Paul Heyman to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
A city known for cheesesteaks, football and loyalty also has a more extreme side. The city of brotherly love is also known for the rise of Extreme Championship Wrestling. This April, Paul Heyman, former owner of ECW, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Ladies and Gentlemen, His Name is Paul Heyman
Originally reported by the Associated Press, WWE executive Paul Heyman will headline the Hall of Fame class of 2024. With the host city being the former home of ECW, Heyman’s name in the lights comes as no surprise. Heyman would tell the AP,
“I think everyone knew back then I was going to find my place in this industry.”
Heyman would have run as a manager, producer, and commentator for multiple promotions in the 1980s and 90s. This would include runs with the Dangerous Alliance. Originally formed in the AWA, Heyman would lead this stable through Crockett country and eventually WCW.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
By the early 1990s, Paul was working in Philadelphia alongside Tod Gordon in the remnants of the NWA territories. In 1995, that would change as ECW, Heyman, and the entire locker room denounced the NWA and proclaimed themselves Extreme Championship Wrestling. Blending a more “real” approach to pro-wrestling through hardcore styles and rock music, ECW would be different from the rest.
Throughout the run from the mid-to-late 90s, ECW solidified itself as an alternative to the more traditional WCW or WWE products. The more hardcore nature of the ECW product led to a cult-like following in Philly. The 2300 Arena is still heralded as the mecca for hardcore wrestling.
Throughout his time with ECW, Heyman secured working relationships with WWE. ECW talent would even appear on WWE television in an invasion angle. WWE would, in return, send superstars to Philadelphia and Heyman to make appearances on their way out of the company. This was comparable to Smoky Mountain Wrestling and WWE in the early 90s. In some minds, these relationships would spell the end for the independent promotion.
The Wiseman
“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.”
-Paul Heyman, AP
Today in wrestling Heyman has secured his spot amongst the greats. Paul Heyman is currently serving as an Executive Vice President for WWE as well as an on screen talent. His role in the current The Bloodline Story has been one of the anchor points throughout the entire saga. A city drenched in ECW history, makes sense to be the landing spot for Heyman in the hall.
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