Tag: Paul Heyman

Seth Rollins Injury At WWE Crown Jewel Reportedly Led To Major Creative Shift in WWE’s “Vision” Storyline

The shocking betrayal of Seth Rollins on Monday Night Raw wasn’t part of the long-term plan—at least, not yet. According to new reports from PWInsider and Fightful Select, WWE was forced to make a “heavy creative pivot” following a legitimate injury to the World Heavyweight Champion at Crown Jewel.

Just days after standing tall alongside Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Paul Heyman at the Perth premium live event, Rollins was blindsided by his own allies on Raw. The sudden fracture of The Vision—the faction that had seemed rock-solid heading into Crown Jewel—was reportedly written on the fly to explain Rollins’ upcoming absence from TV.

Sources tell PWInsider that Rollins was spotted with his arm in a sling after his win over Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in Perth. The injury apparently occurred when Rollins went for a high-risk coast-to-coast headbutt. Despite getting hurt mid-match, he powered through to finish the bout and retain his title.

Fightful Select added that the original plan had been for Breakker’s eventual split from Rollins to unfold sometime next year, but the injury forced WWE to move that storyline up. With Rollins now sidelined, Breakker and Reed are reportedly being positioned for a bigger spotlight much sooner than expected.

At this point, there’s no confirmed timetable for Rollins’ return. He’s said to be undergoing medical testing later this week to assess the severity of the shoulder injury.

The timing couldn’t be worse for The Vision’s Architect. Rollins had been locked in a heated rivalry with CM Punk, whom he defeated for the World Heavyweight Championship after a dramatic Money in the Bank cash-in at SummerSlam. In a twist of irony, that title win had been built around fake rumors of a Rollins injury—now, real life seems to have imitated storyline.

WWE fans will now have to wait to see how the company adjusts both the Vision storyline and the Punk feud while their champion recovers.

Seth Rollins’ Faction Reportedly Getting New Name and Theme Song from Mainstream Music Artist

WWE appears to be going all-in on the rise of Seth Rollins’ new faction, with reports suggesting the company is planning a major rebranding — including a fresh theme song produced by a mainstream music artist.

According to a new report from Bodyslam.net, WWE is working on a new entrance theme for Rollins and his group, signaling a potential shift in the faction’s presentation. While details about the artist haven’t been revealed, the move suggests that WWE sees big things ahead for the trio, and wants to elevate their presence with a high-profile sound to match.

Rollins has long had one of the most iconic entrances in modern WWE, with his current theme — a mix of his “Burn It Down” era music and a massive singalong chorus — becoming a fan-favorite in arenas around the world. That song has become so synonymous with his character that even WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray recently commented that Rollins “wouldn’t be as over” without it.

So, changing it is a big deal — and speaks volumes about WWE’s investment in this new stable.

The faction has been on a steady ascent since forming in the aftermath of WrestleMania 41, when Rollins shocked fans by aligning himself with Paul Heyman. The partnership opened the door for Bron Breakker to join the group on the RAW after ‘Mania, and more recently, Bronson Reed was added to the mix. The trio has already picked up big wins, including a decisive victory over Sami Zayn and CM Punk at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Their influence has only grown since then, culminating in Rollins capturing the Money in the Bank briefcase for the second time in his career — a win that was no doubt aided by his powerful allies.

With the group on a hot streak, a new name is reportedly on the way as well, likely solidifying their identity as a long-term fixture on the red brand. While fans are still speculating about what the new moniker could be, the pairing of Rollins’ charisma, Heyman’s mastermind reputation, and the raw power of Breakker and Reed is clearly clicking behind the scenes — and on-screen.

Between the rumored musical collaboration, faction branding, and Rollins’ Money in the Bank victory, WWE is clearly positioning this group as one of RAW’s top acts heading into the summer.

Paul Heyman Returns On WWE SmackDown, Introduces CM Punk As OG Bloodlines 5th War Games Team Member

Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown delivered one of the most electrifying moments of the year as CM Punk made his much-anticipated return. Joining the original Bloodline team for War Games, Punk’s comeback was orchestrated by none other than Paul Heyman, who also made a dramatic return to the fold.

Punk had been absent from WWE television, selling injuries sustained during his brutal Hell in a Cell victory over Drew McIntyre at Bad Blood. Fans were left guessing who would fill the fifth spot for the babyface War Games team, and the answer came in epic fashion when Heyman interrupted a tense in-ring confrontation between the two teams.

