REVIEW CORNER: WWE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MY NAME IS PAUL HEYMAN DVD AND BLU-RAY

 

A – Excellent

B – Good

C – Mediocre

D – Avoid 

Release Date: August 4th 2014

Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk

Price:

DVD £ 19.99

Blu-ray £ 22.99

(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)

Format Reviewed: DVD (3 Discs)

(Also Available on Blu-ray (2 Discs)

What It’s About:

A 2 hour documentary covering Paul Heyman’s induction into the wrestling industry and subsequent career, complete with a brand new sit-down interview with the man himself as well as an array of talking heads. The release also includes 34 of Paul Heyman’s greatest promos and     across the three disc DVD and two disc Blu-ray.

Strengths:

After the first opening of the release, which won’t be of interest to any recent WWE fan and threatens overkill as it covers Brock Lesnar’s defeat of The Undertaker and The Streak at WrestleMania thanks to the issue being relevant in the company at present with Heyman’s constant bragging about Lesnar and his achievement, of which there are two, the pre-titles strangely focus on Paul Heyman’s parents and their influence on him and his career. Seemingly wishing to skip his family life once the main body of the release kicks in properly, to solely focus on his wrestling career, Paul Heyman talks about his parents with nothing but pride and informs us that initially, he was a disappointment to his mother when she believed he didn’t have the drive to follow his dreams. Fondly calling himself the ‘Schmuck Son’, this is a touching moment of reality from a man who, as you will see throughout the release, has been through so much to get where he is today. It may be one of the longest ever pre-titles on a WWE release ever but it’s very nicely done.

Having already mentioned the parents who were such an influence, the release swiftly delves into the real reason of its existence and that’s to discover Paul Heyman’s introduction into the wrestling industry. Possibly the most unique story of any so far begins with a thirteen year old Paul Heyman opening his own movie poster mail order business before realizing it was professional wrestling he wanted to be in. The age is covered well by WWE who leave virtually no stone unturned as attentions turn towards the cunning Heyman would use later in life to make ECW such a success. It’s a fascinating story as Paul relays to us the yarn of him creating a wrestling fanzine at 14 years old before hustling his way into the promotion.

The first Paul Heyman hustle will bring a smile to your face as all the qualities of today’s genius were clearly present in a young man wanting to make his way into a business which clearly didn’t want him. Finding out where Vince Sr. Used to eat and have his hair cut and then proceeding to phone up the then WWF offices and convince them he bumped into Vince Sr. who promised him a press pass are enchanting. Let’s not forget, at the time, Paul Heyman was just fourteen. What other child would have the nouse to pull this off. For those who doubt the authenticity of this story, the never before seen pictures provided will tell you everything you need to know. Once you cross-reference them with Paul Heyman’s birth date and the time they were taken with the stars in the pictures, no one can dispute the truth surrounding the story.

Talking head Bill Apter begins to sound like sour grapes when covering his time working as a ringside photographer with Paul Heyman. Calling the spotlight of this release a ‘Pain in the Ass’ for taking everyone’s cover pictures, Apter comes around to the genius of Paul Heyman fast though which rescues this segment from sounding like the usual WWE drubbing of a talent they don’t want to sound bigger than the company or smarter than Vince McMahon himself. Heyman’s eagerness and uncaring nature of who he stole from to get what and where he wanted highlights his drive to be a part of the business. Bill Apter does end the segment with a nice recommendation, when talking about how Heyman was regarded in the locker room with the wrestlers, the journalist states numerous athletes including The Grand Wizard of Wrestling confiding him that Paul Heyman would be something huge. Lo and behold, he certainly is.

A common theme throughout the release is the quality of Paul Heyman’s stories and his knack as a storyteller to hook in the audience. Only Bret Hart is equal to this brilliance and it’s certainly a welcome departure from the droll and uninterested hosts we’re fed of other releases. Another example comes hastily after the rest when Heyman’s next hustle is brought to light during his entrance into Jim Crockett Promotions and the National Wrestling Alliance. Too young to be employed legally, it’s captivating to watch a present day Heyman grin and laugh his way through the story of sneaking into a JCP production meeting whilst freelancing as a photographer. As Heyman tells it with glee, he wanted to do was learn from booker Dusty Rhodes and told him this when pulled aside by The American Dream who realized Heyman shouldn’t be in the meeting. It’s a great story thought being one of the most selfish bookers of all time, I would have questioned Heyman’s knowledge of wanting to learn from Rhodes. Sadly, the only thing that brings this segment down is Heyman holding back the truth of Dusty’s ability and ego in the job.

On his rise to becoming one of the most famous and ingenious managers in wrestling history, a part of Paul Heyman’s life which hasn’t been made readily available comes to light. His foray into Studio 54 and eventual managerial vocation of the building and company is brought to light. This, which led to Heyman booking his first ever wrestling show, giving Bam Bam Bigelow his professional wrestling debut and competing in ‘The Friday Night Wars’ with another club, which, according to Heyman was similar to the Monday Night Wars is something your Wrestling God had no idea about and neither will the majority of wrestling fans. Credit for including this, it certainly opened my eyes.

Paul Heyman’s incursion into a managerial capacity wasn’t foretold as much as many people believe it was. When speaking upon being almost bullied by friends into the role whilst running several wrestling magazines and doing commentary for promotions, Heyman sounds as if it was never his intention which we’ve already been told it wasn’t. Earlier in the release, the man informed viewers he never wanted to be an on-screen personality and was always more bothered about being involved in working the company backstage. The angle covers how Heyman came across his Paul E. Dangerously moniker, taking it from a movie and his little known stint with the team of The Motor City Mad Men. His journey from Championship Wrestling from Florida thanks to Kevin Sullivan and the sale of the promotion to Jim Crockett will be a fresh batch of information to some.

The time Paul Heyman, as Paul E. Dangerously spent in Memphis highlights how fickle the business can be and WWE deserves more credit for allowing this to pass through censor. Not that it’s violent or un-PG, but it shows how vile people in wrestling can be. It’s not a side Vince McMahon would want people to see usually. Jerry Lawler is the main focus of this segment and does everything imaginable to make Paul Heyman seem the bad guy, but then he’s been doing it on television for so long it’s become second nature. According to both Lawler and Heyman, the latter wasn’t liked by anyone in the company and at no point does the pill get sugared. Which, where Jerry Lawler is concerned is a miracle in 2014 as we’ve him butcher past releases with his kayfabe comments. There’s some nice complimentary footage of Jerry Lawler and Paul Heyman during ‘The King’s’ feud with Heyman client Austin Idol. The chapter ends with Jerry Lawler admitting that he doesn’t like Paul Heyman. We guessed that already.

The feud between Jim Cornette and The Midnight Express vs Paul E. Dangerously and The Original Midnight Express is a nifty piece but sadly suffers from a lack of interview with Cornette himself. I know he’s not on the best of terms with WWE but they could have made peace for this release. The footage is classic and Heyman admits that his big break came because Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard left for WWE and NWA needed a feud for The Midnight Express. They say it doesn’t matter how you come by the break as long as you get there in the end. His enthusiasm for his time in Jim Crockett Promotions and indeed WCW begins to fade when broaching the end of the feud and his period being bandied around other teams once Randy Rose and Dennis Condrey were fired, which is understandable seeing as the company didn’t know how to use him after his main clients had been axed. This is yet another candid interview which mentions The Samoan Swat Team and being fired by Ric Flair but sadly he doesn’t say why. The chapter concludes with a gem of a comment by Jim Ross, who quotes, “He could anger the Pope if given the opportunity”.

