WWE: 7 Innovations Paul Heyman Did That Changed Wrestling

6. Hiding Weaknesses Behind Strong Narrative

A lot of the criticism that former ECW stars get is about their limitations or that they are just hardcore stuntmen. People who say that are mostly missing the point. Paul Heyman was a master at hiding people's weaknesses (or perceived weaknesses) by both accentuating their strengths and putting forth a strong narrative to create interest in the characters. The weakness needn't always be a lack of in-ring ability, it could be as simply as possessing every single tool necessary except 'the look'. The best examples would be people like Taz or Raven, the latter of which was one of the greatest ring psychologists in the history of the business but WWE never knew how to use him once he eventually arrived there. Heyman just let him do his thing and it worked thanks to the amazing narrative it provided. It was thanks to this (and his infamous Singapore cane beating from Sandman) that Tommy Dreamer became a star as well. People with physical limitations (either visual appearance or movement) such as Mick Foley or Sandman were not held back in ECW as they would've been elsewhere. Instead their positives were focused on, in Sandman's case his character was the important tool along with his Singapore cane. He had two amazing storylines, one of which saw his ex-wife and son desert him for Raven and the other saw him visually impaired for a year. During which time he didn't leave his house to keep the kayfabe alive while ECW wrestlers, whether face or heel, expressed their concern. Two other legendary wrestlers also found themselves held back by appearance in the heavily scarred Sabu and Terry Funk who was deemed too old. Both found tremendous success in ECW despite their supposed problems. A true Heyman trait was his ability to utilise what was presented in front of him. Mike Awesome was a big man who Heyman used to beat little wrestlers to make him look like a powerhouse, a successful formula that both WCW and WWE failed to replicate. The previously mentioned Public Enemy could not have been two more different people but because of a lack of exposure Heyman re-branded them without the world even realising they were ever anything else. The biggest success story of this strategy is 911. An untalented big man that got big crowd reactions because he only ever performed one move, the Chokeslam. But that was all he ever needed for his act thanks to his handling by Paul Heyman.