Paul Heyman's 7 Greatest Moments as a Wrestling Manager

Paul Heyman adds to his overflowing collection of highlights each week. WWE fans are witnessing the peak of the best manager the wrestling business has seen.

As the head of The Dangerous Alliance or the weasel standing in Brock Lesnar's corner a decade ago, he was captivating, a master of working the crowd. Today, he's evolved into an even better performer. As a salesman, barker and irritant, he is simply superb.

He's shown that off on several occasions, adding to the significance of matches and changing how the audience perceives his clients.

Every time we think he's given us his magnum opus, he slips another from his sheath the next night out. The following is a look at his career highlights thus far, the moments ranked by how memorable they were, the extent of their impacts and the quality of his performances.

Note that this is a list of his best moments as a manager, not as an authority figure, as he was in ECW and on SmackDown. So classics promos like the one he delivered at One Night Stand 2005 were not considered.

Honorable Mention

• Paul Heyman introduces Curtis Axel
• The teased CM Punk return
• Paul E. Dangerously incites Madusa

A rousing introduction by Heyman, who put his name behind Michael McGillicutty, saw the latter not only morph into Curtis Axel but go from irrelevant to the talk of WWE.

The buzz didn't last, and the connection between them didn't stick, but for a moment it looked like Heyman had pulled off his greatest feat to date. He sold fans on Axel in a way that no one else could.

The fact that Heyman's touch didn't exactly turn Axel into gold in the end slides this moment down to this section of the list.

At WCW's Halloween Havoc 1992, Heyman kicked Madusa out of The Dangerous Alliance. He was so nasty and dismissive that one couldn't help but root for the woman's champion to knock him to the floor. The scathing sendoff was the catalyst for their briefly blistering feud.

His speech was far simpler and more one-dimensional than one would see from him today.

After CM Punk's abrupt and controversial exit from WWE in early 2014, WWE officials had to be insanely nervous about heading back to his hometown for Raw. Would the backlash over Punk's absence wreck the show? Would things completely devolve?

Thanks to WWE's handing the reins over to Heyman, the answer to both questions was no.

He turned the situation on its head by addressing it, working Punk's departure into the story of Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker before deftly shifting gears and selling the next big match.

7. Betraying Brock Lesnar

Without his usual verbal barrage, Paul Heyman still made a major impact at Survivor Series 2002.

His betrayal of Brock Lesnar was the talk of the pay-per-view. Part of that is thanks to how close he and Lesnar were, how perfect a pairing they were. But Heyman has to get kudos for his master use of facial expressions here.

He nailed his performance. The fear he showed when Lesnar looked to tear him apart and grating exuberance as he celebrated alongside Big Show was done perfectly.

Like he would do many times over in his career after this, he amplified the power of a moment. 

Ditching Lesnar didn't ending up changing the wrestling landscape like the higher-ranked items on this list, though. Considering how long they have been together again, this split now feels like a blip on the WWE timeline.

6. ECW Invasion

"We are determined to make Todd Gordon a broken man."

Paul Heyman arrived as Paul E. Dangerously in ECW when the promotion was still in its infancy. His presence added an electricity that only expanded over time.

He announced himself as part of ECW by way of smashing a phone over the back of a man's skull and siding with Eddie Gilbert. The manager then announced that Gilbert, Don Muraco and Jimmy Snuka were now the crew he would lead storming through the company.

Heyman displayed some excellent mic work here. He made Muraco, Snuka and Gilbert sound like a world-beating team, despite the fact that this posse was old and past its prime. He expertly riled up the Philadelphia crowd, calling them all scumbags and talking down to them.

There was a sense that big change was coming following this invasion.

It ranks lower than other moments, however, because Heyman's real impact on ECW didn't come courtesy of this trio or as a manager at all. It was his time as booker and head man for the promotion that really made history.

5. Selling WrestleMania, Elevating Roman Reigns

"How are you going to handle disappointing your family?"