Stepping away from the heavy nature of the documentary, attention turns to a more heartfelt moment when Paul Heyman talks on the subject of Jim Ross. Though it’s clear by both men’s comments there was friction between the pair during their time as announcers in WCW, the love from both is there for all to see. Paul Heyman brings a tear to the eye and is completely serious when he says that he learned a lot from the wrestlers he worked with but Jim Ross taught him more about the business and the performance than anyone he ever met. Continuing the heartfelt thanks by Heyman, that is what this is, the former Paul E. Dangerously admits Jim Ross made him a better manager. It’s a wonderful moment amongst an array of straight talking and eye opening insight.

It wasn’t only one of the most underrated factions in wrestling history, but as Paul Heyman explains here, The Dangerously Alliance saved his job and most probably career in professional wrestling after Ric Flair had fired the genius manager in the 1990’s and was just happy to allow his contract to ride out. The insight and honesty with which Heyman covers this chapter in his life is refreshing, noting The Dangerously Alliance only existed because WCW had signed Rick Rude and live attendance was dying a horrible death. WCW needed a catch and someone for the audience to really hate after The Four Horsemen had rather petered out. Once again, the childlike joy comes over as dos the gratitude that he got to work with the likes of Steve Austin so early in his career, who Paul Heyman noted as a “Star of the future”. The uncertainty on Heyman’s face when speaking on the idea of the Alliance being a new Four Horsemen is telling yet his amazement at being on posters and VHS covers really makes you glad you were present for this. It’s contagious.

Paul Heyman’s exit from WCW to ECW is covered with ease. There’re no long explanations or drawn out excuses as to why he left the company. No coating over the rot, as he simply states; “They hated me, I hated them back”. The lawsuits that Heyman bestowed on WCW are mentioned but unable to be elaborated upon thanks to a legal document which says it isn’t to be talked about outside an attorney’s office. Though I would have liked to hear more about why Heyman left, sometimes the simplest explanations are the best.

The time between leaving WCW and hopping aboard ECW provides an unknown and somewhat intriguing story which people may not be aware of. With intentions to delve into radio, Heyman was halted in his tracks by Jim Crockett who approached him with an offer to front a new wrestling promotion which would challenge Vince McMahon. An offer to head creative was turned down by Paul Heyman who was then trash talked by Jim Crockett. Instead of lambasting Crockett for his words, Heyman credits them for making him see the light and that he couldn’t just carry on moaning about the business but he had to do something about it. It’s a game changing moment in Heyman’s career because without Crockett in his ear, he may have left the industry for good and we wouldn’t have had ECW or the Paul Heyman we know today. It appears we have Jim Crockett to thank for more than we thought.

Naturally, ECW has a huge part to play over the course of the release. No Paul Heyman related product would be complete without. Correctly stating that both WWE and WCW were so far behind the times in terms of character and music and product, it was easy for him to devise a product which catered to those tired of being pandered to. Across the whole release, Paul Heyman is completely on the ball and this chapter is no exception as he states what ECW did best was create stars. Even a very old looking Todd Gordon throws his penny into the hat by correctly saying that a company such as ECW who were trying to break out on their own couldn’t keep pushing former WWE stars. It’s something TNA should listen to if they want to avoid facing bankruptcy. Jeff Jarrett should also pay heed as he readies to launch his Global Force Wrestling. A surprising talking head is Raven who famously has such a bad relationship with WWE that I never expected to see him on a release or near WWE again. He looks old and the ECW days have certainly taken their toll. Though the drugs didn’t help any.

Broaching the subject of his induction into ECW, Heyman opines that “Everything had to change”. He wasn’t wrong. Eastern Championship Wrestling resembled Jim Crockett Promotions in its heyday. There was no way the company would have survived had Heyman not interjected his own personal methods of booking. It was falling behind the times. In his sentiments that Paul Heyman made people believe again, Todd Gordon is bang on the money. The chapter may be more about the evolution of ECW than Paul Heyman himself but the truth needs to be told and this is it. WWE raids it library once again to bring us some never seen before backstage footage of the company, though fleeting clips across the release has been seen on ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’. The comment from Raven that Paul would willingly lie to talent in order to get them to do what had to be done for the good of the show.

The connection between Paul Heyman and the fans is beautifully explained by Raven who implies that the ECW boss would willingly lie to the talent but never the audience. The comment showcases how much more Paul Heyman held his public in regard than he did the talent in the locker room and the footage shows how much we cared for him in return. Tommy Dreamer heaps countless praise upon Heyman for being the unity which brought the ECW locker room together to fight the corporate WWE and WCW. In a shock admission which won’t please many, Paul says that Vince McMahon was the biggest supporter of what ECW did because McMahon saw a lot of himself in Paul Heyman in that he was taking on the world with nothing. This may risk irking long time ECW fans but for putting it in, more credit goes to WWE and whomever complied this release.

Stark and overwhelmingly truthful, Paul Heyman categorically states that throughout all the dealings ECW had with WWE, he never received a pay cheque from Vince McMahon and every bit of money WWE subsidised the company with went straight to the talent and was put on television. Instead of taking money from McMahon, Heyman wisely made use if his roster in a talent trade which saw wrestlers go different ways including Rob Van Dam and 2 Cold Scorpio to WWE in short lived and unmemorable stints for them both whilst Jerry Lawler and others made their way to ECW for even shorter tenures. An absorbing story about Scorpio reveals just how much ECW relied on outside backing when Heyman tells of the sponsorship they had with a rapper to feature his music on the programme which they did in the form of Scorpio’s theme tune. When he went to WWE, ECW lost that sponsorship and Vince McMahon willingly paid the company what they’d lost. This is the kind of stuff you don’t hear from McMahon every day but it’s nice to unveil the kinder side of him rather than the ruthless son of a bitch who fires talent whilst they’re injured.

If you though Raven was done, then you can think again. He strikes further with some hilarious words when talking about what a motivator Paul Heyman was in the locker room. There is a danger that the release could be believed to be about ECW but by interjecting the process with comments about Paul Heyman WWE make these sections more about what he gave to and did for the company rather than the promotion itself. We hear many comments on how good Heyman was at getting under people’s skin but Raven’s is by far the funniest. When notifying us of how boring he used to find Heyman’s speeches whilst gradually getting into the rhythm and by the end feeling like, “Yeah let’s go put our heads through a wall” and “Let’s kill ourselves” you won’t be able to do anything other than raise a smile. Whilst Paul Heyman confides it was the greatest time of his life, the unseen footage of him motivating wrestlers through promos is solid gold.

Some people may overlook the chapter which doesn’t feature the man in question, but its well worth a listen. Interviewing Tommy Dreamer and Heyman’s business partner with whom he runs the Heyman Hustle and Looking for Larry Production Company, the pair tell of a time in an edit suite with Heyman who was asleep on the couch whilst the pair worked. When arriving at a problem in the editing, Heyman’s voice rose from his slumber state to guide them through an edit. The punch line here is that Heyman was still asleep throughout the entire process. He was so tuned in to what was happening, he could edit in his dreams.

There’s a solitary moment of regret on Heyman’s face when mentioning the planned ECW national expansion and Todd Gordon’s lack of funds to make it happen. Heyman rightly states that Gordon knew of his plans before asking Heyman to take over but still didn’t put anything aside to make it happen. Another fact which is just coming to light on this release and wasn’t a part of ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’ was that Paul Heyman’s parents invested their life savings into the company just to keep it running. Its little moments like these that make this such an outstanding release. Heyman could have credited others for it but the truth will out.

Yet another amusing story comes courtesy of Tommy Dreamer who states that Heyman’s mother used to help sell the ECW merchandise and when the figures began to drastically dip, the wrestling genius fired his own mother. Everyone involved gets a chuckle out of that but things soon turn dark when the focus swings onto how ECW survived for so long and it’s revealed that they went hand to mouth just to get by. Paul Heyman’s admission that he needed some type of help during those years is touching and bracing.

