The evil genius behind the original Extreme Championship Wrestling, the former Paul E. Dangerously has made a career and a lifestyle out of manoeuvering and fast-talking his way out of trouble and into a prime position in the professional wrestling industry. Often the line between the Machiavellian manager and advocate and the real life wheeler-dealer himself become blurred, as Heyman would probably be the first to admit that most of his on-screen characters are really only exaggerated versions of himself. That gobby chip on his shoulder that urged him to transform an NWA-affiliated Philadelphia wrestling promotion into the upstart Extreme Championship Wrestling stuck around for half a decade after ECW folded in 2001. Heyman made a swift transition to the WWF (as was), and his five-month tenure as head writer on Smackdown in 2003/2004 allegedly saw the B-show eclipse RAW in ratings and merchandise sales, making stars of Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio and more. Stephanie McMahon is said to have cordially loathed him around this time, although their relationship appears to have leveled out since then but then Heyman always had a gift for pissing people off. And yet, no matter how many times he was jettisoned: from WCW; from his own ECW; from RAW; from Smackdown; from the new ECW Heyman always popped back up again, seemingly indestructible. The best promo, the best commentator and the best manager in the business: a fearsomely intelligent and creative wrestling booker and promoter who (dare we suggest it?) may have finally learned how to play well with others Paul Heyman is truly one of a kind.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
