Paul Heyman's underrated talent list

[Mr. Nerfect]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/heyman/article1186372.ece

In this article, Heyman creates a list of talent he feels are underused in the industry. Quite an interesting read, as all Heyman's rants. Not sure if this was posted anywhere else. If so, feel free to make this a discussion about how great Heyman would be back in the wrestling industry.

[McLegend]

Well First off I think Heyman's time in wrestling as a booker or writer is over. The sun set has set on the Heyman Era.

I argee with this list, and espeically James Mitchell. He's amazing, but yet he has been stuck in this Retarded Abyss storyline for the past year, and it's never going to end. The thing is he's still engaging even in a fuckin clusterfuck of a storyline. James Mitchell could manage me and make me look like a threat. He's that good.

He cuts better promos then anyone in the industry.

[The Naitch]

Fuck Paul Heyman, he's old news. Get out of here with that shit

[Mr. Nerfect]

The column is dated 20th May 2008. Nope, not old news. :p

Tito Ortiz is an interesting one. I assume he's banging Jenna Jameson, or something? It seems like a deal only the WWE could make, although Jameson and Ortiz might like the relaxed travel, even at the relaxed pay the WWE would offer. There have been rumours about Ortiz entering professional wrestling for a while now. I'm not too familiar with the guy, but I'd like to see it. It might make Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley re-consider their positions on wrestling/MMA.

Beth Phoenix is indeed underused. She's a great female competitor, and any attractive woman he can Death Valley Driver two men at once has my respect. I'd like to see her mix it up with male competitors, occasionally. Not unlike a not-as-ugly version of Chyna.

James Mitchell is amazing. James Lipton should be managing someone who needs it in TNA. Have someone "make a deal with the devil," and earn Mitchell as their manager. For some reason, Johnny Devine keeps coming to mind. I think Sonjay Dutt, when he eventually turns heel, could use the Mitchell assistance, too.

The TNA roster is a very good one.

Randy Orton isn't really underused, but I see where Heyman is coming from.

[KingofOldSchool]

Paul Heyman is overrated

[Bad Company]

Paul Heyman is the man.

[The Optimist]

What's with all the animosity towards Heyman?

[Indifferent Clox]

Fuck Paul Heyman, he's old news. Get out of here with that shit
I don't really think you're the one to talk about late. Jus' saying.

[Fox]

Heyman could book circles around the current WWE writing team.

I dunno about Tito Ortiz though.

[Mr. Nerfect]

What's with all the animosity towards Heyman?

Smarks like him. Hence he is overrated.

[Rob]

Tito Ortiz isn't wrestling anytime soon. Not enough money in it for him.

[FourFifty]

Sometimes I feel I have to support Heyman because he's a fellow Jew, but I gotta draw the line somewhere.....

[Soda Popinski]

I hear voices in my head, they talk to me, they understand. They come to me.

[KingofOldSchool]

Paul Heyman is a fat man.

[Impact!]

Paul Heyman is a Bad Bad Man.

[Impact!]

Paul Heyman is a Baaaaad Baaaaaad Man.

[BigDaddyCool]

BDC and sugarbutt have been saying that about Beth Phonics for a long time. Paul Heyman is a Johnny come lately. :mad:

[Mr. Nerfect]

Tito Ortiz isn't wrestling anytime soon. Not enough money in it for him.

This would almost certainly be true.

[BigDaddyCool]

Heyman is bitter because he doesn't have a promotion to run into the ground.

[Mr. JL]

I never thought James Mitchell was all that good. Then again, I've seen more of his TNA stuff than anything over the past few years and TNA turns anything into crap so... and those are really the only promos I can recall from him anymore.

[FourFifty]

Paul Heyman is a Jew!

[The Optimist]

In ECW James Mitchell "Sinister Minister" (I don't know if he goes by that anymore) was a huge badass, and it sounds like his TNA work before they got a tv contract was pretty awesome. Leading major fueds with and against Raven and Punk, it makes me smile.

[The Ravishing One]

Paul Heyman is the man.

:y:

[Kane Knight]

NUMBER 2 - THE ENTIRE TNA ROSTER
No long term concepts + bad television writing + zero marketing strategy = hard working talents whose efforts are wasted on a show that has not grown the audience whatsoever despite the tens of millions of dollars sunken into it.




LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

[Kane Knight]

Before anyone gets their panties in a wad, the LOL was more because it amused me than any disagreement. Though I think the ENTIRE roster is a stretch, He's onto something here.

[The Optimist]

I thought it was a lol towards the fact that what he said sounded suspiously like the last year of ECW.

[NoRoolz]

I still love Heyman.

[NoRoolz]

and Paul Heyman.

[Kane Knight]

I thought it was a lol towards the fact that what he said sounded suspiously like the last year of ECW.

LOL

That is a great point, though it wasn't what had originally made me LOL. But while you assumed an astute point, I was mostly worried about the negative assumption that was bound to come in the form of:

"What? Are you saying Paul Heyman was a terrible booker, bad for the business, and molested puppies?"

Followed by a 500 word essay attacking the notion I didn't say, how Heyman is great, I suck, and the poster is being furrsecuted.

