10 Wrestling Facts We Didn’t Know Last Week (August 2)

1. Paul Heyman Almost Managed Chris Benoit Instead

Imagine how different things might be had Paul Heyman's 2002 pitch to manage Chris Benoit been given the green light by Vince McMahon. That was the plan until Heyman spotted Brock Lesnar, produced his first few matches and was then put by his side to act as a mouthpiece heat magnet that'd make Brock heel by default.

The original writing called for Heyman to align with Benoit shortly after WrestleMania X-8. Heyman told this story on a recently-released clip from an interview with Inside The Ropes, and it's fascinating to ponder what that alliance would've been like. Paul had admired Benoit since booking him back in the 90s with ECW.

McMahon thought Lesnar was the better option.

He was right, but also groaned when Heyman referred to Brock in meetings as 'The Next Big Thing'. Firing back, Vince said, "God damn it, Paul. That nickname would suck!". Apparently not, because it became a clever marketing tool for Lesnar's big push during his first 2002-2004 run.

What other big wrestling facts did you learn this week? Let us know down in the comments section below!