One chapter which your Wrestling God expected to be omitted was that covering Paul Heyman’s inefficiency with money. In a time when a multi-billion dollar company, though that could change if the WWE Network fails, wants everyone to believe everything is rosy and fine and the troubles of the world aren’t allowed to penetrate the thick wrestling walls Vince McMahon have erected, this is a staggering inclusion for the company to leave in. Though it’s not that shocking when you think of what could have been axed and hasn’t. Joey Styles orates his belief that the only reason ECW lasted so long was because Todd Gordon controlled the purse strings at the beginning, whilst Paul Heyman argues back that it was his vision which kept the money rolling in and his ideas which allowed the company to exist from day to day. Though to be fair, it was Paul Heyman’s pig headedness which ended up sinking the company as ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’ can attest to. Whilst it’s a strong chapter, I can’t help thinking it would have been the strongest had WWE allowed Styles and Heyman to participate in a sit down, face to face debate over this issue.

After what seems like ours of waiting, Rob Van Dam is finally given a lengthily segment in which to speak on the man he considers family. And why not? By the time ECW fell, Rob Van Dam was by far its biggest star and it was all down to the vision of Paul Heyman. Instead of heaping more heavy material upon the release, Van Dam wisely decides to do what other former ECW talent have done and dive into the wealth of stories about Paul Heyman in order to enlighten and amuse the audience. Sticking to the subject of how tight money was towards the end of the company’s life, Van Dam is clearly having a ball recalling how the talent would have to fly bereavement fair instead of first or even economy class, because they got a massive discount. ‘Mr. Monday Night’ even recalls the times talent contacted the company to find out the name of which faux relative had died that particular week. This is great stuff.

Like a rollercoaster, we go from the hilarity of Rob Van Dam’s story to the depths of despair of survival and you see now more than ever why it was important for WWE to interject the real life misery with moments of uplifting brilliance. You get the overwhelming feeling that it’s still raw for Paul Heyman to talk about and I’d expect nothing less. To come all that way only to fall at the final hurdle thanks to the small mindedness of other people is one of the most frustrating things in the world. I know that from experience. Your heart will go out to Heyman as it clearly pains him to go over this stuff again and when he volunteers the information that he was eating through all of his savings just to keep ECW alive, the urge to reach through the television and give him a huge hug is overwhelming. If you love Paul Heyman or consider yourself a ‘Paul Heyman Guy’ like I do, then this chapter won’t be an easy sitting and your heart will be breaking as the man of the hour struggles to admit that it was a battle for survival before Joey Styles takes over proceedings, reporting that towards the end, when it was as plain as day ECW wasn’t going to survive, Paul Heyman didn’t turn up because it was obviously too painful and Tommy Dreamer was saddled with a dying horse. This is very powerful stuff.

There’s a melancholy about Paul Heyman when speaking about the eventual demise of his brainchild. He has come to accept it but there still must be some regret there, even thirteen years later. Heyman owns up to his small mindedness about the denial he was about losing his company which must have felt like losing a child, with the line “It was too big to be small and too small to be big”. It could be the best description of ECW I’ve ever heard. However, I believe Heyman handles the closure and his jumping ship to WWE before the ‘closed’ sign was hung on the ECW door better on ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’. There’s a greater sense of acceptance on that release, which everyone should see.

Arriving in the WWE in 2001, Paul Heyman once said on the aforementioned release that “Had to do it! There was no reason not to do it. ECW was dead, everybody knew that!” It’s the acceptance I mentioned earlier and though there really isn’t much else that could be said about his return to the company he first worked for as a photographer, Heyman surprises again with some stories he held back. Reliving the moment, Heyman admits he never received a pay cheque from WWE for two months after his arrival as a commentator on Raw because he was still filing for bankruptcy and creditors would have foreclosed on the talent of ECW for the debt owed by the company. It’s a genuine gesture of thanks by Heyman who could have disassociated himself with the talent and allowed them to clear up his mess. That though isn’t the measure of the man and in order to save their financial status, he lived with no money for two months. It’s somewhat inspiring and shows that he may be the ruthless son of a bitch on television, but when the camera stop rolling, he’s a gem.

The wealth of previously unknown knowledge on this release is simply extraordinary. At some point in the release, it was a given that Brock Lesnar would be involved and at last we come to the moment the pair were introduced by Taz, whose name has never been mentioned before when it comes to the Brock Lesnar and Pal Heyman pairing. Lesnar’s misguided time in Ohio Valley Wrestling is covered and ‘The Next Big Thing’, who should really change his nickname because he’s now ‘The Big Thing’, acclaims the man who has done more with and for him personally than anyone in wrestling for pulling the reigns tight and pointing him in the right direction. Jim Ross couldn’t have been more correct at the chapter’s end, by stating that Paul Heyman has been a good mentor and tutor to Brock Lesnar.

After the niceties are out of the way, the release takes on a darker tone as it begins to hype Paul Heyman’s exit from WWE in 2006. Beginning with his employment on Stephanie McMahon’s writing team for Smackdown as lead writer, Heyman is a scream when, with all the seriousness in the world he smirks at the camera and honestly offers up that Smackdown is the bitch of WWE and the B-show. No one can dispute that. WWE have always spent more time bothering about Raw than Smackdown despite the blue brand often being the best. It’s rare on a WWE release that any type of writing team is brought to light as Vince still prefers to allow us to believe everything that happens on television is natural and brought about by the wrestlers themselves. It must have taken him a lot to allow this to pass but it makes the release that much more gripping that he has. Revealing that Vince McMahon is a junkie for competition and when there was none left he created his own, Heyman brings to light the main problem in WWE at present. The lack of competition; if there was someone like WCW or even ECW trailing Vince he’d have to make his product better and be forced to make new stars. That he doesn’t have anyone close to challenging his authority means that mistakes can be made without fear of outside reprimand. Back to the release; this chapters biggest strengths comes from Stephanie who is slightly smug when revealing that Heyman wasn’t the model employee but never gives a thought to the fact that maybe he actually knew more than her. It may be an admission but it strengthens WWE’s weakness of believing they know best.

Unmoving from the previous subject, Paul Heyman delights in the fact that his biggest highlight from writing Smackdown wasn’t working with the backstage staff or attending meetings via satellite at three in the morning, but working with young and new talent. In his own words, “Taking non-main event players and putting them in the spotlight.” It’s what Paul Heyman always did best. Jim Ross wades in again with nothing but positive comments by stating that Smackdown was the better show even though Paul Heyman made Michael Cole and Taz miserable by forcing them to go through a six hour re-dub of the taping when they just wanted to go home. Out of every talking head in this chapter, including Paul Heyman himself, it’s Edge who not only gives one of the best comments of the entire release but undoubtedly riles WWE management with his comment that Paul Heyman knows what the fans want and is the only one that does, whilst the rest have lost touch with the desire of their fan base. Hey, what can WWE do to him now?

Paul Heyman takes almost as much pride in the fact that Smackdown defeated Raw in the ratings, sold more live event tickets than the red brand as well as merchandise, than he does in ECW. The chapter is accompanied by some strong comments which you won’t find anywhere else or on any other WWE release this year. These include Big Show stating that Paul and Vince used to argue in production meetings with Heyman goading Vince, again because it was obvious Heyman may have more of a grasp on the business than McMahon, as well as Heyman himself relaying Vince McMahon’s ethos that you better “Pick your hill to die on”. When the release cuts back to Stephanie McMahon, she’s almost laughing at how ridiculous it was that she was forced to suspend Paul Heyman without pay, the only employee she’s ever had to do that to. A nice chapter finale comes via Heyman being the bigger man and admitting that at that time, maybe he wasn’t corporately mature enough to handle running Smackdown.

