I'm a Paul Heyman Guy

Be a Paul Heyman Guy

With CM Punk MIA until a rumored return for Payback in his hometown of Chicago, and Brock Lesnar taking a step away from the WWE until Summerslam, Paul Heyman foreshadowed another WWE superstar to be the next "Heyman Guy". Last night, we saw the re-package of Joe Hennig/Michael McGillicutty as Curtis Axel. A portmanteau of his dad, Curt Hennig and his grandfather's nickname, Larry "The Axe" Hennig (Curt-is Axe-l), Hennig became the next Paul Heyman guy and his debut match under the new moniker was against WWE's Corporate Son, Triple H.

Curtis Axel makes his debut last night at WWE RAW!

Following Wrestling 101 and not making either superstar look weak, Triple H "suffered a concussion" to take him off of TV for a while. I absolutely hate these recent matches to protect one wrestler or the other. I understand that it is necessary to do so, but credibility is such a leading factor into building storylines that it doesn't make any sense. Hennig should have went clean over Triple H with an easy pin. Going back to Wrestling 101, Triple H used all the necessary foreshadowing; "I'm going to wrestling. Doctor is a quack." Etcetera. Use that concussion to Hennig's advantage as a "heel" character, put him away, and start strong. "I'm the guy that put Triple H away on my debut match!"

Behind the Gorilla Position, Hennig has two powerful allies to push him to the stars; Triple H and the Rock. The Rock has quite a bit of influence within the WWE, and with Triple H's own favoritism, Hennig will most likely be a top star pretty soon. Sheamus was heavily pushed by Triple H and brought up from ECW a few years back, and Sheamus has yet to fall from where he is, and I see the Celtic Warrior in the chase for the World Heavyweight Title pretty soon.

Many Superstars of today have been under the tutelage of
Paul Heyman at one point or another.

But again, this isn't about Sheamus or Triple H. This isn't even about Hennig. This article is about the genius Jew from New York with a former extreme legacy; Paul Heyman. My prior articles mention Paul Heyman sporadically, but in all honesty (and quite argumentative), Paul Heyman is one of, if not the greatest minds in the wrestling business today, and has been for the last twenty years. Heyman has over thirty-five "Heyman Guys" that he has managed over his wrestling tenure, from the likes of "Mean" Mark Callous (who then became the Undertaker), Stunning Steve (Austin), Larry Zbyszko, Kurt Angle... just to name a few. And nearly every superstar that Heyman has placed his Midas Touch upon has been a major star at one point or another. Joe Hennig should take the ball he has been given, and run with it. Become the next John Cena, Randy Orton, or even Sheamus. With Paul Heyman at the Hennig wheel, Curtis Axel will be unstoppable.

To be today's star, be a Paul Heyman guy.

No Corporate Holds Barred

Paul Heyman has upped the ante with Triple H at Wrestlemania by forcing him to put his career on the line in a No Holds Barred match.

I can't help but to shake this feeling as this is Deja Vu all over again from Summerslam 2012, but with a little more value etched into it. Of course, the little hint of value doesn't strike me as very impressive just because of the fact that nearly everyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows that Triple H is well on his way out of the "wrestling" aspect, and getting into the "corporate" part of the business. So, what will be the outcome of this match at Wrestlemania?

Brock wins, of course. And that's probably what everyone who hasn't been living under a rock is believing it will happen that way. Including the fact that Brock has signed on for another year or so with the WWE and is advertised beyond Wrestlemania. There are so many things that give away the predictability for the event, that it will be a shocker to see Triple H win and bury Lesnar.

Or maybe that is what the WWE wants everyone to think. I posted the word "insanity" as defined by Albert Einstein, as "performing the same action over and over again expecting different results." Case in point.

Considering for the fact that there is an eight-year age difference between the two, Brock has a little more steam in him that he can invest as his time as a wrestler than Triple H does. Paul Levesque has paid his dues, and has been given an office with a window at WWE Headquarters, firmly planted in the corporate throes and under the wing of Vinnie Mac. But, with the No Holds Barred match quickly approaching, how does something repetitive end at the biggest stage of them all? Last time these behemoths met, Lesnar "snapped" Triple H's arm with the Kimura Lock. Does this happen again? Will we see Brock Lesnar deliver a devastating F-5 to Hunter off of the Hi-Definition stage set up? Or will we be blown away and Triple H puts Brock Lesnar away with the Pedigree?

