10 Things We Learned From Inside The Ropes With Paul Heyman (London)
6. First Thought After ECW Barely Legal Was Over And His Favourite Sandman Story
Onto ECW now, and Heyman speaks about not wanting to don his famous ECW uniform of leather jacket and baseball cap for photo ops because, in his mind, it cheapens what ECW was about and he feels like it would be selling it out. ECW was a religion to him, the wrestlers and the fans and he cannot slip back into that mindset because he's not that guy anymore.
Heyman is asked about Barely Legal 1997, specifically about how he felt once the show was over. Heyman credits the fans for getting ECW on pay-per-view in the first place, noting that they made so much noise that the PPV providers agreed to put ECW on the air just to shut them up.
He remembers how the show went off the air with only 40 seconds to go before they would 'default' on their agreement and not receive payment. Even more incredibly, both the generator and the backup generator blew out just after the show finished, plunging the arena into darkness and leaving Heyman without a working mic.
He then delivered his post-PPV speech without one and described it as one of the most intimate moments of his career and a real 'religious' experience.
Regarding Sandman, Heyman humorously pleads the fifth on that one, but does say that his favourite Sandman story actually came at the first ECW One Night Stand PPV when he made his iconic entrance. Producing the show from the backstage area, Heyman was overcome with emotion at the sight of the 2,5000 in the Hammerstein Ballroom singing along to Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'.
Turning to Vince McMahon (who was eating a protein bar at the time), a tearful Heyman said 'That's what ECW is about' as the boss feigned understanding. For Heyman, the show was even more special because his young son and daughter were in attendance witnessing their first ECW event.