Anyone else would, as Paul Heyman points out, find being sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling to help train the younger stars a demotion. Yet the joy on his little face at finally being able to get away from Vince, Stephanie and everyone else who was holding him back and being let loose on a league of his own again was clearly a dream come true. Here, we get talking heads Beth Phoenix and C.M Punk who credit their main WWE runs to the man Jerry Lawler regularly refers to as ‘The Walrus’. Both praise how helpful Heyman was in preparing them for the cut-throat business which lay ahead whilst Tommy Dreamer correctly highlights that a lot of younger stars got called up to the big time because of Paul Heyman.

Basting the foundations for Paul Heyman’s release from the company in 2006, at the conclusion of the disastrous December to Dismember pay-per view event, Tommy Dreamer makes the massive gamble of verbalizing the widely known belief that Vince McMahon hated Paul Heyman for the success he generated with ECW One Night Stand whilst Stephanie McMahon says that Paul rubbed people up the wrong way and was his own worst enemy. These may sound like derogatory comments, but how often do you hear stuff like these today unless they’re on a release entitled, ‘The Self Destruction of...’?

Another little known fact comes to light, by now you’ll have lost count of how many present themselves, when the terrible revamp of ECW is discussed which was originally designed, by Shane McMahon and seconded by Paul Heyman, to air as an internet show only but was ruined by Vince McMahon when the owner saw profit from reigniting it as a television show. Revealing that Shane McMahon was behind the promotion returning as a WWE television show, Paul Heyman tells of how Shane originally intended to buy the original ECW before it went out of business just to get some practice for running WWE in the future, which won’t happen anymore. Admitting the whole thing sucked, we’re told everyone fell out over it even though Paul Heyman voiced his concerns only to be ignored. Tommy Dreamer sums up the feelings with the quote, “The father of ECW had to watch the son being brought up by the step-father”.

After being injected between chapters with derogative remarks, we finally come to Paul Heyman’s 2006 release from the company. The reasons and details of which have been kept behind closed doors until now. Many know it was to do with the rotten December to Dismember pay-per view event booked by Paul Heyman which lost a hatful of viewers and pay-per view buy rates. Yet this is never mentioned and instead Stephanie McMahon accuses Paul Heyman of being irritating and untrustworthy but never really elaborates on why. Paul Heyman touches upon the blowout he had with Vince McMahon, which in his words was, “Not pretty” and you’d have never thought that he’d ever work for WWE again. Though there is a great amount of detail left out, the segment is saved by Heyman’s mention of the bust up which you get the feeling would have been omitted had anyone else been the subject of this release and in the position Heyman found himself in. It also brings out Vince McMahon’s nasty side when things aren’t going his way.

Paul Heyman’s life between leaving the WWE in 2008 and returning to the company in 2012 is covered in the form of his creation of the Heyman Hustle, maddeningly trying to buy the MMA which couldn’t have worked out well for him had it come off and the many other projects Heyman took on with his production company. This is accompanied by some footage from the Heyman Hustle with him baiting celebrities perfectly. Though this is meant to be about the time he wasn’t present in the company, it does also stray into the present when it’s revealed his company were responsible for filming the WWE2K14 trailer with The Ultimate Warrior. Heyman’s business partner, whose name escapes me now, sums up Heyman’s appeal by stating that he’s in the foxhole with you.

The short chapter dedicated to Paul Heyman the family man is nicely done. Stripping him of the ruthless, Brock Lesnar arse kissing character which he portrays so well, this shows a different side to Paul Heyman who obviously loves and adores his two children. The chapter features never before seen pictures of Heyman throughout the years with his children from birth to their appearance as his guests at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2014. There’s no mention of his wife but he wears a wedding ring so she definitely exists. Disclosing that he’s more laid back now he has people to look after and they are his salvation, all credit goes to WWE for making this as unobtrusive as possible. However, it’s quite unnerving how much they both look like their father.

His reasons for returning to the company in 2012 are sound, even though Heyman does admit that he never believed he would step back on WWE soil. The lure of Brock Lesnar coming home proved too much of a temptation for Paul Heyman to turn down, although you have to question whether Brock Lesnar would have returned had Heyman rebuked the offer laid down to him. Lesnar’s career went downhill in the latter stages of 2003 and early 2004 before he departed, without Heyman, who betrayed him at the 2002 Survivor Series, by his side. His mic skills weren’t great so one has to question how much of an attraction Lesnar would have been without Paul Heyman in his corner in the present. Crediting his time on the sidelines with making him a better performer, the opinion that Paul Heyman is more accomplished just being an on-air character rather than having to deal with dealing with creating storylines and the politics of wrestling backstage. Jim Ross rightly states that Paul Heyman has the best promo skills in the business, whilst C.M Punk credits Heyman for his career, saying he wouldn’t be here without him.

Anyone who watched ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’ will know Paul Heyman’s fondness for giving us quotes we can all live by. He certainly gifted us with one of the best ever, signing off of the mentioned release and here is no different. It may not be the final spoken word of the release but it doesn’t come far off as Paul Heyman says; “Experience is the greatest inhibitor of creativity and innovation, because you learn from experience what not to do. But it’s the unbridled passion and the fearlessness to go and do something with reckless abandon that allows us to take those things to the extreme.” When his time in wrestling has run its course, Paul Heyman should consider a career in motivational speaking.

Closing the release, Joey Styles sums up Paul Heyman’s legacy by simply announcing the true fact that “Paul Heyman is the greatest manager in the history of this industry”. Whilst the final word goes to Heyman himself who signs off on a positive and touching note, stating that he’s had the time of life and that the measure of him will be his children. It’s a wonderful way to end one of the best documentaries WWE have produced in many years.

‘Paul E. Is Always In Contact’ (AWA Championship Wrestling, August 1987) and ‘Pink Suspenders’ (AWA Superstars, August 1987) are very competent promos by then Paul E. Dangerously. Young and finding out what the business is all about, Heyman is on fire here and passes off the belief that he was in full control and knew what he was doing. There’s no stumbling of lines or looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

‘I’ll Be Johnny Carson’ (AWA Championship Wrestling, August 1987) is historically important to the American Wrestling Alliance as its one of the first promos which led to the acquisition of Adrian Adonis from the WWE. Ridiculing WWE for making Adonis a cartoon character with shots at the ‘Adorable’ character, some may see this as revolutionary for the time as it was rare any promotion allowed its talent to mention a competitor.

‘Danger Zone With Ted E. Bear’ (AWA Championship Wrestling, September 1987) may not look much on the surface but is an ultra confident one man show. It’s astounding how much material Heyman can pull from a few fake letters and a stuffed toy but he pulls it off with aplomb. The attack on the bear may be corny but it’s highly entertaining, even if the jumper Heyman is wearing isn’t.

‘You Want To Be A Cartoon?’ (AWA All Star Wrestling, September 1987) features the beginnings of the rebel deep inside Paul Heyman which would eventually get ECW kicked off of the air at the end of its life. Raw, completely egotistical and believing he knows best is when Paul Heyman is at his best. It makes for a gripping promo.

‘More Publicity’ (AWA Championship Wrestling, September 1987) begins with a Paul E. Dangerously who has a point to make, trawling through several wrestling magazines to make it before pointing out the fact that he got more publicity than any other rookie. Baiting the audience to perfection with some excellent brags, this is top notch stuff.

‘The Definition of Pro Wrestling’ (AWA Superstars, November 1987) is notable not for the promo this time around, though its as sturdy as ever, but the excellent impressions of Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes and Randy Savage which are on display. Heyman nails each one with unerring accuracy and if a wrestling career hadn’t have worked out then maybe he could have become a mimic. And I don’t mean the trash so called comedy on Channel Four. Once again, Heyman’s hat and jumper are truly horrendous.