Honestly, these "Match VS Career", "Loser Leaves..." stipulations are so bogus. The wrestler only takes a couple of months off of that particular brand, and returns on the other show, or an acting manager has them "re-hired", or something of that nature. I give respect to Shawn Michaels as he is the only wrestler holding true to his word, as he just doesn't want to return to wrestling. Granted, he does his thing on a "Legends" basis, but I doubt we will ever see him active in a WWE ring again. You see Ric Flair, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Randy Orton... the list goes on and on, but they return in some sort of capacity on that brand (or the other brand). Nothing is ever set in stone in the wrestling business. Leaves for much creativity, but predictability goes out the window. Creative can't get rid of a top storyteller. So, with this in mind, IF Lesnar wins, and Triple H goes away, will he return for another match? Will he have his own "Legends" contract? Or will he just do what Vince did back in the 90s and come and go when he pleases, and enter himself into storylines willy-nilly?

I wonder if Triple H will get involved in a storyline mirroring Vince/Austin's own storyline, with someone going against Paul Levesque, the boss!

Paul Levesque; Corporate Man

My prediction on this one will have Lesnar walk away with a win for the second time, and be hailed as the "new" king of kings. Now, on a side note, I would like to touch base on the recent changes that Triple H has been involved in. I have read all over the IWC, and I see many mixed reactions on Triple H becoming Paul Levesque, Corporate Man. With the negative review that Levesque (I will refer to him in the corporate sense now) is getting, I highly disagree! Levesque has done nothing but GOOD for the WWE ever since he has been given a little control of the reins.

Bullet points to mention--

The tag division: it is alive and barely kicking... alive nonetheless! I haven't seen so much worth into the tag division (even with the horrible slew of players currently involved) for quite some time.

Championships are becoming relevant: CM Punk, Sheamus, Cody Rhodes, Antonio Cesaro, Team Hell No... these current/former champions have held the title for over seven months each. Champs before that (outside of SuperCena and Triple H himself) have held titles for maybe two, three months at a time. No value, no prestige has been influenced on these props and have been made such as that; just props.

"What is this? I don't need a stinkin'
script!!"

Doing away with scripts: Levesque is initiating promos cut the way HE learned; by general points and getting rid of scripts. This particular way of cutting a promo worked well in the 80s and 90s and made characters that were believable. Superstars coming in from developmental taking a grasp in this way allows for more freedom, and versatility for a wrestler to create, mold and sculpt their character the way they see fit, and weed out the wrestlers without charisma. Take into consideration Brad Maddox and his flub on RAW. Running by a script that called for a mention of the Jeri-Tron 5000 (to which it "disappeared" during a commercial break), Maddox screwed up his lines and didn't wing it. As people have argued (and this may be the point that Levesque is getting rid of scripts), if Maddox was taught to wing the segment, the promo would have gone without a hitch.

Storylines: These have been more edgier, and more interesting coming from a wrestler's standpoint. Levesque is a wrestler; he has been involved and most likely knows what works. I'm not saying that Vince doesn't, but today's audience has changed. It is a new generation, and he knows what to do with such a change.

Bruno Sammartino: A lot of viewers absolutely don't care about this one, especially the newer audience, but this was a BIG one. For nearly thirty years, Sammartino spit on the WWF/E and snubbed his nose in the air of the mention of the product. Sammartino bad mouthed the WWF/F, bad mouthed the McMahon clan, and totally despised wrestling since the 1980s. Levesque toiled away at the phones, and worked himself to the bone to square away any discrepancy that Sammartino had, and finally had his approval and acceptance into the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame. Outside of the hatred that Bret Hart had against McMahon, I don't see a bigger loathing than Sammartino. Come to think of it, maybe Levesque was also behind the apology of Shawn Michaels to Hart. Who knows? But I think that this action right here has shown (outside of others that Levesque has done) that taking Triple H out as a wrestler and putting him in a corporate setting is the future for the WWE.

Okay. I'm done with my rant. In a couple of days, I will cover some more 'Mania!

