Which NWA Star Did Paul Heyman Want On WWE Raw?
"I need guys like you that know how to work".
James Storm told 'Busted Open Radio' that he came close to rejoining WWE earlier this year.
Storm was personally head-hunted by then Executive Director Paul Heyman - he was the one who contacted the NWA star and asked if he'd be able to jump ship. Storm's NWA deal only had around a month or so to run when Heyman called him in January, so he was very much interested.
Despite his excitement, Storm wanted to leave NWA on good terms and told owner Billy Corgan that he'd drop the NWA Tag-Team Titles however they wanted. As it turned out, nobody had to worry about that. Storm didn't end up moving to WWE.
Heyman's thinking was that a veteran like Storm could be a valuable addition to Raw's midcard pack. He told the former IMPACT man that he badly needed "guys like you that know how to work" on the brand. Storm was flattered, and knew he was the right man for the job.
WWE would've had Storm work with younger talent to get them over. He wouldn't have been the focal point of angles himself.