Paul Heyman On How He’s Managed To Stay Relevant

Paul Heyman is and always will be a controversial figure, but it’s impossible to deny that he’s entertaining, and he knows how to talk. Due to the constant controversy surrounding Paul Heyman, many thought he would have been exiled from the wrestling business by now, but that’s not the case at all.

It’s 2017, and Heyman is more relevant than ever.

Heyman is currently aligned with the WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, who is arguably WWE’s biggest star at the moment, which means he’s constantly involved in big matches at events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam.

Heyman recently spoke to The Ringer about his career, and he said that all the things he was doing that people told him would hurt him ended up contributing to the longevity of his career.

“Tell me somebody who was in the NWA who was relevant then and relevant now. Sting’s not. Lex Luger’s not. It’s Ric Flair and Paul Heyman. Tell me someone from that entire era who is relevant today. Vince McMahon. Jerry Lawler. And of all those people that I’ve named, how many of them are in a prominent position on television today? The only one is me. So, how? The manner in which you were treated behind the scenes did not promote longevity. You were going to be used up and spit out. And here I am as the advocate of the number-one attraction, the highest-paid commodity, the top champion on the flagship show in the company that owns 99 percent of the market share. Obviously whatever I was doing back then, that people perceived as career suicide, gave me the ability to survive long enough to have a longevity that no one else enjoys.”

Heyman’s run with Brock Lesnar has been very successful, but don’t look for him to turn on The Beast Incarnate like he did in 2002. When asked if he thinks his character turning on Lesnar would make sense, he provided the following answer:

“No,” he says. “Not anymore.”

You can catch Paul Heyman Sunday night on the WWE Network when he accompanies Brock Lesnar to the ring for his match with AJ Styles at Survivor Series.