Solo Sikoa’s Power Play Backfires

Earlier in the night, Solo Sikoa took center stage, attempting to gain control of the narrative. With the opposing team seemingly unable to secure a fifth member, Sikoa called out Roman Reigns and the OG Bloodline faction for what he labeled “terms of surrender.”

Sikoa delivered an emotional plea laced with threats, telling Reigns and his crew that they could dominate WWE for decades if they joined forces. He wasn’t shy about pointing out Roman’s lack of a “Wise Man” or a fifth ally, raising the stakes with the ominous ultimatum: surrender and align with him, or face destruction.

The tension in the ring was palpable as Sikoa handed Reigns the microphone. But before Reigns could respond, Paul Heyman made his presence known.

Heyman’s Surprise and Punk’s Explosive Entrance

In classic Heyman style, the legendary advocate interrupted with a dramatic apology for his absence, referencing the brutal table spot at Madison Square Garden that took him out of action. Heyman then dropped the bombshell—War Games would indeed be five-on-five, revealing CM Punk as the final member of the OG Bloodline team.

As the unmistakable sound of Cult of Personality (Punk’s entrance music) hit, the crowd erupted. Punk sprinted down the ramp, wasting no time in igniting a brawl. The chaotic clash saw Punk and Roman Reigns dominate, with Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga each falling victim to a spear and Punk’s signature Go to Sleep (GTS).

The night ended on a powerful visual, as Paul Heyman stood on the ring apron, smiling broadly at the alliance between Punk and Reigns.

What’s Next for War Games?

With CM Punk’s return and his alignment with the original Bloodline, the War Games match has gone from must-see to absolutely unmissable. The dynamic between Punk, Reigns, and Heyman adds a layer of intrigue, as does the question of how Solo Sikoa will respond after his failed coup attempt.

SmackDown has officially raised the stakes for Survivor Series, and fans are eager to see what chaos unfolds when War Games hits the cage. Will Punk and Reigns be able to coexist, or is this alliance destined for implosion?

BONUS: CM Punk and The OG Bloodline stand tall: SmackDown exclusive, Nov. 22, 2024

Paul Heyman Refuses To Acknowledge Solo Sikoa, Put Through Announce Table On WWE SmackDown

The new Solo Sikoa-led Bloodline bookended last night’s “WWE SmackDown,” as Solo Sikoa awaited his official annointment as “The Tribal Chief,” “Head of the Table,” et al in an “Acknowledgment Ceremony.” With WWE Undisputed World Champion Cody Rhodes and his allies Randy Orton and Kevin Owens excused early on in the night’s show, there wasn’t much left to stand in the way of Sikoa accepting the ceremonial ula fala, but the Madison Square Garden crowd seemed to either anticipate a betrayal from the latest Bloodline inductee, Jacob Fatu, or perhaps a return from Roman Reigns or The Rock. Neither happened in the end, and ultimately, it was Paul Heyman as the lone resistor, with “The Wiseman” taking the beating of a lifetime as a result.

Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Heyman all hit the ring together, and the group then introduced Fatu as its latest official member with a proper introduction, TitanTron, music, graphics and all. All of Tonga, Loa, and Fatu acknowledged Sikoa as their new Tribal Chief, but when it was Heyman’s turn, he hesitated, buried his head, told Sikoa that he loved him, but then admitted that he did not acknowledge him in assuming Reigns’ previous position.

At that point, things only got exponentially worse for Heyman, with Sikoa nailing his former “Wiseman” with the Samoan Spike, then ordering Fatu to hammer him with a diving headbutt. As the crowd roared “We want Roman!” Fatu then led the way in a Triple Powerbomb through the announce desk, with an assist from Tonga and Loa, and down went Heyman, with The New Bloodline raising “The Ones” as the show went off the air.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1806869888008597790

Paul Heyman To Be inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024

WWE announced Paul Heyman as the first inductee into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame.

Below is the announcement on WWE.com:

As first reported by the Associated Press, Paul Heyman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

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!

Source: WWE

John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Paul Heyman And Asuka Set For Next Week’s NXT

No fewer than four huge names on the WWE main roster will be headed to “WWE NXT” next Tuesday as the show goes head-to-head against “AEW Dynamite.” In addition to Asuka, who will be wrestling Roxanne Perez on the show, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and Paul Heyman will all be appearing in what has to be considered the most star-studded “NXT” event of all time.

