Ronda Rousey has commented on the rise of Roman Reigns in WWE, giving particular praise to Paul Heyman for his part in making it happen. In the past, Rousey has praised Heyman as someone who helped her significantly in WWE and has now commented further on his influence.
Appearing on Bertcast, Rousey discussed the success of legacy families in WWE and MMA. “Legacy families in WWE are a lot more successful because it’s scripted. So you can make sure the legacy continues. Whereas in MMA, you’ve gotta win. It’s not like a guarantee.”
Roman Reigns’ Initial Rejection
Rousey then spoke about how Roman Reigns was not accepted by WWE fans for a long time, despite having too many “advantages” that fans could not relate to. “Roman Reigns, they tried so hard to get him over for so long, and there was ‘f**k you Roman’ chants, and no one wanted him because he had so many of those advantages. He was young, good-looking, talented, came from a famous family. No one identified with that.”
Paul Heyman’s ‘Genius’
She credited Paul Heyman with finding the right character for Reigns, which finally allowed him to get over with the audience as “The Head of the Table.”
“It wasn’t until Paul Heyman came in and found a way to repackage everything as the Head of the Table and all of that. That is Paul Heyman’s genius that got him over. So much of what is working in that company is due to Paul Heyman or Paul Heyman’s guidance. He’s the guy behind the scenes that’s everyone’s mentor, and a lot of the best ideas originated from him.”
Rousey concluded by stating how much she personally respects Heyman for his contributions, both to the company and to her own career. “My graphic novel originated from him. Paul Heyman deserves a f**king shrine, in my mind. He has a shrine in my mind.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Bertcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the full episode on all major podcast platforms.
