Paul Heyman assesses on his influence on pro wrestling.
“The Wise Man” is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024 in Philadelphia on Friday. Ahead of his induction, Heyman spoke to Phil Schneider of The Ringer to discuss his career and how ECW changed the industry at a time when it was needed.
“I never considered hardcore wrestling to be the pursuit of blood,” Heyman said. “I considered extreme and hardcore to be a testament to the work ethic that was involved. We did an excessive amount of blood in ECW because the others couldn’t offer it.”
He continued, “We popularized Mysterio versus Psicosis. We popularized Malenko versus Guerrero. We innovated the tap-out instead of ‘I Quit’ in professional wrestling and sports entertainment with the character of Taz… The stunts and the visuals and the music [were] a counterculture presentation.”
Heyman declared that ECW was indeed meant to disrupt the status quo in the 90s.
“ECW was meant to disrupt,” Heyman added. “The disruptors very rarely in life get the direct benefit of their disruption. … Bubba Ray Dudley says it best to this day: ECW was Napster. It completely changed the way this industry is presented, thought about, and absorbed by the audience.”
Heyman would also point out ECW’s influence on WWE’s current competitor in All Elite Wrestling. He believes there are similarities in not only the in-ring style, but also certain production aspects.
“AEW is in and of itself RVD, because anyone who watches AEW can quickly conclude the AEW style is based on Rob Van Dam versus Jerry Lynn from 1998, 1999,” Heyman said. “And then you throw in all the different things that were obviously influenced by Taz, Sabu, the Sandman’s entrance, playing music while the action still goes on—let alone the fact that they continue to use the ‘lights out, lights on’ gimmick, which we debuted at the November to Remember 1995 when I brought back Sabu. The first financially viable opposition to WWE in many years employs styles that we either innovated or popularized during our run.”