Cena will be in former “NXT” Champion Carmelo Hayes’ corner when he faces Bron Breakker, who, as it turnes out, will have Heyman in his corner. Cena is currently involved in a feud with the Bloodline and will face Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso in tag team action alongside LA Knight at the Fastlane premium live event on Saturday. As for Rhodes, he’s set to make “a major announcement,” but what exactly Cody wants to talk about has not been revealed.

“NXT” will go up against “Dynamite” on AEW President Tony Khan’s birthday, on what Khan is calling “Title Tuesday.” Only one match has been announced for the show so far, but it’s a big one: Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge in WWE, will be making his in-ring AEW debut on the Tuesday edition of “Dynamite” against Luchasaurus. WWE’s recent strategy of infusing “NXT” broadcasts with main roster talent like Dominik Mysterio and Becky Lynch has paid off in ratings numbers that rival the ones “Dynamite” gets on Wednesdays; as a result, these announcements can safely be read as an attempt by WWE not only to counter-program “Title Tuesday” (and Copeland’s debut) but to beat “Dynamite” in the ratings for the first time since the heyday of the “Wednesday Night War.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paul Heyman Back With Brock Lesnar As His Advocate

Paul Heyman appeared with Brock Lesnar on Monday’s RAW and the two announced they are back working together as client and advocate.

Monday Night’s RAW confirmed that Paul Heyman is back working as Brock Lesnar’s advocate. No longer under Roman Reigns’ employ, Heyman has jumped back into the arms of the new WWE Champion and the two worked together Monday night, setting the stage for the Royal Rumble.

After WWE showed a highlight package from Saturday’s “Premium Live Event”, the lights went out and Heyman appeared in the middle of the ring to introduce his “client” Brock Lesnar. The new WWE Champion came to the ring and did confirm Heyman was, once again, his advocate. After sarcastically hoping Roman Reigns gets well soon, Lesnar turned the mic back over to Heyman who went on a long rant about every competitor in the Fatal 4-Way. He gave each props but said none would measure up.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1478173790530162690

Heyman really sold his client’s win on Saturday while Lesnar stood atop a self-made podium that was once being used as the ring steps. Lesnar didn’t talk much after going for a cheap pop with the South Carolina crowd and he let his advocate do the rest of the work.

This was as good a promo as one would expect from Heyman, but questions about where this leaves Lesnar as a heel or babyface are sure to follow. Is Heyman coming back to Lesnar a sign these two will go back to being heels? Or, is Heyman now a good guy too? Later on the show, WWE teased Friday’s SmackDown would offer more of Lesnar and Heyman, so potentially the WWE Universe will find out.

That Heyman is simply back with Lesnar could speak volumes when it comes to any future storyline that includes finishing off the Reigns/Lesnar/Heyman storyline. If a new No. 1 contender is crowned in the main event, perhaps the Lesnar vs. Reigns program will be pushed aside for quite a while and what Heyman was really doing all this time will take a back seat.

Source: TheSportster

AJ Styles Reveals He Tested Positive For COVID 19, Gives Reaction To Paul Heyman Moving To SmackDown

The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles recently went live on Twitch and offered his well wishes for The Rock, as it was reported earlier that Rock and his family have been diagnosed with COVID 19. During the discussion, Styles revealed that he recently tested positive for the virus as well.

“A lot of people don’t know or realize, but I also tested positive a few weeks ago,” Styles said. “It may have been a month ago. I feel for people that have to deal with this, but my personal experience with it was I didn’t have any problems with it. Hopefully The Rock and his family are safe and everyone is taken care of and not having many symptoms. That sucks for him and his family and hopefully they get through it fairly quickly.”

“I went through it and was one of the lucky ones,” Styles continued. “I didn’t have many symptoms. Kind of had a headache and not much else. I was pretty lucky. I hear that Rock and his family are no longer contagious, so hopefully everyone is on the mend. So much conflicting information has came out about this thing, so who knows what to believe with it.”