‘The Sequel, Jim Cornette’ (NWA Pro Wrestling, October 1988) is jam packed with intensity from beginning to end and features a wonderful promo delivered with gusto. The only odd sight is The Original Midnight Express flanking Heyman as he screams and rants to impressive effect. Randy Rose and Dennis Condrey looked old and past their time in 1988. This is proof of how much Heyman grew as a performer since his AWA days.

‘Louisville Slugger’ (NWA Pro Wrestling, December 1988) is a tremendous face off between Jim Cornette and Paul E. Dangerously, one of the best feuds WCW ever booked until they ruined it by swapping and changing Heyman’s teams. Jim Cornette is the star of this segment with a killer promo whilst Heyman find it hard to grab the words which really matter. Heyman sells well for Cornette who attacks the telephone wielding manager, though the brawl between The Original Midnight Express and The Midnight Express at the conclusion is pants and resembles four old men fighting over ninety year old Elsie in the home. Only two of them are reaching old age at this point.

‘The Year of Paul E. Dangerously’ (NWA World Championship Wrestling, January 1989) boasts yet another intense promo as Heyman slobbers everywhere, literally spitting his venom at intended targets which include then WWE Champion, Hulk Hogan. The sheer hatred present in his eyes is telling and if all WWE promos were this good, the company wouldn’t have a problem selling feuds convincingly.

‘Danger Zone With Ric Flair’ (NWA World Championship Wrestling, March 1989) isn’t prominent for anything Paul Heyman does because he hardly gets a word in edgeways, though he’s gloriously boot licking. Instead, it’s Ric Flair who shines with a well delivered script which displays all the charm you’d expect from ‘The Nature Boy’. Maybe it is best Ric Flair no longer wrestles on a main stage or any stage come to that. These memories have to be preserved, not tarnished, especially in an era where so little history making moments are being created.

‘I’m So Handsome’ (NWA Main Event, March 1989) and ‘Ding Dong, Who Is It?’ (NWA Main Event, July 1989) are two very good double headers with Heyman and Jim Ross who were broadcasting partners in WCW after Heyman’s stint as a manager was up in the air. They’re not very long but they’re entertaining. ‘You’re not welcome in the Lone Star State’ quips Jim Ross, to which Heyman retorts “I’m not welcome in any state!”

‘The Era of The Dangerous Alliance’ (NWA World Championship Wrestling, September 1989) is an honest appraisal of Heyman’s time in World Championship Wrestling though its not as calm and praise filled as you’d think. With rage in his eyes, Heyman points out all of the company’s errors and how they never cared about him in the first place. It was revolutionary because these things weren’t done at a time when kayfabe was rife.

‘Sting’s Doll’ (NWA Power Hour, May 1991) isn’t a promo or an entertaining piece of television. In fact the only reason it’s here is because it features vintage wrestling action figures of Sting and Scott Steiner. They were the two first wrestling figures I ever had and this brings back great nostalgic memories.

‘The Dangerous Alliance’ (NWA World Championship Wrestling, November 1991) and ‘Save Us From Captain Oklahoma’ (NWA World Championship Wrestling November 1991) are great stuff. Through his words, Heyman actually makes you believe that Ric Rude has a chance of defeating Sting even though you know in reality, there is no chance. Such was the power and conviction of Paul Heyman’s performance and mannerisms. When he introduces the new Alliance, Bobby Heenan and his short blonde hair look totally ridiculous.

‘The Paul E. Awards (WCW World Wide Wrestling, February 1992)  may be predictable but it’s very amusing as Heyman awards the gongs to every member of his Dangerous Alliance faction. From his comments about the awards being modelled on himself to every member of the Alliance turning up in suits except Rick Rude who is in his robe, this is cheesy but light relief.

‘The Ultimatum Is At Hand’ (WCW Pro Wrestling, April 1992) was recorded close to Paul Heyman’s end in WCW and the anger and hatred at the company is clear for everyone to see. Miffed at his treatment at the hands of the company, the tense and fuming promo is another gem.

‘A New Dangerous Alliance’ (ECW Hardcore TV, October 1993) exhibits the first dregs of the Extreme coming through even though the company was still labelled as Eastern Championship Wrestling and I don’t believe the ‘Hardcore TV’ show came in until later. But this WWE so it all counts in their minds. Paul Heyman is fantastic in his role mentioning Vince McMahon and Ted Turner by name and as he drops to his knees and talks to the camera about a new Dangerous Alliance coming to ECW he comes off as completely serious about that which he speaks. This proves he was the right man for the job.

‘WCW Wants Sabu’ (ECW Hardcore TV, June 1994) turns out to be a promo with a difference. Before, we’ve heard him mention other promoters by name but this time he breaks every rule of kayfabe imaginable by stating WCW’s desire to steal one of ECW’s talents. Again, this was never done by any promotion and was part of what made ECW special and Paul Heyman a people person. Can you imagine what WCW would have done with Sabu had their plan come off? It doesn’t bare thinking about. He was too extreme for them.

‘Wrestler and Violence’ (ECW Hardcore TV, July 1994) is swift but significant for the wild eyed performance Heyman gives as well as the mention of Vince McMahon’s drug trial. How many people could have gotten away with this except Paul Heyman?

‘There Ain’t No Organisation Like ECW’ (ECW, February 1996) features Paul Heyman berating competition WWE and WCW whilst lapping up the adulation of the fans. He’s spot on in his observations. The comments about the camera crew present will bring a smile to your face as will the comment that Tommy Dreamer has knocked up Beulah McGillicutty. The cherry on the icing though is following the latter statement when Heyman says Dreamer must have eleven inches in his pants because the entire locker room has been trying to knock Beulah up. How he holds the crowd in the palm of his hand is just mesmerizing.

‘ECW Comes to Pay-Per View’ (ECW, February 1997) is the longest promo on the release up to this point and is also simply excellent. Paul Heyman uses the moment to announce ECW’s foray onto the medium and thank everyone who got them there including Todd Gordon and the talent. Paul Heyman tells the audience to stop chanting his name because he doesn’t deserve it yet, I think that has changed now, whilst showing the talent how much they mean to the company.

‘The War Has Just Begun’ (ECW on TNN, June 2000) was seen on ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’ in bits and here it is, the promo that got ECW kicked off the air, in its entirety. Heyman is so angry he could explode as he details TNN giving Vince McMahon a hundred million dollars to put Raw on the network at ECW’s expense before ending the promo by telling the network to spend the money they’re going to give Vince McMahon on lawyers. It’s so thrilling and so believable. But then it was always going to be. This wasn’t planned; it was a legitimate rant at the network by Heyman.

‘Photo of Vince Sr. and Andre’ is the first of the extra stories on the release and unlike other releases which feature thirty second or one minute cuttings from the main body of the release, these are lengthily and filled with as much information as the documentary. As Paul Heyman works his way through an enchanting tale of approaching Vince Sr. without permission and nearly being thrown out if it wasn’t for a stroke of goo fortune, you’ll be captivated.

‘Trouble in Memphis’ beginning with Paul Heyman admitting this is why he hates these DVD’s because stories like this and rehashing old feuds and could end in a fist fight, the story focuses on the relationship between Jerry Lawler and Paul Heyman from their time in Memphis together. Talking about how the pair were meant to tangle in a scaffold match which had the planned ending of Heyman being thrown from the platform, Lawler is surprisingly open and doesn’t kayfabe his way through the segment. However, his reasons for hating Heyman are so think you could breath through it. Whilst both have different stories about what happened, Lawler says Heyman agreed to the match even though he hated heights and then refused to compete whilst Heyman says he never agreed because of his phobia and was still expected to compete. Lawler says that he never trusted Heyman from that day onwards in a somewhat weak and pathetic excuse instead of saying he just plains hates the guy.

