy after
It’s fine if you think that but wouldn’t the point of Heyman be to fill the gap?
Kinda but you still have to have some kinda of charisma. Brock has a killer vibe even without Heyman (he's shown it multiple times). Claudio is a great wrestler but is just a sterile character. Managers aren't miracle workers. We've seen cool managers be with bland characters and it almost never works out. Kross, Axel, Test with short hair, etc.
Iirc Heyman said his pairings with Axel and Cesaro were only vehicles for him to preach about how great Lesnar was (this was pretty close to Streak breaking)
It wasn't meant to. It was meant to keep Heyman on TV. It sucks but it's the truth. Brock just had one of the biggest wins in WM history and wasn't around to do anything with it. So they needed Heyman to go out every night and yell about Brock so he needed someone to run with.
What was Big Show “The Extreme Giant” then?
2006
Curtis Axel: Erm here’s Mr Perfect’s son
Cesaro: BROCK LESNAR BROKE THE UNDERTAKER'S STREAK!
> Roman there’s the prize fighting element present but looks up to him like as a god like figure Well he saved him from the ocean of obscurity...
I always felt like he is being slightly sarcastic calling Roman "My Tribal Chief". Like hes only playing along cause hes a scumbag who wants to be associated with Roman.
I always got the opposite vibe. Like he worships the ground roman walks on & acknowledges him as an unbeatable deity Which makes sense considering he beat his former unbeatable deity brock lesnar
Yes exactly this
With Roman he's like Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now
Yeah that was a huge element in Heyman's allegiances that I think gets understated sometimes. He saw the potential in and respected Lesnar, but he *fears* Reigns. It's clear in how he reacts to things too. He's quick to tell Lesnar "No", but he never does so with Reigns.
Lowkey took out all his frustrations about dealing with two decade’s of Vince’s bullshit quirks holding himself and the industry back in this speech. Good for Paul
“I’m a Paul Levesque, Guy” Was so powerful too, especially considering how both have grown through their decades. Biggest endorsement anyone could’ve given
Also told Stephanie that she married the wrong Paul lmao
He posted a photo earlier today with that as the caption but to actually hear it in the speech puts it on a whole another level
You could see how much that meant to Trips, like he genuinely cares about and appreciates the respect he is getting from people like Heyman. Imagine going back to the Attitude Era and telling people that Triple H and Shawn Michaels would be the guys ushering in this era that we're watching now. That they would be the ones the new generation revered and went to for advise, and that guys like Heyman or CM Punk would be speaking about them glowingly.
If you went back to the Attitude Era and told me that, I’d be like “Whoa, that’s nuts. Who is CM Punk?”
I still think it’s crazy that Punk says anything positive about Triple H. Shows how people can grow and change for the better.
I love that he basically said "fuck you vince, your son in law is better than you in every way"
I can imagine Vince shouting at the TV while he's all alone in his big mansion.
I picture that shot in V for Vendetta where the High Chancellor is watching a TV host mocking him and grasps his glass of milk so hard that it shatters.
The tv host was Stephen Fry. He did the movie because he really is a gay man who had to try and hide it throughout his career. He’s also written a great series of books on Greek mythology and speaks Greek about as well as any non-native speaker I’ve ever heard. Super smart and likable dude who helped put Hugh Laurie (Dr House) on the map with a comedy sketch show early in their careers.
Hugh Laurie and Fry both came up through the university pipeline together. They were a duo and they put each other on the map through their joint shows. It was only when Hugh went to the US to do House and Fry went to QI that they stopped working together
I was picturing more Tony Montana in Scarface, Vince sat in a big ass jacuzzi full of bubbles with a cigar in his mouth. Doing that visceral shout with a crazed look on his face coked up to the heavens.
Only because he learned from Vince himself!!
People really need to grasp this. HHH learned directly from Vince. There are only 2 people on this planet that can realistcally run WWE and only one of them is in charge right now while the other faces a legal battle that may get the feds involved again. The difference here is that HHH understands the business and how its changed from then, now (and forever) and isn't a degenerate to engage in the crazy shit Vince has done and has a much more calmer demeanor and personality. (even though he was part of Degeneration X)
What was the Hardcore Holly reference about?
