10 Genius Ways WWE Stars Recovered From Absolute Disaster

9. Paul Heyman

Disaster: At the ill-fated ECW (in name only) December To Dismember 2006 pay-per-view, Paul Heyman cut a depressed and exhausted figure. He palmed his own forehead at ringside during the main event Elimination Chamber match and looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

The rising tension between he and Vince McMahon was too much. Shortly after Dismember, he publicly clashed with the boss over ECW's creative direction and left the promotion. It seemed his run at the top table was very much over.

How He Recovered: Heyman has often been called a "mad scientist" by his peers. He has a brain so creatively prolific it could probably nourish the entire gamut of WWE shows before lunch. Harnessing his own creativity and savvy desire to nurture talent, Heyman retained his links with soon-to-be UFC conquerer Brock Lesnar, dabbled in social media ingenuity and continued giving advice to wrestlers.

Now, after proving how valuable he could be outside WWE, Heyman has repositioned himself as the chief of Raw and has McMahon's trust. He's in an enviable spot, one free of the stresses he hated before.