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A 'Paul Heyman guy' can be defined as a wrestler who earned the support and guidance of Paul Heyman, either on-screen or off-screen. The former ECW owner has helped shape the careers of countless WWE Superstars, both past and present.
Whether he accompanies them to the ring or advocates for them behind the scenes, there are many 'Paul Heyman guys' across the industry. Some of them are more notable than others in that role, like Brock Lesnar and CM Punk. Even ECW legends like Rob Van Dam come to mind in this respect.
The best-case scenario for a 'Paul Heyman guy' is being the subject of constant praise from one of the greatest wrestling managers of all-time, while the worst case is simply being in the background of another Heyman microphone masterclass.
However, there are some WWE stars you may not know had the support of Paul Heyman, either on-screen or behind the scenes. Here are five of them who are still with the company.
#5 The Miz
As a runner-up on Tough Enough, Mike Mizanin seemed to have a clear ceiling in WWE. His MTV past did not help things as well. But Paul Heyman was able to spot his potential in Deep South Wrestling, bringing the young upstart to Ohio Valley Wrestling and helping him settle his nerves in WWE's developmental system.
And thus, The Miz was born. A brash and cocky loudmouth who could attract serious heat from the fans. Heyman's guidance allowed him to excel at promos, eventually becoming one of the top heels in modern wrestling. The Miz's resume in WWE speaks for itself.
The 'Awesome One' has won pretty much every title in WWE, including the Intercontinental Championship eight times. He is one of WWE's most dependable Superstars today, an incredible journey for somebody who was kicked out of the locker room back when he started.
Talent usually shines through in the end and in this case, Paul Heyman extracted that talent from The Miz.
#4 The Big Show
The Big Show has had two separate runs with Paul Heyman by his side, both yielding world titles for him. The revival of ECW under the WWE banner saw Big Show dominate the brand, defeating Rob Van Dam for the ECW Championship after Heyman turned heel on RVD.
This was not as memorable as the first time Paul Heyman and Big Show partnered up in WWE, back in 2002. Brock Lesnar was on top of the world as the youngest WWE Champion in history, enjoying a debut year for the ages. He looked to roll over the giant at Survivor Series, which was taking place at Madison Square Garden.
The Big Show, at this point, had been a laughing stock on WWE TV before being presented with a "last chance at greatness" against Lesnar at MSG. And to the shock of everybody, Paul Heyman turned on his client and helped Big Show defeat him to win the WWE title.
This sparked the Big Show's rebirth as a top Superstar, as the first man ever to defeat Brock Lesnar in a WWE ring. And it was Heyman who was responsible for it.
#3 Cesaro
While most 'Paul Heyman guys' were a success, not all of them were better off with the former ECW owner by their side. In theory, this move should have worked wonders for Cesaro. He had just won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 30 and was set to break out as a huge star in WWE, with Paul Heyman set to help him on his way to the top.
But that was where the problems began. Cesaro's alliance with Heyman forced him to remain a heel, after seemingly turning babyface one night earlier at WrestleMania. It quickly became evident that the 'Advocate' was only ever managing Cesaro so that he could remain on TV and remind everybody that his "real" client, Brock Lesnar, broke The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak.
And as a result, the Swiss Cyborg became a background player and was unable to connect with the fans. WWE had no real desire to push Cesaro further up the card as a 'Paul Heyman guy' and as soon as Lesnar returned for SummerSlam, Heyman and Cesaro parted ways.
This was extremely unfortunate, as it seemed certain that the former United States Champion would rise up the card and potentially even become a main-eventer. But after this failed experiment, Cesaro never went beyond the mid-card title scene as a singles competitor. Not every Superstar that Paul Heyman touches turns to gold.
#2 Rey Mysterio
1995 was a completely different time in pro wrestling to what it is now. The high-flying in-ring style was unheard of, and the most famous Luchador at that point was Mil Mascaras, who had hardly gone off his feet in the ring. But a lot of change was effected, with Paul Heyman essentially innovating a whole different wrestling style.
A talent raid of ECW at the hands of WCW forced Paul Heyman to think outside the box, with a couple of young talents coming aboard. Coming from Mexico, Rey Mysterio was one of those names who attempted to make up for ECW's shortage of talent. And he blew the United States audiences away.
Mysterio's extremely fast-paced style was groundbreaking at the time, with the fans not caring for his size. This gave birth to a wrestling revolution in ECW, with other smaller stars making their name in North America under Heyman's watch.
Rey Mysterio eventually became a major star in WWE, remaining one of the most popular members of the roster. He is still as good as he was 25 years ago when he was a 'Paul Heyman guy'.
#1 The Undertaker
It seems like The Undertaker has retired from WWE, but he has not ruled out the possibility that he will return for one more match. This fact, coupled with his recent 15-year deal with the company, still makes him a WWE Superstar today. Undertaker is also one of the original 'Paul Heyman guys' from his pre-WWE days.
Over three decades ago, 'Taker was a young up-and-comer in WCW, known as Mean Mark Callous, looking to make it big in the wrestling business. He was managed by a young Paul Heyman, then known as Paul E Dangerously.
But Heyman did more for the WWE legend than simply manage him on TV. The 'Advocate' played a pivotal part in Undertaker's move from WCW to WWF. He opened up talks with Bruce Prichard about signing The Deadman, who was told that he "wasn't a draw" in WCW.
'Taker moved to WWF in 1990, giving rise to the most memorable character in wrestling history. Since then, he has become Vince McMahon's most loyal soldier, dedicating his life to the wrestling industry. The Undertaker is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, and we have Paul Heyman to thank for it.
Isn't it poetic that The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak was ended by, well, a 'Paul Heyman guy'? The two of them were more linked with each other than one might realize.
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