‘The Mole’ is an in-depth tale about the mole who was selling secrets to World Championship Wrestling from within the ECW locker room. Like the first story, there are two sides, but Paul Heyman produces such irrefutable evidence that Todd Gordon begins to resemble a man digging his own grave by making every excuse in the book about it wasn’t him. Revealing the mole actually was Gordon, Heyman says it was his own fault as he overlooked Todd Gordon when it came to paying the talent with the money received from the first pay-per view event. Stating that he never paid Gordon because he didn’t get anything himself and believed Gordon should wait, the story goes that Gordon got in contact with Terry Taylor who was working for WCW and began telling them all ECW’s secrets and negotiating wrestler contracts so WCW could steal some talent. Though Gordon denies this, Heyman and Tommy Dreamer tell the same story that Heyman hacked into Gordon’s answering machine in a room full of wrestlers, so they could all hear on speakerphone, with a code he had gained and they all listened to several messages between Gordon and Taylor which detailed everything Heyman accused Gordon of. To prove his point, Paul Heyman even gives out the code to the audience to prove he’s telling the truth. This is fascinating stuff.

‘Borrowing Time’ fully explains the business relationship between WWE and ECW and how McMahon bailed Heyman out but it wasn’t enough to save the company. It sounds like McMahon gave Heyman enough money to buy the company outright but with no television channel it was always going to fold. It’s disgusting that the pay-per view network wouldn’t pay ECW for their events because they weren’t sure the company could continue to produce them, even for the ones they produced the company never got paid. Again, this is untold and interesting information for a wrestling fanatic.

‘Paul Heyman Hates Mr. McMahon’s Stinking Guts’ (Smackdown, November 15th 2001) occurs towards the end of the hashed up Invasion storyline and is so gripping you can’t help but feel sorry for Paul Heyman when he reels off the list of offences Vince McMahon has committed against him during their lifetime. Every storyline and wrestler Heyman lists off which McMahon stole is correct as is the fact that Taz was a great wrestler before Vince McMahon got hold of him. Getting on his knees for Vince McMahon’s entrance, Heyman spits “I was on my knees because you’re used to people kissing your ass” in a wonderful moment, whilst Vince McMahon is perfectly stoic riding the wave after wave if insults thrown at him by Heyman, which include the line “You’re a billionaire on other people’s hard work”. Do not miss this promo even if you’ve already seen it.

‘Introducing: The Next Big Thing’ (Raw, April 8th 2002) is historically significant as it’s the real beginning of Brock Lesnar even if it’s not his debut. Looking at this, it’s night and day between Brock Lesnar then and now. He looked so pure, so young and natural. It’s a different story in 2014. This isn’t the finest promo of Heyman’s career or on the release and features a less than impressive video package of a supposed ‘monster’ Lesnar destroying low card enhancement talent. It’s notable though for the brawl with The Hardy Boyz at its conclusion and Lesnar’s star image when belted with a steel chair and landing on his feet at ringside.

‘Paul Heyman, Mr. McMahon and Eric Bischoff Share a Ring’ (Raw, May 23rd 2005) is highly pleasurable as Eric Bischoff begins by saying that he put on far superior shows than ECW, which he didn’t, before playing the bitch for Vince McMahon who has some wonderful lines about the death of WCW. Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff’s exchanges are very good, as Bischoff begins packing up his set whilst Heyman is still talking though some of the lines about Bischoff single handedly causing ECW to go out of business are rubbish. On the whole, ECW was more successful than WCW because of the fans, the tribute shows and the everlasting memories. I don’t hear fans chanting WCW at events. In fact people don’t really care for the promotion at all any more. This is brilliant for the performances rather than the words.

‘Paul Heyman Thanks The ECW Faithful’ (ECW One Night Stand, June 12th 2005) is both emotional and superb from beginning to end. Trying his best to fight back the tears and the overwhelming emotion of the moment, Paul Heyman is bathed with love from the audience who are almost deafening. This segment doesn’t stand alone on Heyman’s speech to the audience but also with the WWE invaders who act like a bunch of complete c***s, believing they were better than the show. Granted, JBL’s cheque bouncing mime is a scream though ruined by his actions against The Blue Meanie at the end of the show, but the rest of them should have been instructed by McMahon to sell Heyman’s promo like it really hurt. Bischoff smirks through proceedings whilst Edge should be ashamed of himself for the way he acts when the Lita affair is brought up. He shows no remorse at all and treats it like a big joke, careless of the people they both hurt. “Hide your wives it’s Edge” and Heyman’s shot to JBL of “The only reason you were WWE Champion for a year was because Triple H didn’t wanna work Tuesday” are out of this world.

‘Vince McMahon Gives Paul Heyman A Performance Review’ (Raw, January 28th 2013) is another outstanding showcase of two men who know how to control an audience with words. Instead of interrupting the boss and Heyman at every opportunity, the capacity crowd are hooked on their every word. It’s a testament to the respect both men have earned over the years. McMahon sanitising his hands after shaking Heyman’s paw is a scream as is the seriousness in which Paul Heyman displays when trying to duck out of his association with The Shield and Brad Maddox, through “You Got Busted” chants, after video evidence is shown on the titan tron of him admitting to paying both parties. Reeling off another thrilling promo, Paul Heyman should be employed in a bigger role than he currently occupies and Vince is flawless all the way through. His humour is second to none. If you listen closely then you’ll find an in-joke from Vince and Heyman when Paul blurts out that he can learn to be an honourable man from the boss, very few times has Vince ever been honourable. Fans singing “Goodbye” to Heyman chirps up Vince more than a million dollars in his bank account. Brock Lesnar almost brings the house down as it’s the first time he’s been seen up to this point in a very long while and his interactions with Vince are silently brilliant as Paul Heyman is a scream with his off the mic comments as Lesnar drops the boss with a thunderous F5. Thoroughly entertaining throughout, especially Vince McMahon’s reactions to Paul Heyman’s derailing of Eric Bischoff.

‘Clobbering Time For C.M Punk’ (Raw, July 15th 2013) begins with another stunning promo by Paul Heyman who lambasts Punk for not including him in their achievements during their time together and claims that if it wasn’t for him, Punk would be nothing. Full of vengeance, you can believe that Paul Heyman feels as if he’s been slighted in some way with his line, “All I see is an empty ring, because you don’t exist in my world right now!” Though, who was he meant to be aiming the promo at then? Credit goes to Punk who sells the words with aplomb and allowing his estranged mother to be brought into the conversation. Smouldering in mic, Paul Heyman goes from cocky to fearful in seconds in an accomplished performance. The brawl between Punk and Lesnar is also worth watching.

‘Volcano’ (Raw, October 21st 2013) would be a run of the mill interview if not for Paul Heyman’s superhuman speech during which he doesn’t take a breath. It’s over the top, it’s well delivered and it’s an example what can be accomplished in just a few minutes.

‘Heyman Drops A Piper Bomb’ (Raw, March 3rd 2014) isn’t outstanding or stunning but is watchable. It’s nowhere near the level of C.M Punk’s pipe bomb though it is amusing that if you look close enough you can see the tan line around Heyman’s face which makes it look like he’s wearing a mask. It’s brave of WWE to allow Heyman to do a promo on someone who isn’t with the company at that time though maybe they thought it would entice C.M Punk back to the company. It didn’t work. There is a hidden motive with this though as it leads to the hype for Lesnar vs Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX. Someone please don’t allow Brock Lesnar near a microphone again.