The Bell Tolls For CM Punk

It is official; CM Punk VS The Undertaker

The stage has been set, and the gauntlet thrown; we have a superstar to challenge for the Streak this year, and it goes to CM Punk. With a clean win over Randy Orton on the Old School RAW. Even though that this match was already slated in the cards, and rumored about for a while now... I am excited to see this match up happen. It's not the championship match, but it does establish something else for Punk if he breaks the streak. Again with last night, when Wrestlemania season rolls into town, the Undertaker becomes a target. Who doesn't want to cement themselves in the wrestling history books with the likes of Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers as the guy who broke a twenty year streak? Considering the names that came out and wanted a piece of the Undertaker's Wrestlemania legacy (Orton, Sheamus, and the Big Show), CM Punk put away Orton on a distraction. This ultimately made Punk look strong in a top-tier match against superstars who have all been multiple former champions. Count 'em... there have been over 40 championship reigns between those four men. And to think, Mean Mark Callous was winning championships back when most of these competitors (outside of the Big Show) wer in grade school, and with CM Punk winning and going to Wrestlemania would be a happy medium with a fresh face versus Taker, as the past four years have seen rematches of Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Glad to see something new.

With fresh being one of the topics at hand, how fresh is the Undertaker? Considering his tenacity for the past four years against two solid competitors, Taker has performed amazing matches with HBK and HHH, and didn't disappoint. However, we all saw Undertaker barely walk away from his last match with Triple H.  How much fuel does Taker have left in his tank? Will this match with CM Punk be just as, if not better, than his last? Will the WWE allow him to keep the streak intact? Or does the Undertaker realize that he isn't in the best shape to continue five-star quality matches any longer? Outside of his appearance at RAW 1000, a year long hiatus for the Undertaker may not be enough. This may be the time for the Undertaker to pass the torch to Punk and walk away with his first Wrestlemania loss.

Now, let us take a look at the challenger. Any superstar, even Gillberg and the J.O.B. Squad would be solidified as amazing to put away the Undertaker and his streak (but it would devalue Taker immensely), but this is no ordinary challenger--this is CM (Chick Magnet) Punk, a man who carried the WWE Championship longer than anyone within the WWE in the last 25 years. Punk has credibility as a wrestler, and has established himself as a legitimate threat to many in the locker room. Best In The World would BE Punk, hands down, save a win over the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Of course, looking into the past, there have been numerous threats in the Dead Man's way. The Heartbreak Kid and Triple H have been massive road bumps recently, to which Taker did not walk away from the past four Wrestlemanias that easily. It showed his age, and that he is getting up there with the rest of the Legends. But, I digress.

If Punk puts away Taker, you might also have someone else to thank for his historic win; Paul Heyman. If you are an avid reader of my long-winded spectacle, I am a fan of Heyman and his "managerial" talent. Even after all the twinkie tits and walrus references from the Rock, he takes everything in stride and he is amazing when it comes to acting and reacting. He is the prime onscreen definition of the word "slimeball". However, with all that is said, Heyman has been with Punk since September 2012, and has made waves for CM Punk. My question is, with Heyman in Punk's corner, will this also play as a factor in Punk's win/loss? Heyman is very diabolical, as with his encounter with the Dead Man back in 2002 with Brock Lesnar. Heyman himself had tried several times to disarm Taker and request from Mr. McMahon different ways to disallow  Undertaker from using a cast on his hand that Brock had injured. As Vickie Guererro and "creative" are so haphazard and disorganized, I'll be hard pressed to see what disadvantage, if any, she will put the Undertaker in. I was even half-expecting the Shield to come out and raise hell for the Undertaker at Punk's behest.

It is what it is. I'm very interested in seeing what happens at Wrestlemania, as this event is no longer something mentioned in passing; it is Undertaker's legacy.

The Streak
(Forgive the errant Win/Loss column... doesn't factor right in Google Blogger)

VII Jimmy Snuka 1–0

VIII Jake Roberts 2–0

IX Giant González 3–0

XI King Kong Bundy 4–0

XII Diesel 5–0

13 Sycho Sid 6–0

XIV Kane 7–0

XV Big Boss Man 8–0

X-Seven Triple H 9–0

X8 Ric Flair 10–0

XIX Big Show & A-Train 11–0

XX Kane 12–0

21 Randy Orton 13–0

22 Mark Henry 14–0

23 Batista 15–0

XXIV Edge 16–0

XXV Shawn Michaels 17–0

XXVI Shawn Michaels 18–0

XXVII Triple H 19–0

XXVIII Triple H 20–0

XXIX    CM Punk ???

