Before Earning $2M Per Year Regularly, Paul Heyman Was Saved From Being Bankrupt By Vince McMahon: ‘You’re Offering Me a Lifeline’

The late 90s and the early 2000s were a revolutionary era for professional wrestling. In the span of three years from 2001 to 2003, Vince McMahon acquired WCW and ECW. While WCW was being sold in 2001, Paul Heyman was struggling with bankruptcy in the same year. However, he claims it was McMahon who did him a “favor” while he was going through a tough time.

After ECW collapsed Heyman joined WWE. This opportunity from McMahon gave Heyman a chance to shine again on a big stage. This was before he made $2 million per year on a WWE contract.

Paul Heyman recalls Vince McMahon ‘offering him a lifeline’

Recently, The Bloodline’s Special Counsel appeared for an interview on Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin. He recalled the time when he joined WWE in 2001 and requested to be kept behind the scenes. But Vince McMahon had to change his plans due to Jerry Lawler leaving WWE.

The 77-year-old former CEO of WWE asked Heyman to take Lawler’s place as RAW Commentator. The Wise Man recalled the conversation he and McMahon had back in 2001.

Heyman said, “I said, ‘I’m not really in a position to turn down a favor from you this moment. My company is gone. I’m entering bankruptcy and you are offering me a lifeline’. So the answer to the favor is, ‘Yes. Now please tell me what I’m doing’.”

The 57-year-old added, “And he says, ‘We need you on commentary on Monday Night.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I’m back on television. That’s exactly where I don’t wanna be’. And then of course I realized I get to play with Jim Ross a little bit.”

The former ECW CEO took the offer to be a commentator for Monday Night RAW. However, the actual plans were for Heyman to appear on WWE TV after that year’s WrestleMania.

Read More:- Paul Heyman Breaks Character in Veiled Dig at Vince McMahon’s Failed Roman Reigns Project: “He’s Not Being Forced to Go Out There and Smile”

Nevertheless, he did commentary with Jim Ross and later brought ECW to WWE when the company went into the Invasion angle.

Heyman called Jerry Lawler’s spot iconic

Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross were two of the best commentator of WWE for a long time. Hence, even though Heyman didn’t want to be on TV in 2001, he loved this iconic spot and so he took the offer.

He said, “I always liked being Jim Ross’ color commentator. If I’m gonna have to do anything in the public eye anymore, replacing Jerry Lawler is not a bad way to be on TV. That’s a pretty iconic position and what today we refer to as relevant.”

Heyman left WWE for nearly five years and returned in 2012. Since then, he is one of the prominent figures of WWE TV and currently is the Special Counsel in The Bloodline story arc.

What do you make out of Paul Heyman’s comments about Vince McMahon? Share your opinion below.

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