Paul Heyman is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Dan Gelston of The Associated Press reports that, per WWE and Heyman himself, Heyman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He will be the first member of the Class of 2024. Heyman will be inducted at the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony on April 5. The ceremony will be held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a fitting location for the man who led a revolution with ECW, the promotion that was based in the city.
Heyman briefly commented on the news while speaking with Gelston.
“I consistently feel like I’m just getting started, and I’m just figuring this out. To me, what is an incomplete body of work, because there’s still things I want to accomplish, I never felt comfortable accepting that is a reflection upon an entire career," Heyman said.'
Heyman also commented on the legacy of ECW, which remains a large part of his own footprint on the wrestling industry.
“The extreme in ECW stood for the work ethic involved, the passion that was necessary and the extreme connection to an audience to whom and for whom we were always obsessed with underpromising and overdelivering. The legacy of ECW is firmly rooted in the very simple concepts of paying attention to the cultural curve and obsessively trying to stay a few steps ahead of it," he said.
WWE and Triple H then confirmed the news in a post on social media.
He’s been a promoter, a manager, an executive, a “Wiseman,” and now, a @WWE Hall of Famer.
— Triple H (@TripleH) March 4, 2024
There’s more to say about @HeymanHustle, but as always, it’s best to let him say it himself… with a live microphone in Philadelphia. #WWEHOF pic.twitter.com/qEZF4lxR3g
From WWE:
The outspoken, brusque New Yorker first gained enemies under the guise of Paul E. Dangerously in WCW. Managing Steve Austin, Arn Anderson and Rick Rude in a stable he dubbed his Dangerous Alliance, Heyman used a Big Apple attitude and an oversized 1980s cell phone to help his charges run through the likes of Sting and Ricky Steamboat.
After WCW released the hothead in 1993, Heyman found an opportunity in failure, turning a modest Philadelphia-based independent promotion called Eastern Championship Wrestling into the notoriously daring Extreme Championship Wrestling. Inspired by alternative rock music and MTV, the innovator took ECW from public access to national pay-per-view by endorsing brutal bouts showcasing the rare combination of misfit warriors alongside cutting-edge athletes.
Credited with inspiring WWE’s landmark “Attitude Era,” the controversial brand became the third-largest wrestling company in the world before it was crippled by financial problems in 2001. Heyman joined WWE as Jim Ross’ broadcast partner, but it wouldn’t be long before the nonconformists of ECW reemerged in WWE as part of the infamous “Invasion.” Aligning himself with Stephanie and Shane McMahon, Heyman came frighteningly close to overthrowing WWE but ultimately failed to bring down his competition.
Time and again, however, Heyman was able to find his way back in, forming alliances with Superstars like CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Big Show and Kurt Angle.
Since the summer of 2020, Heyman has been firmly entrenched as the Special Council to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, where he lends his opinion and uses his outspoken nature to advise one of the most impressive title reigns in WWE history.
Heyman’s influence on sports-entertainment has become immeasurable, as his brash, in-your-face attitude has paved the way for multiple generations of managers and Superstars. With a resume that is unmatched, Heyman now takes his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to Paul Heyman on becoming a WWE Hall of Famer!
In recent years, Heyman has been featured alongside Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Heyman previously commented on Roman Reigns' historic reign. Check out his comments here.
Fightful will provide more information as it becomes available.
