Paul Heyman has launched an impassioned defense of his legacy as professional wrestling’s greatest manager, lashing out at those who rank Bobby Heenan above him and insisting the numbers simply do not support the comparison.
Speaking to VGC, Heyman was asked about the Bobby Heenan debate and responded by taking issue with the premise that Heenan even belongs in the same conversation.
“I’m so sick of hearing that name,” Heyman said. “How many champions has Bobby Heenan managed? Zero. You can count them on one hand. Can’t count mine on one. You can barely count them on two. How many WrestleMania main events was he in? The only person that’s been in more WrestleMania main events than me is Roman Reigns.”
Heyman noted his role as an advocate rather than a traditional manager might disqualify some of his accolades and addressed it directly with his own statistics. “If you want to just say, well, that doesn’t count because you’re a manager, an advocate, a wise man, an oracle, okay, so let’s put it this way,” Heyman said. “I’m in people’s corners at WrestleMania. The number is 10. Who’s second place? Stephanie McMahon. You know what number she’s at? Three. Please tell me how anybody measures up to my accomplishments.”
Heyman closed his argument by framing the comparison in blunt financial terms. “I managed more champions for a longer period of time and a longer period of time within their title reigns than anybody else in history,” Heyman said. “No one even comes close. They’re not even in the same universe as me. So you genuflecting respect upon someone that is dead and whose numbers don’t match mine is like saying that your next door neighbor who just hit the million dollar lottery is in the same league as Elon Musk. They’re not, and Bobby Heenan’s not in mine either.”
Heyman has guided the careers of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk among others. Bobby Heenan, who passed away in 2017, was a legendary figure in his own right and has been posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. It should be noted that Heyman has spoken very highly of Heenn in the past.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit VGC with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
