The master of the pipebomb is, without a shadow of doubt, Paul Heyman. Whether he was raging against the machine as the face of ECW's extreme revolution, lashing out against the established WWE and WCW, or verbally assaulting TNN for their lack of support for the promotion's weekly television show, Heyman earned the reputation of one of wrestling's most outspoken stars. And rightfully so. He was not a man to allow his feelings on a particular subject go unnoticed if it was of importance to his company. When a wrestler made the decision to skip out on an ECW show, robbing fans of an advertised match, Heyman had no problem addressing it in the center of the ring. It did not matter how big the star was, as Sabu found out in 1995 when he opted to head to Japan rather than appearing as scheduled at an ECW Arena show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55a-XAGvHF4 Even the mighty Vince McMahon was not immune to Heyman's pipebombs, nor was 2007 Hall of Fame wrestler/commentator Jerry "The King" Lawler. Over the course of his three-plus decades in the industry, Heyman's thought-provoking promos and intense rants became one of the most entertaining and intriguing aspects of any show. Age has mellowed Heyman but anyone unlucky enough to cross the advocate for The Beast Incarnate can be sure that their name will come up the next time the king of extreme gets a mic in his hand.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
