Paul Heyman's Sportskeeda interview: Greatest faction ever, The Rock vs. Roman Reigns, fighting fans, & more
Paul Heyman has had a legendary career in professional wrestling. Starting as a photographer up until today, Heyman has surrounded himself with and helped develop some of the best talents the wrestling industry has ever seen. He currently serves as the Special Counsel for Roman Reigns and The Usos.
Sportskeeda's Kevin Kellam recently interviewed the legendary wrestling star. You can check it out in the video below:
During the interaction recorded before the unification bout between The Usos and RK-Bro on SmackDown, Paul Heyman touched upon several topics. They discussed why The Bloodline is the greatest stable of all time, The Rock vs. Roman Reigns, and why he's ready to fight the audience.
Below are five things we learned from Paul Heyman's Sportskeeda interview.
#5. The Special Counsel declared The Bloodline carries WWE on their backs
Paul Heyman is very vocal about showering praise on The Bloodline. When the legendary manager was asked about WWE's record-breaking fiscal year, he was quick to credit Roman Reigns and the crew:
"[It's] always a big week for The Bloodline. We are the top attractions in a billion-dollar industry, and those billions of dollars are driven by The Bloodline. So, yes, it's always a big week because we carry the entire industry on our backs." (1:05-1:20)
Proclaiming that The Bloodline carries the industry on their back is quite the statement, but his logic is sound. He tackled this subject further later in the same interview:
"We live on the island of relevancy, and Roman Reigns is the biggest box office attraction in sports entertainment history. WWE had its first billion dollar year last year. Who was on top, front and center, the focal point of the entire promotion for all 365 days last year? Roman Reigns." (11:23-11:45)
WWE's success with Roman as the focus of the company, Heyman may be correct in his reasoning.
#4. Paul Heyman explained why the WWE Universe must acknowledge Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns' catchphrase "Acknowledge me" is very popular. The WWE Universe loves to say it with him, even if they loathe everything he'll say afterward. Heyman made it very clear that everybody should acknowledge Roman. When asked about where the concept of acknowledging Roman came from and what it means, Paul Heyman said:
"Acknowledge your Tribal Chief, for that is what is in his heart and soul. And that is what you shall deliver to your Tribal Chief because, plain and simple. He overdelivers for you every single Friday night on SmackDown the same way he'll overdeliver for you in Rockford this Saturday. That's what he does. He's The Tribal Chief. Then, now, and forever. And for that, you shall acknowledge him." (12:37-13:05)
Roman Reigns deserves respect. The past few years have solidified his legacy and his superstardom. Additionally, Paul Heyman managing to plug the live event while praising his Tribal Chief is impressive.
#3. Paul Heyman believes The Rock would be humiliated by Roman Reigns
WWE Universe is waiting to see Roman Reigns take on his family member, The Rock. Both men have occasionally acknowledged battling each other over the past year, and many hope the match will headline WrestleMania 39. Heyman shared his views on how the match will go if it happens.
"It's up to Dwayne Johnson. If Dwayne Johnson wants to be embarrassed and humiliated and smashed in front of the entire world against Roman Reigns, he's welcome against The Tribal Chief. My goodness, what a box office that would be! Imagine the box office that could be driven by Roman Reigns vs. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in which you get to see The Tribal Chief smash The Rock." (4:26 to 4:48)
Claiming that a legendary star such as The Rock would be embarrassed and humiliated likely isn't overconfidence. It sounds as if those words are a challenge to The Rock. Whether the match takes place in the future remains to be seen.
#2. The legendary manager believes The Bloodline is the number one faction of all time
The Bloodline consists of Jimmy and Jey Uso, Roman Reigns, with Paul Heyman serving as their Special Counsel. During the interview, Heyman was asked where he feels The Bloodline fits in with the greatest stables of all time. The legendary manager had this to say about their ranking:
"Number one! The Horsemen were at their peak in 1986 but then Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson left for WWE in 1988. That was really the height of the Horsemen, a couple of years. The Dangerous Alliance, I will admit, was a collective of talent, the likes of which no one had ever seen before [but] we didn't get that long of a run, we weren't even together for a year. There's the nWo, but how long did their impact last?"
The proclamation that The Bloodline is number one over The Four Horsemen and nWo will turn heads. Paul Heyman didn't stop there:
"There were some great factions. DX, The Evolution, The Heenan Family were some really great factions, but to maintain on top, to consistently main event at the absolute highest level, no one has ever done it like The Bloodline,"- Paul Heyman added (from 7:37 to 8:44)
Whether the WWE Universe would agree with The Bloodline being ranked over all of those legendary factions or not, the group's success is undeniable.
#1. Paul Heyman noted he would fight those refusing to acknowledge The Tribal Chief
Most people don't think of Paul Heyman as a fighter. However, he surrounds himself with the fighters. Yet, at live events, sometimes the Special Counsel loses his temper. Heyman takes off his jacket and acts as though he'll fight the audience for not showing proper respect to Roman Reigns.
When asked about these antics, Heyman was blunt:
"I'm not from the Midwest; I'm from New York, which means I'll whoop your a**. And I take things very personally, especially when you're not acknowledging your Tribal Chief. And these are people who refuse to acknowledge The Tribal Chief. I won't stand for that." (9:53-10:08)
A true heel, Heyman managed to take a shot at the locals when discussing his New York roots. After those words, Paul Heyman expanded upon the comments:
"I'll deal with you. The Eleventh Commandment is 'Thou shalt acknowledge thy Tribal Chief.' and the Twelfth Commandment is 'If thou shalt not acknowledge thy Tribal Chief, thou shalt be dealt with by the Special Counsel.'" (10:23-10:42)
The legendary WWE personality is never short of words. Whether the WWE Universe agrees with his claims is a separate matter altogether. Make sure to check out the interview in full by watching the video at the top of the article.