Top 10 Paul Heyman Guys: Hits and Misses

Paul Heyman is one of those wrestling geniuses who could convert crap into gold. The way he instrumented the rise of ECW in-between big fish like WCW and WWE is enough to show how much talent is vested on him in bringing up the people we usually consider as underdogs.And throughout his career, Heyman has managed a plethora of talent which made him one of the best managers that the business has to offer. Most of his guys went on to become big stars in the business while a handful of them fell flat after a short booming period.So here is a rundown at some of the Paul Heyman guys that became big draws in the business and some others that never made it big despite having the backing of this evil genius.

#11 Honourable Mentions

Rob Van Dam - Hit

Hardcore Holly- Flop

Rey Mysterio - Hit

911- Flop

#10 Matt Morgan

Matt Morgan made his WWE debut in 2003 when Paul Heyman was the general manager of SmackDown and the brand split was well placed.

Due to his size and physique, Heyman soon got behind him and handpicked him into Brock Lesnar’s team for Survivor Series which also had Nathan Jones and Big Show along with Lesnar. Heyman even made Lesnar fight in tag team matches with Morgan to push him hard.

But eventually Morgan started showing signs of his lack of wrestling ability and was packed back to OVW to get some more experience. After that Morgan never made it up the card and also had a stint at TNA before they also released him.

Final Verdict: Flop

#9 Dudley Boyz

An argument regarding the best tag team in the world wouldn’t be complete without the mention of the Dudley Boys. Having a history of more than two dozen titles to their name, the Dudley Boys is quite arguably the best team that ever graced the WWE ring.

And before they came to WWE, it was Paul Heyman who dug out these gems and fed them with all the ammunition in the extreme world of ECW. Getting the tables wasn’t that cool till the Dudleys made it and they are simply one of the most iconic duos.

Now that they are back, a one-off segment between the Dudley Boyz and Heyman is something WWE must do because of how epic it could be.

Final Verdict: Hit

#8 Heidenreich

In case you forgot Heidenreich, he was the one who came to WWE with the psychopath gimmick and had a run in at Undertaker with Paul Heyman by his side. He went on with a feud with Undertaker which was short but clearly not sweet and Heyman soon gave up on him after that.

He soon turned face and joined the Road Warrior to win the tag team title, which apparently was the biggest achievement he had in the company.

After splitting up with the Road Warrior, he had a poet gimmick and an embarrassing segment with Michael Cole after which he was released from the WWE and still hasn’t found foot in the wrestling business.

Final Verdict: Flop

#7 Cesaro

The latest addition into the long list of Paul Heyman guys, Cesaro had a memorable WrestleMania which literally changed the way we looked at him.

Being part of a heel stable, Cesaro was getting the cheers from the fans solely on the basis of the in ring skills that he showed and WWE acknowledged that fact and gave him the push that he deserved. Winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was one thing but getting Paul Heyman as his manger will simply be the best thing that happens to him.

Though Zeb Colter is a great manager, being under Paul E will just propel Cesaro into greatness that Colter could take him to. And like some of Heyman’s big clients, Cesaro has the skills to go with it as well making him a sure hit.

Prediction: Hit

#6 Albert

Back in 2002, Albert joined forces with Big Show who was under the management of Heyman. And seeing a ridiculous name like Prince Albert, Heyman suddenly changed Albert’s name to A-Train. The duo then faced Undertaker at WrestleMania in a handicap match which the dead man won.

After that, A-Train went on a one-on-one feud with Taker and also managed to win the Intercontinental title. He then left for Japan and became a huge star before returning to WWE.

His second spell at WWE was botched and Albert received a great push at the start which eventually died off. Turning him face and then making him dance with Brodus Clay wasn’t anything great either and he now settles down in the announcer table at NXT.

Final Verdict: Flop

#5 CM Punk

To be precise, CM Punk is a superstar who could stand up on his own without the help of any manager but the addition of Heyman felt like an added life to the straight edge superstar.

From Ring of Honor and TNA to WWE, Punk had a monumental rise. He was groomed by none other than Paul Heyman in the WWE version of ECW and Punk proved to be the best thing that came out of the relaunch. And after he established himself as a top dog, in 2012 he aligned with Paul Heyman and the aura was there to be seen.

Punk won the WWE championship and reigned for more than a year before losing it. He also had a go at the Undertaker’s streak before splitting up with Heyman.

Verdict: Hit

#4 Ryback

Ryback started off his WWE career as part of the Nexus but soon had to get out of the stable due to a injury. After recovering, WWE repackaged him as Ryback, a babyface monster that reminded us of what Goldberg used to do back in WCW.

He turned heel soon and had a feud with John Cena and some others. In 2013, while Paul Heyman was feuding with CM Punk, Ryback came to help Heyman and got tagged as the new Paul Heyman guy. He had some matches with CM Punk which went nowhere.

And once Ryback lost out to Punk, Heyman pulled the plug on him and Ryback hasn't seen the lights of the main event ever since.

Verdict: Flop

#3 Brock Lesnar

Lesnar made history at WrestleMania XXX when he laid down the Phenom in his own backyard, and the man who stood by his corner when he achieved the unachievable: Paul Heyman.

Brock Lesnar has been one of the brain childs of Paul Heyman and he played an integral role in the rise of Lesnar into a wrestler that so high that he WWE let him end the streak. in his initial run in WWE, Lesnar established himself as a top name and went on to headline WrestleMania and win the title.

He took a long break from WWE to try it out in MMA and returned later to take up the role of a part-timer in the company. But WWE still gave him the company of Heyman as the duo was so dynamic to even consider breaking.

There is nothing more Lesnar could achieve after defeating the streak and it’s just too bad that he lost many years in MMA.

Verdict: Hit

#2 Curtis Axel

A third generation wrestler and the son of Mr. Perfect, Michael McGillicutty clearly had the looks and skills to make it big. And that might be the reason why WWE trusted in him and gave him Paul Heyman.

As soon as Heyman took over his management, the first thing that Heyman did was give him a new name which was way cooler than his old one. Axel went on to win the Intercontinental title with Heyman.

However, when Heyman took a break Axel went on a downward spiral and he soon lost the title. WWE didn’t know what to do with him and despite having some great potential, Axel ended up in a makeshift tag team.

Verdict: Flop

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin

Back in 1995, when WWE and WCW were starting to go head-tohead, WCW booker Eric Bischoff made a big mistake. He fired Steve Austin from WCW and that too through phone just because Bischoff didn’t see Austin as a wrestler who could make it big.

Heyman, who previously managed Austin in WCW, came to know about the news and offered a contract to Austin to join ECW. Austin accepted the offer and started work under Heyman and Heyman did the unthinkable with Austin.

He gave Austin the permission to unload all the anger that he had at WCW through a series of vignettes that laid that foundation for the rise of Steve Austin’s rise. And after just less than a year at ECW, WWE snatched Austin realizing Paul E created a superstar and the rest was history.

Austin went on to become one of the most influential figures in wrestling and is “the” best product that came from the head of Paul Heyman.

Verdict: Hit