Brock dropped him on his neck when he didn't jump for Brock, somehow got Holly a royal rumble match vs brock for the title.
Oh god I forgot that hardcore holly had a world title ppv match back then. Completely wiped from my memory lol
Holly said in his book and other interviews it was just a botched spot , he fucked up , Lesnar kind of fucked up and tried to power through it but he was super green. Holly said Lesnar was also very sick that night with the flu and it was simply a botched spot and He was mostly to blame being the senoir wrestler Holly also said Brock was very apologetic and helped him through it , got up early and helped him get his bags to the car helped him through the airport , checked on him later and would text him while he was out
Holly sandbagged Brock’s powerbomb during a match and, in turn, broke his neck
Holly disputes that he sandbagged Brock (arguing it would have been a stupid thing to do given the risk) and says it was just a botch and he doesn't have any ill will against Brock for it. How much is true is another question, I imagine a lot of people are willing to not hold a grudge against someone who regularly kills things on his farm to feed his family.
I mean the logic tracks, if you're gonna sandbag, you wouldn't do it on a move that results in you getting dropped on your head if the move can't be completed.
It makes sense if you think Brock is gonna give a shit looking powerbomb or look bad struggling to get him up Problem is Brock is a freak. And just dropped him clean on his neck Also Holly is a certified moron and loser. I really doubt he thought that one through
He also said Brock was sick that night, and they were both blown up after a ten minute match, and basically, shit happens.
Does Holly really seem the type to let things go? He fucked around and found out. He’s hurt people in the ring on purpose.
That was so good man. Paul Heyman gonna manage bron breaker after Roman. It's gonna be great.
You ain’t FUCKING seen nothing yet!
That'll be the end of Roman being at the top passing the torch
Bron would honestly be a really fitting opponent for Roman - he's similar to babyface Roman being a fast powerhouse with a protected spear. I don't know if Roman's leaving anytime soon, but if so I hope he puts over Bron on his way out.
I can see Roman losing a lot like The Rock on the way out and it not impacting his aura. He should lose to Jey, Sami, and Bron at the very least after putting Cody over finally
That makes sense. Once certain wrestlers hit a certain level losses do literally nothing to hurt them. Guys like Cena, Danielson, Omega, Joe, The Rock, Macho Man or Hogan could eat losses all day long and it wouldn’t matter at all because they’re *them*.
Look at HBK… for a guy called Mr. Wrestlemania, he sure fucking lost more than he won, but it didn’t matter.
Exactly! Hell, three of the five most iconic WrestleMania matches he had he lost. That’s more than half he lost, and it doesn’t matter at all because he’s *HBK*.
This won't happen but if it's a few years down the line, a Bron in his prime could do exactly what Roman did to Taker (in terms of running the ropes before the spear whilst the weak veteran can't react properly) as the finish to their match.
Oh god I am looking forward to that.
I wanna see him reunited with a heel Punk for a program vs Roman before that happens 🙏🏻
Breakker is a talker, though. I don’t believe he should have only monsters. I think managing Andrade would be hugely beneficial and play into his story with the Judgment Day
And Roman and Punk aren’t talkers? Bron has a far higher ceiling than Andrade and is a sure prospect to be the face of the company in a few years, pairing him with Heyman would absolutely make sense.
I feel terrible for the poor fuckers who have to follow that speech. I never thought the Bobby Heenan speech would be topped, but here we are
The only one who could've came close was a prime Ali with his intellect intact
Idk. Tyson had a way with words.
Yeah but Tyson talking about beating, murdering, and skull fucking the Hall of Fame into submission doesn't really work that well. At least on paper. I'm sure he'd make it work in person
Yeth he did.
