Ex-WWE Star: Paul Heyman "Killed" Cesaro's Push

Former WWE manager Zeb Colter/Dutch Mantell believes that it was Paul Heyman who wrecked Claudio Castagnoli's first big push with the company.

Mantell told 'Wrestling Shoot Interviews' that the then-Cesaro was "getting over" as part of his stable alongside Jack Swagger. Then, after he won an Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX, WWE decided to move Cesaro away from Colter/Swagger and align him with Heyman onscreen.

Dutch thought that was a mistake, and he reckons it "killed" Cesaro's momentum stone dead.

Backstage, Mantell asked creative team members what was going on and why one of his guys was being moved to another manager when "he was getting over with us". They told him that "Vince [McMahon] thinks Heyman can get him heat".

There was no fighting McMahon's decision - it had already been made. Mantell watched with interest as the union between Cesaro and Paul E failed, and he couldn't understand why he'd been bumped when he was a proven "heat magnet".

Heyman had several other failed alliances around that same time with Curtis Axel and Ryback. Most wrestling fans agree that the Cesaro/Paul package should've worked.