15 Exact Moments Wrestlers Died Inside

5. Paul Heyman Is A Method Actor

EC3 Red Cup
WWE

At the finish of December To Dismember's Extreme Elimination Chamber match, Paul Heyman's man didn't win. WWE developmental graduate Bobby Lashley last defeated WCW and WWE stalwart (and Heyman-backed) Big Show for the ECW Heavyweight Championship.

To sell this, Heyman stood ringside and covered his face with his hand in dejection. He was, at the very least, method acting. His man had not won - and that's because his man, the guy around whom Heyman wanted to rebuild, was CM Punk. 

The disaster of a show was the culmination of a dismal reboot. The ECW brand had mutated into just another WWE property, and while it was insane to expect something resembling the old days - Francine once wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan 'Francine 4:69 says I just licked your ass!' - it might have continued in the same, idiosyncratic spirit - if not tone. CM Punk worked an unusual style to a phenomenal standard that the old Philly faithful would have loved. Punk was an ECW wrestler. Different. Coarse. Futuristic, but with a keen grasp of the fundamentals. 

ECW didn't continue like that; it was a WWE brand, only with lame weapons sellotaped to it, soundtracked by slightly heavier butt rock than normal. Paul Heyman was a heel, for Christ's sakes, because it was WWE and he was an authority figure. This was the man revered by the fans and the locker room as a damn cult leader.

After a backstage fight with Vince, Heyman didn't even make it to the next TV taping.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!