BY WADE KELLER

Ten years ago this week my cover story chronicled the signing of Paul Heyman to a WWF contract, something that seemed impossible during his anti-authority days running ECW and marketing it as an anti-establishment, anti-WWF home for rebels. He replaced Jerry Lawler, who left the WWF after his wife, Stacy Carter (The Kat) was fired. Lawler and Heyman, who butted heads over the years, brought very different personalities to the broadcast table. Heyman and Jim Ross had worked together before going back to hosting the NWA Main Event program on Sundays on TBS in the 1980s.

He would go on to become a creative team member and lead writer of WWE Smackdown, eventually being replaced by Michael Hayes. But clashes with Stephanie McMahon and failure to overcome his reputation for needless mindgames and political gamesmanship cost him the trust of many within the company, despite having a great mind for the business and, surprising some, fitting into the WWE structure when it came to formulating good TV shows.

What's strange when looking at this story today is now off-the-map of pro wrestling Paul Heyman is now. He really has removed himself from the industry that once consumed him, but he has found a new life as a father to his kids and a friend and business associate of Brock Lesnar, a huge star in UFC. Will Heyman ever return to pro wrestling? I once would have said absolutely, for sure, eventually. Now I'm not so sure, but I still wouldn't rule it out.

ORIGINAL HEADLINE: Heyman debuts with WWF as commentator, writer
SUBHEADLINE: Is he exactly what the WWF needs, or will his presence upset a delicate balance of existing egos?
PWTORCH NEWSLETTER #644 - COVER DATED MARCH 10, 2001

Jerry Lawler resigned from the WWF in protest of his wife, Stacy (The Kat) Carter being fired. The WWF late in the week didn't have a replacement for Lawler scheduled. By the weekend, Paul Heyman was the leading candidate. Monday, Paul Heyman made his official debut on WWF television.

Paul Heyman's career has taken him many places, including briefly on WWF television as part of "ECW invasion" angles on Raw that never materialized into much. Heyman's appearance on Raw this week was historic in that one of the most influential members of the pro wrestling industry the last ten years is now due to collect his first official WWF paycheck.

He's got a hard act to follow. Jerry Lawler fit perfectly with the tone of the current WWF product. He was able to effectively move between doing comedy centered around his own personality and getting across storylines. Heyman hasn't done color commentary since the early '90s in WCW.

Heyman began his career as a manager on the indy scene. He first got national exposure in the Minneapolis-based AWA in the late-'80s. He moved on to become a top manager for WCW (when it was still called the NWA) on TBS, feuding with Jim Cornette. Heyman expanded to booking, including the Chicago-based Windy City territory. Eventually he hooked up with Tod Gordon's ECW. First he was booked, then he bought out Gordon and became ECW's owner. He never has been part of the WWF.

Due to time constraints and a desire to avoid falling victim to bookers' tendencies to overpush themselves, he pulled himself from television years ago. He has not been a TV figure, other than occasional appearances as the head of ECW, for years.

Now he is thrust back into the spotlight on the highest rated wrestling show of all time. His appearance didn't do anything for the ratings. The March. 5 Raw drew a 4.5 rating, its lowest non-holiday rating for Raw on TNN ever.

During his opening minute on Raw, he acknowledged he was replacing Lawler, whom he said took a stand in defense of his wife being fired. Otherwise, there wasn't an official introduction regarding who Paul Heyman is and what he has been doing, other than numerous references to ECW.

So what about ECW? It's expected that within two weeks HHG Corp. will file for bankruptcy to relieve its million dollars of dept. ECW has yet to miss a scheduled date, but that will change this weekend as ECW's March 11 PPV continues to get advertised in various media but will not take place. Heyman had at one point hoped to run one final PPV, perhaps with the help of the WWF, but that is not going to take place. The ads running on various cable networks and in various cable catalogs were in place before ECW's demise was confirmed.

Sources say Vince McMahon and others were happy with Heyman's commentary and he is slated to host next week's show, but no official decision has been made. Heyman is not considered the permanent replacement for Lawler at this point. He says he is telling people he does not want the job full time. In fact, Heyman appears more involved in his real passion - booking.

Backstage at Raw on Monday, he participated in the production meetings and also went over match finishes, including the main event with Steve Austin & Rock vs. Triple H & Kurt Angle.

Heyman's introduction on Raw was a bit more formal and detailed than his introduction to wrestlers backstage. He simply walked around the locker room and shook hands with the crew, but wasn't officially announced as being with the WWF. While the impression given is that Heyman is a regular member of the writing team, sources indicate he has yet to sign a contract to make the deal official.

Heyman has at times been considered a revolutionary booker. At other times, he has been considered burned out. Without the noose of ECW's business problems choking his creativity, he should be free to play to his strengths as a member of the WWF writing staff.

Could ECW be resurrected by the WWF? Possibly, but it doesn't appear likely. ECW has a valuable tape library, and the destiny of that is unknown if Heyman files for bankruptcy. The WWF, though, wants Heyman for what he can do for the WWF product rather than use his skills to develop a "rival" product for interpromotional angles.

A 4.5 rating for Raw is a great cable rating, but for the WWF it's in no way a sign of growing momentum headed into WrestleMania. The WWF judges itself each year in large part on how well WrestleMania does. This time of year is when the WWF has the least competition from other sports, yet it's not the summer yet when TV viewership dwindles.

WrestleMania is meant to be the culmination of the WWF's storylines from previous months and show the WWF at its strongest. A relatively weak ratings, 0.4 lower than its previous ten-week average, is not a confidence booster.

Heyman can bring a fresh perspective to the WWF's writing team. He has more experience writing than everyone else on the writing team combined, not counting Vince McMahon himself. He can bring to the table new brainstorms and fresh ideas on how to promote various personalities. The WWF has a winning formula, but every winning formula eventually needs to be tweaked or overhauled to avoid stagnation; Heyman may be the person to break some current paradigms.

The WWF isn't bringing Heyman aboard because they believe they absolutely need him right now. They are bringing him aboard because he happens to be available now. Heyman has had a friendly relationship with Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and others in the WWF for years. If ECW had grown into a major national force, it probably would have remained on friendly terms with the WWF throughout.

If Heyman becomes an official full-time booking team member, he'll want to make his mark. Other new writers may join the team and want to "fit in" and "not rock the boat" so as to avoid being blamed for a downturn in business. Heyman's personality dictates that he would rather gamble and make a difference.

Chemistry will be a key factor, though. Can Heyman fit in with the current writing staff? Will he be seen as a threat? Will he accept being overruled, something he hasn't had to deal with as a booker in ten years? Will others with more WWF seniority peacefully accept a backseat to Heyman if he grows to be influential? How will the top wrestlers deal with Heyman's approach after having found a comfort level the past couple years since Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara left?

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