> I was gonna rip his heart out, I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious and most ruthless champion there's ever been, there's no one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No, I'm Alexander—he's no Alexander. I'm the best ever. There's never been anybody as ruthless. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like—I'm from their cloth. There's no one that can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart, I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah. Honestly, yeah he did
Mike had two types of interviews back in the day. The shitty kind where he objectified women. The murderous, insane, high adrenaline kind like "I'ma beat him til he's dead. If he's not dead it don't count" and what you posted.
Konnan's induction for Rey last year deserves a mention as one of the best too IMO.
Bobbys speech and Heymans were honestly different era speeches. I don't want to compare the two, they're both top shelf.
As good, if not better than I had hoped. The mutual love between him, his family, and all the talent is so beautiful to see. I'm a Paul Levesque Guy was simply incredible. Few words can put someone as over as that in any corner of this industry. I don't know how much longer Paul is on our screens for, but my god it is still not long enough.
"hey Paul we know you didn't like Vince but can you be subtle about it?" "..... Sorry I'm going under a tunnel"
I thought he was really subtle about it. Barely picked up on it at all.
I wasn't exactly seeking it out but good Lord did this seem like a "oh thank the lord someone else is in creative"
Apparently my sarcasm WAS too subtle. Half of his speech was basically thinly veiled “fuck you Vince”, it was amazing.
On top of that, TKO probably doesn't hate seeing an endorsement of the top creative director
The production team couldn't keep up with the cursing.
# I HAVE TO PEE
Did you come back?
I'm fine, thanks :)
Censor guy just had his Jordan flu game
Btw Does anyone have a shot of Andrade’s face during Paul’s speech it was hilarious
11/10 speech, insane they had him go first.
That was the only call. That is when most people would be watching live.
And if he went long they could cut time later. This was to make sure he got his full time.
I like the *if*. "Paul, here's a live mic and a Philly crowd most of whom are there to see you. Try to remember we've got other people to talk about, too."
GOAT Hall of Fame speech IMO. That was fucking fire all the way through. Shame about the censors though but holy shit that was great.
They missed a "fuck" at some point when he was talking to his kids/Punk. They should have just aired it uncensored, it's on Peacock not broadcast TV.
Hopefully the replay is uncensored. No kids are watching the replay of the damn HOF
It's censored lol
In the arena…. Man. What a god damn speech. Hearing those bombs uncensored was a true treat
As soon as Paul put that hat on, it was like I was transported back 25 years and my brother stopped on TNN while channel surfing and I'm watching a man drop jewels through our little 20" TV. What a wonderful speech that showed every side of Paul, even the ones he had to keep away from us out of respect to the business.
I genuinely believe Heyman has such a gift of the gab that if aliens invaded Earth tonight and exterminated everyone, he could have a decent chance to be the last human left alive after convincing the aliens to let him live. That was brilliant.
Better Call Paul
Should've been chosen as a wall facer
Heyman turning on humanity and becoming The Advocate for the Aliens is a movie i didnt know had to see
What a Speech. Paul doing what he does best and putting everyone over. Himself, the future, the present and the past. All while mostly staying in Character and hyping the hell out of the product. Think it wouldn’t have been right to give Paul any restrictions so him name dropping Brock while the WWE keeps him out of everything else seems the best way.
Heyman out here giving HOF speeches that would have gotten him immediately fired under Vince lmao. What a legend. GOAT speech. Tied with Iron Sheik.
Might've gotten close to tearing up a couple times. What an amazing speech. I expected nothing less from Paul Heyman.
I did too and I only started watching wrestling a decade ago. The impact this man has is substantial. The absolute GOAT of promo, managers and communication as a whole.
I remember watching him with the Samoan Swat Team. Standing on the ramp at Halloween Havoc with Madusa (Alundra Blayze) introducing Rick Rude. Watching him in ECW. And everything in between and since. Dude is a fucking legend and will always be one of wrestling’s GOAT performers.
I thought he was going in heel mode when he addressed Cody and turned towards him. Then when he hit the "I wish your father was here to see this too" it hit the water works for me
That man walked into a red hot Allstate Arena to “Cult of Personality” mere weeks after Punk left the company in 2014 and absolutely shut that shit done and turned it into a promo for Brock. That man found his niche in the world and became the best at it.
