WWE Rumors - Backstage reason why The Undertaker mentioned AJ Styles' real name on RAW
The go-home episode of RAW before WrestleMania 36 was a solid offering from WWE considering the circumstances, and the show included some of the best promos we've seen all year.
The Undertaker, Edge and Kevin Owens were brilliant on the microphone in their respective segments, and the common thread across all their promos was the apparent sense of realism.
As revealed by Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio, the increase in the quality of the promos as well as the non-kayfabe elements are all because of Paul Heyman.
Meltzer spoke about Heyman's mentality when it comes to big shows and angles. The Executive Director of RAW loves to incorporate real-life references in storylines that are being built up for the big PPVs. Even Heyman understands that he can't do it often as the novelty of the angles will be lost and it may seem annoying to the fans.
The imprints of Paul Heyman's decision-making is evident on all the big angles on RAW. The intense feuds between The Undertaker & AJ Styles, Edge & Randy Orton and Kevin Owens & Seth Rollins have benefited from Paul Heyman's monumental idea to add some much-needed realism.
Heyman himself alluded to the change in approach in his promo that ended this week's show.
Here's what Meltzer explained on the Observer Radio:
Paul Heyman has done that for 25 years. You know, like the idea that and you can even see it, you can even see it in his promos, Paul Heyman’s mentality is that for the big angles for the big show, I mean you can’t do this every week as it’s annoying and everything. You go with the idea that deep down we all know that it’s a show, but there’s some reality to this, therefore you use people’s real names, therefore you tell real stories, which is what everybody did, and that’s the whole nature of the basis of the promos.
Kevin Owens’ promo was like that, you even in this - using the name Allen Jones, and Mark Calaway, you know these are just ideas that Heyman’s done, and Heyman, in the end, himself talking about how this is the go-home promo in the final segment in the go-home RAW before WrestleMania. ‘It happens once a year and we always do these promos to embellish and exaggerate, but, but, but, now I’m telling the truth’ type of a thing.
The Undertaker's gripping promo that opened RAW this week is an ideal example of Heyman's plan working wonders. The Deadman called AJ Styles by his real name in what was easily the best Undertaker promo in years and it helped increase the hype for the Boneyard match at WrestleMania 36.
Paul Heyman is at the wheel on RAW and the positive effects are all there to be seen.