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman vs The Hardy Boyz (Judgment Day, May 19th 2002) is action from bell to bell. Like Ryback after him, Brock Lesnar gets the ‘Goldberg’ chants in reality he was way more talented that Goldberg ever was. True, the bout dips in the middle but its a great showing for Brock Lesnar who was up and coming at this point in his career and only three months away from defeating The Rock in a thrilling match at SummerSlam for the WWE Championship. Though The Hardy Boyz get some decent offence in, Brock Lesnar looks a force to be reckoned with.

Weaknesses:

The genesis of Paul E. Dangerously’s mobile telephone is mentioned in the documentary and even gets it own chapter, unfortunately the chapter is so short and deviates from its purpose that the best get is Paul Heyman stating the phone came from his AWA days and needing a gimmick. That is the majority of information on display. I know the subject matter was never going to have the most interesting story to accompany it but WWE and Paul Heyman could have done better than this. Every one of the extra stories included instead of matches is in more detail than this and you could be forgiven for thinking WWE would have been better adding one of those stories to the main body of the release and relegate this to the afterthought section.

Upon the subject of ECW’s closure, there’s no accountability from Paul Heyman for the company going out of business. It’s widely known that Heyman’s poor business decisions, his inability to handle money and his attitude which got the company kicked off of their channel, its even mentioned by numerous talent in ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’ but here, Paul Heyman never takes responsibility for that which is a shame. There are instances across the release where he does take responsibility for other things such as not being corporately mature enough to run Smackdown and needing help during the ECW era, but here, when it matters most, had he held up his hands and took some responsibility, it would have made the release even stronger than it is.

Stephanie McMahon may as well have a shovel in her hands and be digging WWE’s own grave when she begins on the path of Paul Heyman’s commentary. Disregarding the fact that Paul Heyman was one of the best play-by-play men in the industry and WWE have had some rotten commentators during their time, including Vince himself, Stephanie has the cheek to turn around and say that Paul Heyman was everything Vince McMahon hated about a commentator. Too loud, too brash, shouted a lot and didn’t give the story time to breathe. Is she being serious? As opposed to today’s commentators who don’t bother with the story of the match half of the time and babble on about whatever they want? This is a ridiculous comment which should have been cut for WWE’s own sake. Also, it will begin to needle you how often Stephanie refers to her own father as ‘Vince’.

One of the most ridiculous talking heads I’ve ever seen on a WWE release is Bray Wyatt. He doesn’t do anything wrong but what the hell are WWE thinking having him appear as a normal, reasonable person? I’ve had this conversation with some of you on Twitter, but I’ll mention it again because it’s important. WWE are destroying the reputation of The Wyatt Family. They’re no longer scary and having them appear at a children’s charity and inclusions like this only serve to diminish their fear factor. It needs to be rebuilt quickly. And whilst we’re on the subject, why do The Wyatt Family have Twitter accounts? They’re meant to be inbred who live in the woods. Where do they get the computer from or prioritize Twitter over spreading their message? WWE have this extremely wrong.

Even though it’s mentioned during one of the included promos on the release, there is nothing during the main body of the documentary on the messy WCW/ ECW Invasion which Paul Heyman was a huge part of. Though it had the potential to be huge and worked around Paul Heyman coming to WWE months before just for that purpose, it never reached its promised quality and quickly petered out. Many would have loved to hear Paul Heyman’s take on events, it would have been something to listen to had he spoken on it as truthfully as he has everything else. There’s no reason to leave it off as it could have sparked interest from a younger audience who may have actively sought out the events and television broadcasts it was included on.

‘If Excitement Had A Name’ (AWA Superstars, September 1987) may be a well delivered promo but holds no real substance and features the same old material which can be seen elsewhere on Paul Heyman’s AWA promos. Saying that, it is short enough not to matter.

‘Adrian Adonis’ (AWA All Star Wrestling, October 1987) sounds like a spoilt child bragging to his friends in order assert his superiority over them whilst ‘Nobody Wanted Paul E.’ (NWA World Championship Wrestling November 1988) can’t hold a candle to any promo on the strengths list.

‘I Don’t Have Wrestlers, I Have Animals’ (NWA World Wide Wrestling, March 1989) may as well not exist for all the good it is. Featuring Heyman standing in the middle of The Samoan Swat Team as they do some early Headshrinker stuff, rattling off a meaningless kayfabe filled promo is simply dull. Worse, it doesn’t last long enough to convey anything important.

‘Winds of Change’ (ECW Hardcore TV, November 1994) is an odd inclusion to this release. Though it boasts another great performance by the man of the hour, the content of the promo is slightly off. Relaying that his vision for the future of the company and the industry is Sabu and Taz, who was dressed as a caveman before his reinvention, it raises an eyebrow. Both men were great performers in their prime but to class either as the future of the company or industry is slightly short sighted by a man usually spot on.

‘Cash Rules Everything’ (ECW Hardcore TV, December 1994) is chock-a-block with mad-cap rants which ultimately go nowhere. True, it leads into a storyline but for the longest of time it just exists for the sake of it. Joey Styles is the star of this angle, his reactions are perfect.

‘Best Damn Wrestling You’ve Ever Seen (ECW Hardcore TV, January 1995) may be about the talent ECW has, but the meat and bones of the promo sound completely like a promotion campaign which ECW were never fans of. You’d expect to see this on an advert for war.

‘We Cleared Cablevision’ (ECW, March 1998) does boast a little quality with lines such as “Idiots with brains as small as Vince McMahon’s...”, but it’s horribly overlong and exists for the sole purpose of celebrating ECW’s success on pay-per view. Paul Heyman says that WWE and WCW fans weren’t loyal enough to do what ECW fans did, namely get the promotion on pay-per view, but they didn’t have to. WWE was big enough and already had a pay-per view deal with cable companies in America. Ditto WCW. If you can get to the end of this promo then you will be entertained with the insinuation that Eric Bischoff had sex with Diamond Dallas Paige’s wife and Eric Bischoff just wants fans money to take drugs off camera to avoid law suites, but it’s a long way to that point through a barren land.

 ‘The Card Has Changed’ (ECW Guilty As Charged, January 1999) is your basic promo detailing changes to the pay-per view event before it goes lives. It holds nothing for neutral fans and will only interest hardcore ECW supporters. Even then, you may find it hard to digest.

‘Riding In Blassie’s Car’ is a weak story. Detailing how he rode with ‘Classy’ Freddie Blassie and had people throwing things at the car and yelling stuff at him because he was bad driver, but Blassie thinking it was because he was a heel is fairly entertaining but its run of the mill compared to the rest and has a fairly basic ending involving the tables being turned on Heyman and his father. It’s a shame, had this had a little more detail to it, then it would have been place in the category above.

‘Conference Call’ is likewise a weak story, which focuses too heavily on Stephanie McMahon trying to make us believe Paul Heyman is a lying, conniving, untrustworthy prick who is only out for himself, which unneeded. We know Paul Heyman’s flaws already, we don’t need someone trying to bring him down after a tremendous look through his career. The long and the short of it, is that Paul Heyman was meant to have listened into a conference meeting because they found a phone he had lost and they gave him heat for it. Heyman tells us that he didn’t listen into conference but did several others WWE didn’t know about. Truthfully, we could have done without this story as it affects nothing and gives no great detail or says anything new about Paul Heyman.

‘Paul Heyman Guy’ is an array of current WWE talent simply stating “I’m a Paul Heyman Guy”. Where’s the quality in that? Little, meaningless pieces like this look like they’re been thrown onto the release without any thought or care just for something else to include. Less is more when you have nothing great to say.

The teasers for the release, which are glorified promotional pieces, hold no intrigue. They’re all pretty much the same or at least have the same vibe running through them and that’s Paul Heyman stating, amongst other things, that someone is going to get fired for the material on the release. They’re no and they didn’t. These were excellent for WWE television spots to promote the release but don’t include them on here and make us sit through several of the same stuff.