Styles moved back to SmackDown after getting into a backstage altercation with Paul Heyman while on the RAW roster. The altercation stemmed from Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson being let go as part of the roster cuts. Styles was told it was Heyman’s decision to let them go, but Paul denied it when Styles confronted him. After Styles went directly to McMahon, Vince told him it was Heyman’s idea. The fact that Styles felt that Heyman lies to him caused quite a rift and AJ ultimately demanded to be sent to SmackDown to get away from him, but Heyman is now part of the SmackDown roster.

“It is what it is,” AJ said. “I could care less. It’s water under the bridge. Listen, I’m not saying I forgot what he’s done, but I’m not going to be the guy that holds a grudge. It’s one of those things where he knows he pissed me off and how I felt. Just because I don’t trust him doesn’t mean that I can’t get along with him professionally. I’m not going to do or say anything mean to him. It’s over. My buddies are doing fine. I was concerned about them when this whole thing went down, but they are doing great.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AJ Styles Calls Paul Heyman “A Boldface Liar”, Responds To Reports About Their Relationship

As seen below, WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles took to his Mixer video game streaming channel yesterday and had some strong things to say regarding his former boss on RAW, Paul Heyman. It was previously reported that Styles and Heyman did not get along when they were working together.

“There were some rumors going around that AJ Styles left RAW to go to SmackDown because he was being bullied. That may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Styles said. “I mean, I’m a grown man. If there were some bullying going on that upset me enough to leave RAW and go to SmackDown, I would handle it. And whether I got my tail beat or not, I’d still handle it. I’m a grown man. So, I’ll just throw that out there.

“When it came to the rumor about Paul Heyman and being upset with him because he didn’t take up for Gallows and Anderson before they got released, that’s not what it was at all,” AJ continued. “It’s not even close. I’ll give you a snippet of what me, Gallows, and Anderson already know – [Paul Heyman] is a liar. Now you know; I’m sure you’ve heard that before if you go back to his ECW days, you’ll hear that. He’s a boldface liar. So, that’s my take on that. I will let Gallows and Anderson [add to it].”

Styles was reportedly “furious” over Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson being released in April. Styles reportedly blamed Heyman for their releases, even though Vince McMahon was the person who made the call.

Anderson and Gallows have reportedly come to terms on a deal with Impact Wrestling. The deal would allow “The Good Brothers” to wrestle on Impact as well as New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Talent Reportedly Concerned With Paul Heyman No Longer Running RAW

A lot of the talent on the WWE RAW brand are reportedly concerned with Paul Heyman being removed as the head of creative for Monday Night RAW, according to Dave Meltzer in the latest issue of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

According to The Observer, Heyman had pushed Vince McMahon on the idea that it would take 18 months or longer to create credible new stars, as the company had been failing to push new talent to the top. Heyman took over as the creative head of RAW on June 27, 2019, however his employee contract was terminated less than 12 months later this past Thursday. Heyman still has a WWE performer’s contract.

During the Q1 2020 investors call in late April, McMahon blamed the drop in RAW ratings on the new talent on the brand, saying that they need time to get over. At the time McMahon said that he was convinced that RAW’s ratings would rebound once fans took to the new stars.

“RAW has suffered, but not necessarily because of the environment, it’s suffered because we bring in a lot of new talent and to RAW, and it takes a while to get these new talents over,” McMahon said. “We no longer have Brock Lesnar obviously, but we have a new champion and a lot of new performers coming in. So it takes a while. So that’s the reason, and how you use those performers in this story or that story or what have you. So, with new talent it’s just going to take a little while. I’m convinced though, that the RAW’s ratings are going to bounce back considerably.”

Meltzer noted that McMahon’s mentality had changed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Before the pandemic, McMahon was concerned with building to the future, which included the XFL being a long-term project, as well as expanding NXT into other foreign markets. McMahon now is apparently worried about what is happening today.

It was noted that Heyman’s projects included newer stars like Drew McIntyre, Andrade, Angel Garza, Zelina Vega, Aleister Black, Apollo Crews, Austin Theory, The Street Profits, The Viking Raiders and Murphy, as well as established talent such as Charlotte Flair, Rey Mysterio, Asuka and Nia Jax. Meltzer stated that a lot of the talent are concerned because they’ve never had a big push, with some floundering before Heyman took charge.

Meltzer also reported that the belief is that McIntyre and The Street Profits are the stars that are most likely to be safe as McMahon likes them. However, they might not continue to be protected as well.

Source: Wrestling Inc.