If there's anyone who deserves a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame, it's Paul Heyman.
A Hall of Fame-caliber manager, creative, announcer and booker, who would probably deserve a spot in the annals of WWE history for his time in ECW alone, Heyman has consistently found ways to keep himself relevant for decades and has aged like fine wine, with two of the biggest matches of his career coming in the main events of WrestleMania 40 this weekend.
So, considering Heyman is still at the top of his game in 2024, inarguably a key part of WWE's top storyline of the year alongside his “Tribal Chief,” Roman Reigns, why is he opting to take what is widely considered a “Lifetime Achievement Award” now? Well, Graham “GSM” Matthews of WrestleRant asked the “Wise Man” that very question ahead of the “Showcase of the Immortals” and was met with not one, not two, but three reasons why now is a perfect time for the honor.
“I was surprised I accepted, too. I turned it down because I never wanted to do it while still active because in my heart, if my perspective is I'm going to accept this Lifetime Achievement Award and continue on for a little while, that's not much of a goal for the future. The goal for the future right now is to make everyone regret asking me to accept this honor this year because the true value of my Hall of Fame career came after 2024. That the heights that I can reach after this induction make what happened before this induction pale by comparison,” Paul Heyman told WrestleRant via Fightful.
“I accepted the award this year, number one, because it's in Philadelphia, and it's a unique opportunity that we are a few blocks away from the corner of Swanson and Rittner where the ECW arena sat. To do it is me acknowledging Philly, because you'd think I'd want to take this in New York, with this in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx where I'm originally from. I'm doing this in Philly. It's an homage to Philly, number one. Philly because it allowed me to do ECW. Number two, I'm doing this because my kids have been nagging me about it for years. When are you going to accept the Hall of Fame? When are you going to accept the Hall of Fame? I think, number one, they really do want to see their father be honored, and number two, I don't think either one of them want to give a speech after my death. They don't want to take it posthumously, and they're like, let the old man just take the freaking award already.”
Alright, those are two very good reasons to join the WWE Hall of Fame in 2024, but what is the third? Well, let's just say one of the greatest talkers in the business had plenty to say on that subject, too.
Paul Heyman has nothing but respect for Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
So, without further ado, what is the third reason why Paul Heyman decided to join the WWE Hall of Fame in 2024? Well, that would be because he wanted the honor of being the first performer named to the Hall by WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque, a man he respects greatly.
“Number three, and perhaps this is the most profound reason, this is the first year that Triple H, Paul Levesque, has chosen the entire class of the whole thing, and one of my life's great honors has been witnessing the work that Paul Levesque has done as the Chief Creative Officer in WWE,” Paul Heyman noted. “The shoes that he has to fill, the accomplishments that he has to live up to, the disruption of the entire industry that he has to follow, is a task that no man or woman would ever look at with a reasonable perspective, and he has not only lived up to it, but we are in the midst of the hottest run in the history, not just of WWE, but in all of sports entertainment. We are smashing records every quarter and every year and now every night. merchandise records, television license fees, attendance figures in gross and in net. The performers are making more on an average than ever before in the history of the industry, even with inflation taken into account, and that's because of the magnificent job that Paul Levesque has done.
“To be the first person named to the Hall of Fame by Paul Levesque, to be the first headliner of a class that he has chosen, is one of the greatest honors of both my career and my life. It would be a terrible disservice to Paul Levesque. It would be a grotesque demonstration of disrespect to Paul Levesque if I were to have turned that down. Out of respect and admiration for the job that he's done and for the man himself, I'm honored to be inducted this year. Plus, it's in Philly. Plus, it's WrestleMania 40, and plus, for once, it gives me something that shuts my damn kids up.”
Welp, all things considered, it's safe to say Heyman thought this one through extensively and made a decision that makes all the sense in the world for himself and his family. Then again, considering Heyman is one of the most thoughtful men in professional wrestling history, did anyone expect anything less?
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