At the moment, Paul Heyman is the one responsible for calling a lot of the shots on RAW. Sure, he’s had a few misses thus far but there’s no denying that he has done a great job in pushing new talent like the Street Profits and a couple of others on this list. On the contrary, there are a few wrestlers he hasn’t touched, those are going to fall on the other side of the list.
Along with current WWE stars, we’ll also feature the old guard. Some are still in his inner circle while various ECW alums end up on the other side of the list. In fact, one ECW star referred to Heyman as the devil, ouch!
Enjoy the article folks, let’s get started!
16 Inner Circle - Big Show
“Paul and Big Show were friendly and Paul really got on the Big Show bandwagon for a bit."
That’s what Bruce Prichard had to say about Heyman and Big Show’s relationship according to Wrestling Inc. The friendship really blossomed in the early 2000s when Big Show made a run at the WWE Title alongside Paul Heyman. The two still share a mutual respect for one another.
15 Not – Sabu
These two ECW alums really didn’t get along, in fact, Heyman didn’t even push for Sabu in WWE, according to Bruce Prichard. It seems like the feeling is mutual with Sabu who had this to say with Wrestle Rumors;
“As a person, he’s the devil. Or close to it. I suppose the devil, he’s not that cool. If he was any cooler, he would be the devil.”
14 Inner Circle - Liv Morgan
Liv is the latest WWE star to join Paul Heyman’s inner circle. According to Wrestling Observer, Heyman is fully on board for a big Liv Morgan push in 2020.
Though it should be noted that Paul had fans scratching their heads given Liv’s recent return, working an angle alongside Lana.
13 Inner Circle – Brock Lesnar
Of course, we all know about their connection nowadays, however, it started at the beginning of Brock’s career. In fact, it was Paul Heyman that coined the nickname, “The Next Big Thing.”
Heyman was then slotted as Brock’s agent, despite the fact that McMahon didn’t think Brock needed a manager. We can safely say that it all worked out.
12 Not – Dudley Boyz
Heyman had a love/hate relationship with the Dudleys throughout the years. We assume things went well in ECW but it was a different story once Heyman entered WWE.
According to Bruce Prichard, Heyman campaigned against the Dudleys joining WWE, claiming that they were way past their prime.
11 Inner Circle - Ricochet
Unlike Vince McMahon, Heyman had a good gauge on talent that deserves to be pushed. One of the acts that soared as soon as Heyman was put in charge is Ricochet.
He fought in main event matches instantly and played a greater role in Paul’s shows. We can expect that to only increase in 2020 as he remains in Heyman’s inner circle.
10 Inner Circle - Aleister Black
According to the recent rumors, Aleister Black is in line for a mammoth push in the upcoming months – even likely becoming the face of RAW thanks to Paul Heyman.
Black has looked untouchable since Heyman took over and that’ll only continue. Look for the push to only intensify moving forward – he’s clearly in Paul’s inner circle.
9 Not – Dana Brooke
Given Dana’s involvement on RAW in the recent weeks, some speculated that a push might be coming her way in the near future.
However, it recently was deemed not to be the case as management only views her as an enhancement talent at the moment. Clearly, she’s not in Heyman’s inner circle among the new talent on RAW.
8 Inner Circle - Ronda Rousey
“I had a blast working with Ronda Rousey. Working with Ronda Rousey was a life-changing experience for me, and I hope I get a chance to work even more with Ronda Rousey in the future.”
Those are Heyman’s words pertaining to Rousey with Wrestling Inc. The admiration seems to be mutual with reports indicating that Ronda wants a return just so she could work with Paul again.
7 Inner Circle - Drew McIntyre
According to a recent report from Cagesideseats, Drew McIntyre is another wrestler Heyman plans to push in a big way during 2020.
This should not come as a surprise, Drew has all the tools to succeed from the look, to great talent in the ring to tremendous promo work as well.
6 Not - Tazz
We can add this one to the love/hate type of relationship. According to Bruce Prichard, the two got at one another multiple times behind the scenes.
Bruce would also make the claim that Heyman instigated the infamous “pick a hand” altercation between RVD and Tazz during their ECW days.
5 Inner Circle - Buddy Murphy
Murphy is another WWE star to receive a huge boost in recent months, taking on Aleister Black in some epic matchups.
According to the recent report, Murphy is another wrestler Heyman plans to boost in the upcoming months on RAW. He’ll likely be on top of the mid-card soon enough as the US Champion.
4 Not - The Sandman
We can add Sandman to the list of wrestlers Heyman discouraged McMahon from signing following the closure of ECW.
Heyman might’ve had a point, as Sandman struggled to stay relevant following ECW’s demise. His WWE run was a total bust and one that is mostly forgotten about.
3 Inner Circle – Charlotte
“One day, @MsCharlotteWWE will not be known as @RicFlairNatrBoy's daughter. #RicFlair will be known as #Charlotte's father. And he wouldn't have it any other way! Oh … by the way ... That's not a prediction … that's a spoiler!”
Given Heyman’s thoughts on Twitter, the admiration is definitely there. According to Wrestling Observer, Paul has big plans for Charlotte as well moving forward as a focal point of the women’s division on RAW.
2 Not – Tommy Dreamer
Yes, they made up but the bitterness, especially from Tommy Dreamer, will always be there. Dreamer truly believes ECW could have lasted had Heyman not sold his soul to McMahon and WWE.
Things got so bad following ECW’s closure, Dreamer actually contemplated taking Heyman’s life…
1 Inner Circle – CM Punk
We all know the story by now, it was Paul Heyman that saw something special in CM Punk, when the likes of Triple H and various others turned a blind eye.
Despite the odds against him, Punk would become a huge star, even having Paul Heyman by his side for a certain time period. Surely, if Punk is to return, he’ll do so on RAW.
Sources – Wrestling Inc, Cagesideseats & Wrestling Observer
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