‘The Resurrection of ECW’ (ECW One Night Stand, June 11th 2006) is a damp squib of a promo which exists just to announce WWE’s attempt to resurrect the ECW brand as one of its own. It was a dumb move as stated. If WWE were serious about it working, it should have booked both The Manhattan Centre and ECW’s bingo hall which was dubbed the ECW Arena for the shows permanent home and allowed Paul Heyman to book the shows. But WWE couldn’t allow that to happen, it had to have complete control as usual.

‘From The Bingo Hall To The Garden’ (ECW, September 12th 2006) is a drab little promo in which Paul Heyman plays the heel and says nothing much of interest. Yes, it’s historic that ECW got to play Madison Square Garden but that isn’t really a brag when ECW was this bad. Even Paul Heyman looks embarrassed to be associated with it up to this point and no one can blame him. Out of everything else on the release, even the bad, you can skip this and miss nothing. In fact you’ll probably be better off for it.

‘Paul Heyman Gives C.M Punk His Resignation’ (Raw, February 11th 2013) is just terrible in terms of dialogue and acting. Worse, there’s no reason for it exist as the pair reconcile at the end and waste everyone’s time. WWE can’t be bothered to give Heyman anything more than a mediocre promo and Punk’s is even worse. When they pair get together in the ring they’re hammy and the acting is just repugnant. If this were Eastenders or any other crap the BBC put out it would get a BAFTA because the said broadcasting company do both programmes and are fond of giving out awards to themselves even if they don’t deserve it.

The Original Midnight Express vs The Midnight Express (NWA Main Event, January 21st 1989) features so much stalling from both teams that it never gets going. The action between the stalling is dull and somewhat repetitive which is a disappointment seeing as these teams had better battles on pay-per view which could have been included instead. Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose look totally awful, two old men plodding around the ring for the sake of that final bit of spotlight.

C.M Punk vs Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman (Night of Champions, September 15th 2013) is a huge disappointment. What should have been the making of Curtis Axel turned out to be an absolute character assassination without words. Apart from selling for Axel for mere moments in the match Punk treated Axel like an enhancement talent. The long segment between the pair drags at a snails pace when it would have benefitted both and the match had they contested an all out high flying submission special. Instead Punk makes no attempt to elevate Axel or the Intercontinental Championship before he gets his hands on Paul Heyman. Hit with the GTS, Axel is locked in the Anaconda Vice; Curtis Axel taps too quickly and like a bitch. There’s not resistance, no fight. The match gets more interesting when Punk gets his hands on Paul Heyman but the five minutes – chase around the arena the exception – where Punk demolishes Heyman with weapon shots and handcuffs him, which isn’t the actions of a face, are illogical. WWE played their hand too early. Instead of allowing C.M Punk to batter Heyman with Singapore cane shots WW should have introduced Ryback ten seconds after Punk had Heyman on the mat in order to maximise the effect of Punk’s revenge at Hell in a Cell. That Punk gets so much revenge here diminishes the final revenge down the line. And if Ryback was being paid by Heyman why would he wait so long and allow his employer to take such a beating before making the rescue? WWE should have structured this so Axel got the pin on Punk and not Heyman. Instead of being the match which made a name and advanced a feud, this is one disappointing effort, though Ryback struggling to carry Heyman up the ramp is an amusing sight. Notable only for Heyman’s reactions.

Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:

Riding a Bike Down a Rooftop
Lending a Hand
Managers' Fan Clubs
Austin Idol's Manager
Cellphone
New York?
"I owe my career to Paul Heyman"
Micromanaging
Needed Venting
Paul the Promo Guy
Mystery Partner
Program Money
Leather Bag
Sending ECW a Tape
No Show Groomsman
King of NYC
White Corvette
Supported by the Competition
Ended Up with Nothing
Touring the ECW Arena
Out with a Bang
Common Bond
Breaking Vince's Desk
Baseball Slide
Creative Paul
King Kong
Because I Can't
Dirty Laundry
Real Friends
Comical Paul
Kid's Cutting Promos
Heroes
Genius or Insane?
Genuine Friend

Conclusion:

I was apprehensive when I heard WWE were going to release a three disc DVD and two disc Blu-ray about Paul Heyman. I had visions of another Bobby Heenan release which had no spine to it. After all, WWE sometimes have trouble with their in ring talent such as The Ultimate Warrior and John Cena, people who do have material to fill three discs even if that content isn’t much good. I just couldn’t see WWE bothering to create anything halfway decent about a man they’ve had a more than fractious relationship with in the past, and therefore braced myself for the worst when this dropped through my letterbox.

Though the pre-titles seem somewhat jumbled, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman’ is quite simply one of the finest wrestling biography releases the company have put out for more years than I can think of. Full of gripping and thrilling stories told with aplomb with Paul Heyman himself, the sit down interview is one of the most diverse and in-depth, filled with love, laughs and a little sadness to make everyone feel something whilst watching. Hell, even if you don’t like Paul Heyman, this is a story you simply must hear. In most cases its triumph over adversary.

The wealth of content from AWA, Jim Crockett Promotions, WCW, ECW and WWE is impressive across the span of the release and chosen with thought instead of WWE’s usual rush job of just closing their eyes and pointing which if rife across many other releases in 2014. Almost every promo means something and the praise heaped on Heyman by the talking heads isn’t sickly and has been earned twice over. Whilst we’re on the subject of talking heads, WWE have wisely kept them to people who mean the most to Paul Heyman be it in a friendly capacity or with pure hatred running their soul like Jerry Lawler. This makes the whole process a lot more intimate than fifty people who don’t really know him throwing in their penny’s worth.

I can’t honestly say the two matches included on this release are anything special, because they’re not and whilst WWE could have picked several better ones which Paul Heyman either had some bearing on (such as the stunning Brock Lesnar vs Big Show match from Survivor Series 2002) or even booked to display his aptitude for wrestling, they’re merely extra content to satisfy fans who yearn to see some wrestling on the release. Refreshingly, they’re not the meat and bones.

What little omissions and / or mistakes are on this release can be forgiven and even overlooked in most cases thanks to the wealth of material included. When you do find a discrepancy, it’s minor and I only mentioned them to be objective. They don’t ruin the documentary or the rest of the material; it’s just if you’ve sat through seven hours you may be more perceptible to spotting these things than if you break this up into instalments. The biggest problem with this is that now WWE have set the bar so high, they must keep it there.

There are many moments and lines contained within this release Vince McMahon would be wise to listen and take heed of. They could help his promotion and his product greatly especially where taking risks are concerned. The pick of the bunch comes from no one other than Mick Foley, who boldly states, “You don’t know where the line is, until you’ve crossed it!” WWE have yet to cross that line or get anywhere near it. Maybe from this, they will push the product to the line and see if it enhances any part of their image or standing with the audience.

I hope, for people who really don’t like Paul Heyman, this release will alter your mind about him or at least give you a new appreciation for what he’s done for the business, which can’t be forgotten when Jerry Lawler is called him a ‘Walrus’ or running him down on commentary. He’s revolutionized wrestling and without him we wouldn’t have had ECW and Brock Lesnar may have been a completely different beast and nowhere near as good as he is in 2014. The wrestling industry has a lot to thank Paul Heyman for.

I didn’t think I’d find a better release than ‘The Rise and Fall of ECW’ and it’s possible this isn’t it. Though if it isn’t, then it comes a very close second or joint first. It really is that good. In fact, if this review had an A+, I would award it to ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman’. 

Rating: A

Next Time in Review Corner: WWE Live in the UK: May 2014 DVD

Onwards and upwards...