Before he returned to WWE in 2012 to align with Brock Lesnar and begin one of the most successful runs of his career, Paul Heyman was on a completely different path. During his lengthy interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Heyman revealed that he “had no desire to go back” to wrestling at that time and was preparing to write, produce, and direct his first feature film.
“I Was Out, As Out as Out Could Be”
Reflecting on his mindset in the years leading up to his 2012 return, Heyman was clear that a comeback was not on his mind. “When Brock came back in 2012 and, you know [he says], ‘you want to come with me?’ No, I had no desire to go back,” he stated. “I was out, as out as out could be at the time. No sign of coming back… I was on a journey to do other things at the time.”
Negotiations with TNA
During this period, Heyman was in negotiations with TNA Wrestling but his demands were significant, illustrating his reluctance to re-enter the wrestling world without complete control. “I had talked for a while. TNA had made their approach, and I said, ‘Give me the Dana White deal,'” he recalled. “There’s nothing to talk about… I wasn’t going to get back in unless I had an ownership stake in it, and had complete control, especially of that product at that time.”
A Budding Film Career
Instead of focusing on wrestling, Heyman’s creative energy was directed towards Hollywood. “I probably would have, by within another year or two, I would have written, produced, directed my first movie. I was getting into that,” he revealed. “I have some scripts in my desk that we’re just brushing off now, and I’m rewriting that… Dip into that opportunity as well, especially now that we’re on Netflix and we have so much attention on us.”
The Offer He Couldn’t Refuse
Ultimately, Heyman’s path changed when WWE made him an offer he couldn’t turn down to return alongside the returning Brock Lesnar. “It wasn’t until a couple of things happened, and then, you know, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I went back,” he said. “And I’ve been back since.”
No Regrets
While his filmmaking career was put on hold, Heyman has no complaints about how things turned out. “I have absolutely no complaint. Yeah, I’m home. You know, it became home again,” he said. He stated that he was “welcomed back with open arms, and I’ve been made to feel at home since.” The full interview can be heard on The Ariel Helwani Show.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
