5 NXT stars who could be the next 'Paul Heyman Guys'
Paul Heyman has managed the who’s who of this business. From The Undertaker to Brock Lesnar, many superstars have had the honor of being called “Paul Heyman Guys.”
The Wise Man’s current associate, or Tribal Chief, is Roman Reigns, but that doesn’t mean Heyman cannot identify talent from across WWE’s incredibly stacked roster – especially NXT.
Speaking of NXT, the Wise Man was at the Performance Center tonight to manage Bron Breakker in his match against Carmelo Hayes. Heyman had quite an interesting conversation with the former NXT Champion, which will be discussed later in his piece.
That said, here are five NXT superstars who could be the next Paul Heyman guys and girls.
#5. Dani Palmer can thrive with Heyman by her side
Dani Palmer is one of the most athletically gifted superstars on the NXT roster. The 25-year-old has put on several great matches on Level Up, many of which came against her real-life best friend Sol Ruca in developmental.
Palmer, however, has struggled to gain substantial footing on NXT and has mostly been used to put over other stars. A pairing with Heyman can potentially help Palmer overcome the obstacles she’s facing on the white and gold brand.
#4. Dijak would make a great addition to the list of Paul Heyman guys
Dominik Dijakovic put on classics against Keith Lee, Damian Priest, and Matt Riddle in Triple H’s version of NXT. Unfortunately, his first main roster stint saw him relegated to a punching bag for The Hurt Business as part of Retribution.
It wasn’t until Shawn Michaels took control of NXT and brought T-Bar back to NXT as Dijak that his fortunes started to improve. Though his gimmick makes him more of a fit for Judgment Day, Dijak would probably have nothing to lose and much more to gain if he formed an alliance with Heyman.
#3. Ilja Dragunov can benefit from having a manager on the main roster
Ilja Dragunov accomplished a massive feat at No Mercy when he became the only European wrestler with NXT and NXT UK Championship reigns under his belt. The Czar is currently the top champion in Shawn Michael’s brand, and it seems he’ll have a lengthy reign with the title.
Ilja’s passion for the business knows no bounds, but that can potentially hurt his well-being. The Mad King is probably the most violent star on NXT, and there’s probably no one better to guide him to use violence in a much more effective way without hurting himself than Paul Heyman.
#2. Ava can turn from the Final Girl into Paul Heyman Girl
Ava’s relationship with Heyman extends well beyond the wall of the Performance Center. The Rock’s daughter has probably known the Wise Man far more than many other people on NXT because of Heyman’s decades-old association with the Anoa'i family.
Plus, the Wise Man also seems to be interested in bringing Ava to The Bloodline – as captured by NXT Anonymous tonight. It is possible that she could be the trump card for Roman Reigns in his rumored feud against The Rock in the lead-up to WrestleMania 40.
#1. Bron Breakker has everything to be the next Paul Heyman Guy
Bron Breakker, being the next Paul Heyman guy, probably makes the most sense out of this list.
The 25-year-old has the looks and the abilities the Wise Man would want in the next ‘Paul Heyman Guy.’ Also, the way The Wise Man called Breakker’s name sounded eerily similar to his introduction for Brock Lesnar.
Heyman was in Breakker’s corner for his match against Carmelo Hayes in the main event of NXT this week. Though the Wise Man couldn’t watch the outcome because of John Cena’s brawl with Solo Sikoa, he still conveyed his intentions to the young powerhouse and future main roster main eventer.