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Friday Night SmackDown before WWE Payback 2020 ended with a massive shocker as the returning Roman Reigns is seemingly now a Paul Heyman guy. The WWE Universe has wanted to see the Big Dog turn heel for a long time and this alliance with Paul Heyman could very well lead to a full-blown heel turn for Reigns.
Paul Heyman is arguably one of the greatest managers in WWE history. With his vast experience in the business and second-to-none mic skills, Paul Heyman can put over any young WWE Superstar with just one promo, a quality that not many possess.
What many might not remember is that Paul Heyman has managed over a dozen wrestlers throughout his career. In this article, let's take a look at ten of them and find out what they are doing now. Be sure to comment down and let us know your favorite Paul Heyman guy in history.
Honorary Mention: Brock Lesnar - A Paul Heyman guy
Before starting with the actual list, how can we not mention Brock Lesnar while talking about Paul Heyman guys? The alliance between The Beast Incarnate and Heyman has been iconic, producing several memorable moments and feuds. Lesnar is arguably the most successful Paul Heyman guy in history, having won several world titles in the last few years.
Brock Lesnar's entrance is almost incomplete without his advocate snatching the mic from the announcer and introducing his client in his own unique way with the WWE fans in attendance repeating it out loud in unison.
"Ladies and Gentleman, my name... is Paul Heyman! And I am the advocate of the beast, the conqueror, BROCK LESNAR!"
It was in 2002 when Paul Heyman introduced the world to a young Brock Lesnar and guided him to become the youngest WWE Champion by defeating The Rock at SummerSlam.
Lesnar's last appearance for WWE was at WrestleMania 36, where he dropped the WWE title to Drew McIntyre in the main event of night two of the PPV. It is to be seen when does he return to WWE programming.
#10 Rey Mysterio - A Paul Heyman guy
One of the greatest WWE Superstars who many might now know was a "Paul Heyman guy" is Rey Mysterio. The Master of the 619 started his wrestling career in the 90s when everyone used to love watching big monster-sized guys destroy everyone in the ring.
Paul Heyman was in-charge of ECW at that time and the promotion was facing a massive talent shortage due to WCW. In his efforts to save the promotion and do something new, Heyman came in touch with Rey Mysterio, and the rest is history.
Rey Mysterio is considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Even at the age of 45, he can outdo any young Superstar in terms of agility and precision in his high-flying moves. Mysterio is currently signed with WWE where he is helping his son Dominik kickstart his WWE career.
#9 The Big Show - A Paul Heyman guy
From a cruiserweight to The World's Largest Athlete, the diversity of Paul Heyman guys has been amazing. Things were not so good for The Big Show early on in his career but it changed when he was shifted to SmackDown.
He challenged the then-undefeated Brock Lesnar and defeated him at Survivor Series 2002, thus becoming the first man to defeat Lesnar, while also winning the WWE Championship. It was Paul Heyman who was responsible for this massive resurrection of The Big Show.
The Big Show is currently a part-time WWE Superstar, being one of the longest-tenured Superstars of the company. Recently, he has also shifted his focus towards the entertainment industry as Netflix released a show on him - "The Big Show Show".
#8 Cesaro - A Paul Heyman guy
The Swiss Superman, Cesaro is considered to be one of the most underrated wrestlers of this era. Interestingly, WWE looked to push him as a top guy in 2014. Cesaro won the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and to top it off, became a "Paul Heyman Guy". Unfortunately, the promising alliance didn't last long as WWE decided to separate him from Paul Heyman.
Cesaro has since emerged to be a massive fan-favorite but is yet to receive a main event push from the company. He is currently the SmackDown Tag Team Champion alongside Shinsuke Nakamura. Many critiques still believe that WWE will one day put the World title on Cesaro, and it is to be seen whether that ever happens.
#7 Rob Van Dam - A Paul Heyman guy
Rob Van Dam was once a very popular name for WWE fans, but many fans might not remember his alliance with Paul Heyman. RVD was unable to impress WWF with his unorthodox style, but Heyman saw him as an unparalleled performer.
Paul Heyman was also involved in one of the biggest moments in RVD's career in 2006 when he cashed in his MITB contract on John Cena to win the WWE Championship. With the referee knocked out, Paul Heyman made the count to three.
RVD is the only wrestler in history to have held the WWE, ECW, and TNA World Heavyweight Championship. He is currently signed to IMPACT Wrestling.
