Paul Heyman has worked in the wrestling industry for nearly five decades and has served under several leadership styles during his storied career.
Heyman joined WWE (formerly WWF) in March 2001, after owning Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) for nine years, beginning in 1993.
In 2006, Heyman left WWE for five and a half years before returning in 2012. Heyman has stated publicly that creative differences with former WWE chairman Vince McMahon over the rebirth of ECW fueled his exit.
Although the two wrestling pioneers worked in tandem for several years, Heyman admitted he much prefers having Paul “Triple H” Levesque over his embattled father-in-law.
Paul Heyman Labels Vince McMahon a “Dictator”
In a recent appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Paul Heyman discussed the differing leadership styles of Levesque and McMahon.
“Paul runs the creative. And it’s a much different environment with Paul running the creative than Vince, because they are distinctly different personalities,” Heyman said.
“Vince was a dictator. It was his money. And therefore it’s his show. And you’re gonna be the executive director, or you’re gonna be the lead writer, or you’re gonna be my top idea man,” he continued.
“Graham, I see this is not half empty, it’s not half full. That is a percentage which I have in my mind and you can’t talk me out of it. Well, Vince, what’s in your mind? I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me what’s in your mind and talk me out of what’s in mine?” Heyman said while imitating Vince McMahon, adding, “So you better be good at pitching.
Heyman explained that pitching ideas to Vince McMahon was often an uphill climb.
“And it’s the constant chase for Vince to buy into your ideas over his own. That’s the dynamic of pitching Vince McMahon. He’s right. He has the right to be wrong. It’s his show. Give me your best shot.
Heyman continued, “Because if you can sell Vince, you can sell the talent, you can sell the lieutenants, and you can sell the audience. So if you’re that good of a salesman, he’s gonna buy it… and then it’s his idea because he gets the credit because he’s the owner.”
Paul Heyman Enjoys Working Under Triple H
Heyman said pitching ideas is not as strenuous with Levesque at the helm and called the 14-time World Champion the “best editor I’ve ever worked with.”
“Paul Levesque is not a dictator,” Heyman told Bensiger. “He’s a collaborator. See, Vince loves a blank piece of paper. Paul Levesque doesn’t like the blank piece of paper.
“He accepts the fact that the paper has writing on it already,” Heyman continued. “He’s the best editor I’ve ever worked with in my entire life, ever, because he’s an open collaborator who walks in the room with no expectations of his own vision.”
Heyman said that Levesque builds his vision by listening to “very smart people” and is more receptive to others’ ideas than McMahon.
“He’s a collaborator, the likes of which I’ve never had the pleasure of working with.”
Paul Heyman Explains Why He Prefers Triple H Over “Dictator” Vince McMahon