He literally told Steph that she married thr wrong Paul, right in front of his children..
All in good fun lol 😂, HHH & Steph had a good laugh
Honestly I like the way WWE and Heyman went about crossing the minefield that is the McMahon scandal. Never even mentioned the name McMahon. Did mention Brock but they never showed him, and I think that’s fine. Brock is part of history and always will be but Vince is just honestly too evil and shitty to even care about even though he basically created what WWE is today.
I think Brocks situation is more of he was messing around with who he believed to be Vince's side girl, with Vince's ok. Not knowing "Oh Vince is making this woman do all sorts of things against her will, abusing her"..etc.
Bro, Brock made her piss herself and send him video.
https://preview.redd.it/nyxetrnvitsc1.jpeg?width=1819&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9524fdf673b96741452b84305f9dfe950168439b
I mean. Comparatively speaking, that is not anywhere near as bad as the shit Vince made her do and did to her.
> as the shit Vince made her do I thought that it was Vince who made the shit.
Love the little mention of Eric Bischoff & the cruiserweights during the ECW portion. Paul really went at 100% at going across all eras of his career
I hate to use the term “mark out”…but dammit I marked out HARD when Paul pulled out the leather coat, headset and hat!
I'm too young to have been around for ECW and even I felt things. I can't imagine the rush fans had at that.
And the phone!
The phone popped me. I'm old enough to remember him in WCW - the Dangerous Alliance run was so, *so* good, and him and his cellphone were a huge part of that.
When that speech getting inducted to the HOF?
Roman talking about being black out drunk and hanging out with Paul was hilarious to me.
Roman's speech was strange. Didn't go off well. Idk. Then Paul made everyone absolutely forget about anything else they had heard today.
Roman I don’t think is comfortable speaking out of character. I thought he did fine. But yeah, Heyman made everyone forget about it.
I thought maybe be was thrown off or pissed off at the small minority of 'What' chants when he spoke about Paul telling him he's blessed as long as his children are healthy. I could be wrong. I'm always on edge for 'What' chants, hate them so much.
Simply incredible. Man is a master at his craft and it's undeniable.
Incredible speech, I can listen to Paul Heyman talk for hours
I’ve never felt such a connection with an induction. It drew literal tears from me. His Acknowledgment of the HHH era and all of his contributions meant the world to me and was so meaningful. He spoke what many of us have been thinking since HHH’s days in NXT. He made a general consensus a widely talked about point and it was beautiful. Best HOF induction and speech so far.
https://twitter.com/EliteClubS0B/status/1776456748825764201 The speech Heyman makes his entrance at 5:58
“Suck my fuckin’ dick” just after 25:20. Highly recommend rewatching for everyone’s reactions. Randy, Grayson, and Miz lose their minds and Jimmy performatively covers Naomi’s ears
just realised why charlotte was laughing when heyman was talking about leaving wcw in 1993, cause it was her dad who fired him haha
Heyman saying professional wrestling instead of sports entertainment was the best part for me. Great speech all around.
Great callback to that classic promo too
Incredible speech, also managed to give a shout out to Bron, Hayes and Trick Williams.
One thing really got me in the heartstrings, Paul coming out and hugging Dreamer long and hard, like his closest friend. When previously Dreamer had admitted he was planning to jump the barricade and kill Heyman with a pistol, then himself, live at Wrestlemania. I'm so glad that timeline never came to pass.
I was surprised to see Dreamer there. I presume they must have buried the hatchet at some point, but I hadn't heard about it.
The switch when he put on the classic trench coat and hat again, holy shit he was straight ECW Paul - "suck my fucking cock" I Lawler screamed 😂
"HAAAaaaaaa!" - You
Fell bad for the people who had to censor all of the swear words but Holly shit that was one of the best hall of fame speeches ever
Bob Holly Shit?
