During a recent edition of “The Brand” podcast, former WWF writer Vince Russo, WWE Veteran Vito LoGrasso, OVW Veteran Kenny Bolin, Chris Bolin and co-host Jeff Lane talked about Paul Heyman’s promo on the go-home edition of Raw for Survivor Series 2017. Below is their discussion:
Russo: Paul Heyman is the most unappealing, unattractive human being on television. He’s disturbing looking. He’s very hard to look at.
Every time the guy comes out he says the same exact thing. He has been saying the same exact thing for the last three freaking years. It’s the same freaking promo over and over and over again. It’s old.
I don’t care about the marks that are up Paul Heyman’s a$$ because they still think it’s ECW. Nobody outside of Vince McMahon, nobody would ever put this guy on a television show. So my idea was which I think is money, since Heyman is so disturbing to look at, make him a cartoon character and have him come out as a cartoon character and get in the ring and stand next to Brock and cut this promo. Would that not be money?
Here’s what I love about the great Paul Heyman. His promo was so compelling and he had everybody in the Philips Arena at the edge of their seats. They were so excited sitting on every word by Mr. Heyman that all of a sudden they started chanting “she said yes”. That tells you how much these freaking people are into what Paul Heyman says.
Kenny: It disturbed him. Did you notice how badly it disturbed him? They started that chant during his promo and then he tried to get the heat back by leaning through the ropes and do you recall exactly what he said?
Russo: Yeah. “She said yes because she never had a real man like Brock Lesnar”.
Oh please! Stop it already. Will you?
And let me cut another promo on Paul Heyman while we’re at it because it is clear to anybody now you don’t have to work in the wrestling business. It is clear to everybody. Freaking three weeks ago, Paul Heyman buries Jinder Mahal, digs the grave, puts the dirt on the guy, pours concrete on top. Doesn’t say one thing to put Jinder Mahal over. Not one word.
Now fast forward three weeks later, AJ Styles – he is a million reasons why you should get the pay-per-view because that’s how…. Bro, this in a nutshell. This is why Paul Heyman still has a job in the wrestling business. Because he’s the greatest politician that ever worked the backstage area, better than Kevin Nash ever was.
They did not want Jinder Mahal in that match with freaking Lesnar. Heyman let it be known and I’m sure he played the Brock card – Oh Brock thinks the match with Jinder will be horrible. He goes out there, buries Jinder, takes all the credibility away from this guy and now AJ Styles is the greatest thing. That’s how it works in the wrestling business.
Meanwhile, Jinder Mahal went out there every single week and busted his a$$. He did the best with what they frickin’ gave him. And now this guy is on the outside looking in because I’m sure he’s one of these hell of a nice guy. He’s gonna sit back. He’s gonna keep his mouth shut while the politicians go to work and work him out of the spot. I will stake my reputation that’s exactly what happened.
Vito: I can call it as I see it. I could say that Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar went into business for themselves. Cut that promo. They voiced their displeasure. Probably were told something else, but being the way that Asylum is run these days, guys like Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens making their way and Nia Jax and this one leaving and that one leaving.
Everybody has a voice. Well, when you have an advocate like Paul Heyman, who has got the experience, and Brock Lesnar, who’s the top dog, it’s easy to politic for who you want to wrestle at the big events to get the biggest payoff. AJ Styles was the number one guy. Jinder Mahal didn’t have the experience. Paul Heyman did bury him. But then, the second promo, like you said and we all called it – “Hey AJ, you’re the man. You’re the guy who is gonna give a run for the money, but you’re gonna lose to him.”
It’s a credibility match. Jinder didn’t have the credibility as AJ Styles does. But I think you’re gonna get a better match, a quality match. I think they’re going to India. I think Mahal is gonna get his title back as hometown babyface, comeback as champion. I think AJ’s a transition champion. Not to take anything away from AJ Styles. I just think he was put in this position for the pay-per-view and I think they’re gonna move on when they go back to India, give Mahal the title back and then we’re gonna go on from there.
Jeff: But they’ve announced that Mahal’s now wrestling Triple H in India, not AJ.
Vito: Yeah, but they could still do a title match. He still can get the title after Survivor Series. AJ Styles can get injured, come into the match, Mahal can win his title back and then it could be a championship match with Triple H, which will draw major heat. And I think that’s what they’re gonna go for because if you take the biggest star in the company, put him with Mahal, now you’ve got everything along with the embassy catering to you to have something great.
Chris: I think I agree with Vito completely on this. I think that the belt is going back to Jinder. I think the issue was that they buried Jinder so thoroughly that he couldn’t lose to Brock because it would have meant nothing if he had. And if he beat Brock then Brock got beat by what Paul Heyman basically called a job guy.
So I think they had to do something in that case. I personally want them to put Jinder over Brock. I think if he went over Brock, it builds his credibility so far especially with the Indian audience which is the only one that really matters in this case.