#6 Stone Cold Steve Austin - A Paul Heyman guy
Considered to be one of the greatest pro-wrestlers of all-time and an icon of the Attitude Era, Stone Cold Steve Austin was also once a Paul Heyman guy. Eric Bischoff did a massive mistake of firing Austin from WCW but Paul Heyman quickly offered him a contract to ECW.
Paired with Heyman, Austin started taking shots at WCW through his vignettes and fans started loving the new "Stone Cold" character. It was not too late after which WWE called him up and the rest is history.
Stone Cold Steve Austin reached heights of success in WWE and won several titles. Unfortunately, injuries forced him to retire from in-ring competition in 2003. Even after all these years, he continues to make appearances for WWE and delivers stunners at every possible opportunity.
#5 Curtis Axel - A Paul Heyman guy
Being the son of legendary Mr. Perfect, Curtis Axel came in to WWE with a lot of hype and expectations. Curtis Axel was a member of the Nexus but went back to NXT after the faction dissolved. In 2013, WWE made him a "Paul Heyman guy" and put the Intercontinental title on him. Unfortunately, the alliance didn't last long and everything went downhill for Curtis Axel after that.
Axel started teaming up with Bo Dallas as The B-Team, mostly involved in comedic segments and putting other teams over. They managed to win the RAW Tag Team titles once. Earlier this year in 2020, Curtis Axel was released by WWE alongside several other Superstars, as part of the COVID-19 budget cuts.
#4 Mick Foley - A Paul Heyman guy
The Hardcore legend of WWE, Mick Foley's career was also highly impacted by Paul Heyman. As part of the settlement between WCW and Paul Heyman's ECW, Mick Foley came to ECW and completely dominated the Land of Extreme. In an interview with WWE.com, Paul Heyman revealed that Foley gives him a lot of credit for his success, but he humbly refuses any of it.
Mick gives me a ton of credit for it all. He did so in his first book, and he even did so last week on Monday Night Raw. And yet, with all humility, I must candidly admit, I beg to differ.
Mick Foley was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. He is currently signed to WWE and continues to make appearances on different occasions for the company.
#3 The Miz - A Paul Heyman guy
The most must-see Superstar in WWE history, The Miz didn't have a very pleasant start to his career. Initially a face, it was Paul Heyman who saw the talent in him and brought him to Ohio Valley Wrestling. Paul Heyman then helped him develop and perfect his cocky heel character. The Miz had the following to say about being a Paul Heyman guy in an interview -
"From then on I was a bad guy and Paul was just so on me about everything, teaching me the ins and outs. And people don't know this like I feel like I was one of the first Paul Heyman guys. But yea, in Ohio Valley Wrestling and in my developmental territory days, developing into "The Miz", Paul was right there with me honing into that character and honing in on everything. He's an amazing brain in the WWE and we're very lucky to have him around."
The Miz is currently a veteran in WWE, having won several titles in WWE and being considered one of the best heels on this era. He has been teaming up with John Morrison since the beginning of 2020 and the duo even won the SmackDown Tag Team titles. Apart from WWE, Miz has also been focusing on movies and TV shows.
#2 CM Punk - A Paul Heyman guy
CM Punk is considered by many to be one of the most controversial yet highly talented WWE Superstars of all time. The Best in the World (not you, Shane!) has mentioned on several occasions how much Paul Heyman has helped him throughout his career.
The alliance between CM Punk and Paul Heyman was one of the best on-screen pairings ever in WWE. The two have been involved in several memorable segments together, be it together or against each other.
After leaving WWE on bad-terms in 2014, CM Punk made his return (in a way) to WWE in 2019 when he joined WWE Backstage on FS1 as a special analyst. CM Punk is a great friend of Paul Heyman, who is one of the very few with whom the former WWE Champion stays in contact with.
#1 The Undertaker - A Paul Heyman guy
The character of The Undertaker has become so iconic that many fans don't even remember that Mark Callaway was not always The Deadman. During his time in WCW, he was known as Mean Mark Callous and was managed by Paul E Dangerously (a young Paul Heyman). The alliance between the two broke after Taker went to WWF, where the gimmick of The Undertaker was born.
"The Undertaker was more of a Paul Heyman guy than most will ever know"
The Undertaker is arguably one of the greatest WWE Superstars and pro-wrestlers to ever have graced the business. Earlier this year, WWE Network released a docuseries on him, and on the final episode, The Phenom seemingly announced his retirement from WWE.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
