Paul Heyman’s 2024 WWE Hall of Fame induction was one of the most memorable in history, and on What’s Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon, he revealed the four reasons he finally accepted the honor after turning it down four times, and the panic he felt on stage.
Heyman explained why this year was different. “And the reason why was number one, it was WrestleMania. 40. Pretty momentous,” Heyman began. “Number two, I was the first person asked by Paul Levesque, with him being in complete control of the Hall of Fame. And to me, that was a lifetime honor. Number three, he asked me to headline it… And number four, we were coming out of a very chaotic time corporately. And no matter what, no matter who had what opinion, this man was doing a magnificent job in steering the ship. And someone had to say it publicly.”
Emotional Moment With Roman Reigns
Heyman also spoke about the emotional weight of the weekend, as it was just 48 hours before the end of Roman Reigns’ historic title reign.
“The Bloodline is a turning point, and we both knew we were within 48 hours of this chapter closing. It’s rough, very emotional for the two of us,” Heyman said. “And the fact that he was willing to induct me when he was the undisputed, absolute, uncontroverted number one star in this industry was breathtaking to me.”
‘Blank, Blank’
Despite his reputation as a master orator, Heyman admitted he was terrified when he first got on stage after Reigns’ introduction. “And I’m out there? Blank. Oh, no, really blank, blank… panic, oh, and it’s forever. It’s at least 10 minutes you’re standing out there is what it feels like.”
He was saved by the Philadelphia crowd. “And then I heard it coming from this section from my left, you deserve it. And then it starts to permeate the entire room… So I heard it, and I heard the chant, and I went, Okay, that’s it. Here we go. You know, you fucking right. I deserve it, and got the pop. And I was like, now, here we go.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit What’s Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the podcast on all major podcast platforms.