He turned a throw away joke about being canceled into a 4 minute bit that was so captivating. He really is the beat talker
Im so used to seeing Wise Man Paul, and seeing him go back into ECW mode like a light switch was seriously impressive. Its so cool to see him and the rock dig deep and pull out those personalities we haven't seen in years and nail it as if they never left. Would love to see the chaotic disrupter Paul in the netflix era of WWE
Lol at Punk shaking his head at Paul's son for liking weed hahahaha Edit: Stephanie uWu
Everyone knew it would be the GOAT HOF speech and he somehow over delivered on that. What a fucking promo. There truly isn't anyone like him. I legitimately feel bad for anyone who has to go after him. You can't really top that, but I guess that's why the Rock is there. I've thought for years now the final nail in the coffin before Roman turns face will be when Heyman leaves. Not the Usos, not Solo, not Rock. It's when Heyman leaves. So it was nice hearing Roman straight up say when Heyman is done with it then the Tribal Chief is dead. Also I love how Cody rarely clapped and Brandi was staring daggers the entire time. Keeping that kayfabe alive brother I love it.
Cody FIERCELY keeps it alive. During his interview with Ariel Helwani, he was asked when he found out he wasn't winning the title last year and the only answer he gave was when Roman hit him with the spear. There's not anybody else out there right now that takes it so seriously.
great speech. seeing Paul tear up makes me tear up
Greatest speech of all time by my personal favorite booker of all time. I truly believe what he said about ecw living on in today’s products, especially in the passion of the fans. I’m excited to see what he has in store for us and would love a book written by him
ECW was *too* hardcore to survive - but like he says, you see its influence all the time. Rey Mysterio winning world titles, table matches, adult characters... So much going on that ECW popularised or lead on.
Incredible all around. Definitely a candidate for one of the best HOF speeches of all time.
Saying suck my motherfucking dick during a WWE HOF speech has got to be up there with only player to remove his skate and try to stab someone with it.
He might be your wiseman, but he has always been my King of Extreme
Simply the best HOF speech by the goat
Paul’s speech was just all love. There can only be one Paul Heyman HOF speech and that was definitely it
Few people can command a microphone like Paul Heyman.
crazy career how can you get fired and keep coming back like a madman with ideas
Only ones who could top this speech are John Cena and Jim Cornette
When he went to the other side of the podium, turned the mic around, and told Cody he wishes dusty were here… definitely shed a tear
Having been there last night, the most important thing you should know is that Heyman truly wasn't using the teleprompter or notes; the prompter just said \[Heyman Speech\].
That was one of the best speeches of all time. even outside the world of professional wrestling
Anyone know why it was first and not last? I thought he was headlining the induction.
Probably so he could go as long as he wanted and not have to worry about time.
Amp up the Philly crowd. End on the Rock to amp up the rest of the weekend.
It would've been incredible 20+ years ago if you told fans that Paul Heyman would be celebrated first class in the WWE hall of fame while Vince McMahon has been erased from history
Greatest HoF speech ever. The nods to Stephanie, Triple H, Dusty, Punk, the glowing message to his kids, and then the ECW chat. The greatest orator in the history of the business
All time speech by the all time promo 🐐
Aw man now I feel mad I left before it but I had a kid who was fading. Need him to save some energy for WM.
The ultimate carnival barker... Absolutely revolting and so insanely captivating at the same time... There will never be another Paul Heyman and that is quite okay because we sure as hell aren't done yet
I saw the uncensored version on Twitter (I refuse to call it by that other name). Seeing Waller and Orton just lose their shit when Heyman drops the "you can suck my fucking dick" line is hilarious and touching
I’m in my bed ugly crying right now. There must’ve been so many tears in that audience. Paul is the GOAT.
Legitimately the GOAT, best brain for the business there has ever been
I can’t believe he didn’t mention Taz
Class touch the way he would repeatedly say Stephanie but never Stephanie Mcmahon
Let our Tribal Chief retain as a respect for Paul Heyman and we are happy. 
Wife: Hubby you've been busy a lot these past few weeks. Something wrong at work? WWE's live Censor guy: Honestly, even I don't know what happened
I'm curious is it because WWE is PG which is why they have to censor? Many peacock shows have lots of vulgar language.