[Dave Youell]

Can someone post the whole thing? Can't access The Sun at work because of the page 3 stuff

[BigDaddyCool]

LOL

That is a great point, though it wasn't what had originally made me LOL. But while you assumed an astute point, I was mostly worried about the negative assumption that was bound to come in the form of:

"What? Are you saying Paul Heyman was a terrible booker, bad for the business, and molested puppies?"

Followed by a 500 word essay attacking the notion I didn't say, how Heyman is great, I suck, and the poster is being furrsecuted.

Not everyone is Noid. Fuck that guy.

[The Optimist]

He did molest puppies though.

[The Optimist]

Wrestlers that should be much bigger superstars than they are. Held back by politics, stupidity, lack of writers' understanding and sometimes even their own devices and demons. They're called 'underutilised talents', but every now and then the miracle occurs and you see someone bust through the parameters under which he or she works. I've seen it happen, up close and personal. With Steve Austin, the time he was released by WCW and was given the forum to express himself in the original ECW. With Mick Foley, when he agreed to turn heel on the fans and cut some of the most memorable promos of this or any other generation. And even with Brian Pillman, when he stopped settling for upper mid card and wanted to be the talk of the industry.

These are, in my opinion, the Top 5 most underutilised talents in pro wrestling today.
Let the debate begin!


NUMBER 5 - TITO ORTIZ
Why not start right off with some controversy?
I was going to mention The Briscoes from Ring of Honor, because a long-term storyline between the young, hip, edgy Briscoes and the team of Miz and Morrison would be a classic. But The Briscoes are not underutilised in ROH, just underexposed to the masses. Tito, however, is finishing up his UFC contract this weekend. What does he do next? Wear out his name in MMA, or capitalize on his love for pro wrestling and exploit his larger than life personality by joining WWE or TNA? And remember, where Tito goes, so goes Jenna Jameson, the best self-promoter in show business today. Forget these short term deals with Pac Man Jones and Floyd Mayweather. Tito and Jenna can be long term stars who command attention, and they can bring that attention to whatever wrestling promotion is smart enough to TAP into their controversial relationship.


NUMBER 4 - BETH PHOENIX It doesn't matter that she's already been WWE women’s champion, the audience hasn't even had a taste of what this phenomenal athlete is capable of. I think Beth's ring skills are deteriorating because she's not being allowed to work up to her potential. WWE should bring in opponents for Beth to squash every week. There are plenty of women wrestlers in the Shimmer group, the West Coast indies, even in Mexico to feed to Beth.

SUPERB ATHLETE ... Beth Phoenix

Then, in due time, when someone finally steps up to her, the audience would be craving to pay to see WWE's heel version of Gina Carano get chopped down to size. The WWE's women’s division lacks a long term vision, and Beth has been rushed into programs that just fill the female-segment on Raw, reminding one of the old adage about "leaving a lot of money on the table".

NUMBER 3 - JAMES MITCHELL
The best backstage promo artist in the business, bar none. A brilliant spokesman who can articulate the merits of the opponent without selling his own act short. The Sinister Minister's delivery is defined by a composure that only top notch thespians can master, and his timing is nothing short of awe-inspiring. A compelling character whose attention-grabbing look is surpassed only by his wealth of talent. WASTED talent, I might add. But that's not surprising, considering that he works for TNA. Speaking of which ...


NUMBER 2 - THE ENTIRE TNA ROSTER
No long term concepts + bad television writing + zero marketing strategy = hard working talents whose efforts are wasted on a show that has not grown the audience whatsoever despite the tens of millions of dollars sunken into it.


NUMBER 1 - RANDY ORTON
What? How can the most spotlighted heel in WWE be the most underutilised talent in wrestling? Because how often is Randy Orton scripted to get real heat? Orton's run with Shawn Michaels was based on HBK superkicking The Legend Killer into oblivion week after week on TV. Orton's storyline with Jeff Hardy was based on Hardy pinning the champ, and then one-upping him at almost every turn. Orton's schedule with Cena was the same story. Ditto for HHH. The final week before WrestleMania, Orton tapped out to Ric Flair on Monday Night Raw. On a case-by-case scenario, there's nothing wrong with any of it. But put into context, when does Orton get to make you hate him so badly, you're willing to pay to see him get beat, or at least beaten up? What heinous act has Orton committed against a babyface you care about?
The only time Randy is allowed to 'pile on the heat' is during promos, and admittedly he falls short in that department. His voice does drag. I concede, he doesn't have enough range. So, Orton either needs a manager, or a full-time off-camera behind the scenes interview coach. The fact Orton carries the heat he does right now, even though he really hasn't done anything in almost a year - when he was given the credit for putting Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, and a host of legends on the shelf - is a testament to his ability to carry himself like a main-event heel. With a new round of contemptible actions added to the mix, Orton can be a far bigger superstar than he already is today.

[Kane Knight]

Not everyone is Noid. Fuck that guy.

Not everyone is Noid, but he does the lying of ten posters, and invariably, he finds his way around to my posts.

The only real way to avoid it is to write things out so that a five year old down syndrome sufferer could understand it. But if I wanted to do that, I'd be writing for Fox News.

[BigDaddyCool]

Fox Noise is the greatest News company in the world :mad:

[Kane Knight]

It's owned by an Australian. Nothing good has ever come out of Australia. Though if KYR comes out, I'll make an exception for him.

[BigDaddyCool]

Australia is the home of Noid, so I'm going to agree with KK.