Stuck Between a Brock and a Hard Place

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. As a Californian, I should be expected to watch the game being as there is a Californian team (for those of you who live under a rock, the San Francisco 49ers), but I would much rather be engrossed in wrestling, because as football goes away for a couple months, wrestling entertainment will always be here, and I can always entertain you fine folks who read!

With that said, Brock Lensar has signed another deal with the WWE, lasting all the way through Wrestlemania 31. Rumor has is that the deal inked is similar to what he is currently signed up for, showing up sporadically throughout the next two years and being paid an exorbitant amount of cash for his appearances.

Just another part-timer.

Brock Lesnar has signed a new contract to last
all through Wrestlemania 31
Courtesy of WWE.

Take this with a grain of salt; sure, the WWE has other "part-timers" like The Rock (current WWE Champion), Chris Jericho, Triple H, and at the current rate, the Undertaker. Yet with the amount of money going out into Brock's pocket and the money going into the WWE on an individual basis, is the contract necessarily worth it? And secondly, with the amount of time Brock has invested in the organization with actually making appearances, is it really effective enough to be engrossed in Brock Lesnar, the character? Lesnar made less appearances than Pay Per Views last year, randomly picking fights with John Cena and then Triple H for not being the corporate "Yes Man" as Laurinaitis was at the time and allowing to let Lesnar run a muck within the WWE. Eventually, Brock broke the Game and "left" as the newly crowned "King of Kings" and Touting to the WWE Universe that he didn't need to be a part of the WWE any longer, and took his leave with Paul Heyman in tow.

However, Paul E. Dangerously came back a few months later in September with a new protege in mind; CM Punk. Heyman's alliance with then then-current WWE Champion propelled CM Punk into a chorus of boos and major heat, as Heyman himself, known over years of wrestling to be "the" bad guy from his days of ECW. Paul Heyman portrays a new level of extraordinary persona of the heel character, and instilled a partial of his own sans-credibility to Punk. CM Punk went on for a record of 434 days as champion, with three of those months with Paul Heyman at his side. Heyman even had newcomer Brad Maddox, and the fresh faced stable "The Shield" work under him to ensure Punk's continual reign as champion... and all these elements could have worked even longer, save for an intervention from Vince McMahon himself. All of these elements ooze heat by Paul Heyman, and he knows exactly how to work the crowd. This writer believes that Heyman himself is one of the better, if not the best, promoter-slash-booker. As Eric Bischoff stated as a title of his biography, "Controversy Creates Cash." Paul Heyman is the embodiment of it. Genius.

Paul Heyman "pleads" with Brock Lesnar last Monday night
to cease his attack on Vince McMahon
Courtesy of the WWE

But now, CM Punk lost the WWE Championship to Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson. What else is there for Punk? And for that matter, where does Heyman go from here? The result? Punk gives The Rock an opportunity for a rematch (what a twist!), and Heyman has been transitioned ever so smoothly from Punk to Brock with a "vicious assault" to Vince. Always known to be a "Paul Heyman" guy, Brock comes back at the right time to restart a feud with Triple H (part-timer extraordinaire, future embedded via Hogan-esqe ability), with the F-5 to the Chairman. And looking deeper into the scheme of things, Vince McMahon "screwed" CM Punk (aligned with Heyman) out the title. Heyman calls upon the Next Big Thing to take care of things with Vince, which will then connect everything down to the Executive Son-in-Law, igniting a repeat of last year's Summerslam for Wrestlemania. Part-timers then go their separate ways and leave the scraps to the active mid-carders.

Granted, this build up (which we haven't seen something this monumental and drawn out for some time) leaves for good storytelling, and there are so many elements and angles brought into this. CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Vince McMahon, The Shield, even possibilities for Cena, the Rock, Triple H, Vince McMahon, and many more. All of these wrestlers are tied in with this story one way or another.

Courtesy of the wrestlingtruth.com; WWE

And stuck in the middle of everything, is Paul Heyman.