For the second year in a row, it looked like the buildup to WrestleMania was going to be marred by a disinterested and discontent fanbase. Roman Reigns heard boos when he won the Royal Rumble. The crowd called for Daniel Bryan to be in his spot.

And then a snowstorm hit and forced WWE to air Raw from its company headquarters.

Paul Heyman changed the trajectory of that match that night. When he sat down, taking over interviewing duties for Michael Cole, he made that bout a must-watch event.

He showed Reigns respect while still being slimy and condescending. He then played up Reigns as a Samoan badass while reminding everyone just how dominant Brock Lesnar was.

The WrestleMania main event went from derailed to riding a wave of momentum in one of Heyman's best performances. In his very best work, however, he managed to top this in terms of emoting, facial expressions and creating memories.

4. The Exclamation Point on the End of The Streak

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!"

Had Brock Lesnar been at the Superdome alone at WrestleMania 30, or even with another manager, his victory over Undertaker wouldn't have been as powerful.

When the referee counted to three and Undertaker's 21-win streak ended, Heyman served as the bout's emotional lighting rod. His shock was the shock the crowd felt. His disbelief was the same feeling that silenced the audience.

Heyman then morphed into glee, becoming the grinning villain who said, "I told you so" with just his face. He elevated that moment; he intensified the power of Undertaker's loss.

Had he been allowed to get on stage right then and start growling into a microphone, this may have come in at the top of this list. Heyman's three best performances were bolstered by his gift with words.

3. The Formation of The Dangerous Alliance

"I'm going to show you what power is all about."

Before Nexus looked to rule WWE or NWO tried to take over WCW, Paul Heyman (Paul E. Dangerously at the time) was poised to change the system himself. In 1991, the slick-talking shyster formed one of the more memorable factions in wrestling history. 

Heyman mocked Sting and his fans. He talked about ruling WCW. 

It's how significant he made this feel that makes it stand out, though. Heyman talked about this group's formation as if it were a major news story. He put each of his men over by selling fans on his toughness, lack of morals and drive to destroy.

Right way, The Dangerous Alliance felt like a posse of ass-kicking renegades.

The only two moments that surpass this here do so on the strength of Heyman's improved mic work. He doesn't cut promos anymore; he performs works of theater.

2. A Brokenhearted Beating

"I loved you. I martyred myself for you. I fathered you."

In a haunting performance, Paul Heyman struck back against the client who abandoned him.

CM Punk simply wanted to part ways with his manager. Heyman didn't take the divorce well, however. He transformed into a snarling, bloodthirsty beast with tears in his eyes.

The feud that followed this wasn't spectacular, but fans won't soon forget Heyman cracking a Kendo stick across Punk's chest. Heyman poured his emotions out onto the canvas that night like no one else. 

If Heyman ever wants to start doing movies, this is the video he would show to a movie producer. This is the apex of his acting.

1. Basking in a Broken Streak

"Brock Lesnar is here to shock the WWE Universe and put tears in the eyes of children."

In modern wrestling, it's hard to garner heat. Fans know that the villains on screen are simply playing a role. It takes a special performance and a tremendous performer to get the audience as riled up as Paul Heyman did the night after WrestleMania 30.

The advocate insulted the fans, calling them stupid in a variety of ways. He bragged about Lesnar ending Undertaker's streak so effectively that one couldn't help but want to smack the smugness from his face.

Heyman then worked to elevate the significance of Lesnar's huge win. It felt even more like a history-making victory thanks to this rant. He added voltage to that moment with one of his best speeches to date.

Lesnar's momentum increased that night. The power of Undertaker's failure multiplied. And Heyman would then guide Lesnar on one of the most dominant and memorable runs in WWE history.

This bit of gloating kickstarted all of that.

For those still willing to debate that Heyman isn't the best manager in industry history, try imagining anyone else in this spot. It simply wouldn't have the same impact.