Paul Heyman

Wrestling fans around the world know this name very well. And if they don't, they should, as he is the former co-founder of ECW, Extreme Championship Wrestling and now is but a McMahon lackey, wishing to have his thrown back.

He is a loud mouth, a bully, and often times, downright rude, but in the end, there are very few that know how to book a LONG and SUCCESSFUL feud. He helped create the shining star of Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Steve Austin, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, and my favorite, Mick Foley. Okay, he didn't create them, and didn't even make them better wrestlers...he listened to them. He let them be themselves. And guess what, folks...it worked.

Paul Heyman is an innovator, but let's take a look at what he did.

He created pandemonium, and with that, the fans came.

On the RISE AND FALL OF ECW DVD from WWE home video, Vince McMahon says that he was only appealing to his audience and not changing his product for anyone...but there's a farce in that. He didn't change he product because it was what Wrestling fans wanted.

Names like Austin, Foley, and the Rock weren't being created into Multimedia stars by soap opera drama...they were stars that broke the mold (with Exception to the Rock, for being this generation's Hulk Hogan, only a better actor).

Wrestling fans WANT to see the brutal beatings, they want the blood and gore. We want to see Mick Foley fall 20 ft to what should be certain death, only to have him minutes later fall 16 feet onto a hard ring surface, and still get up and wrestle for another 20 minutes.

Paul Heyman gave the REAL wrestling fan of today what they wanted. He introduced the masses to Lucha Libre, and cruiserweight wrestling. He introduced us to grapple wrestlers like Dean Malenko, and on top of that, he gave us the gore, the Dreamer Driver and the Even Flow. He gave us the kendo stick, the beer drinking and much more.

But he gave us a full package. His product shouldn't have to change, as it was a little of everything...sex, drugs, alcohol, violence. Forget the soap opera of a debate on wrestling. Give me two men hurting themselves with chairs. Vince should realize it, as he molded his ATTITUDE after ECW, after taking the largest stars away from Paul.

Paul, if you have been released, please...reform ECW, even if it is with someone else running the money end. The industry needs to wake up, because no one is watching anymore, and if it keeps going this way, it may never wake up again.