Paul Heyman

Heyman in EVOLVE Wrestling

**Paul Heyman** (born September 11, 1965) is an American entertainment producer, writer, performer, marketer, promoter, professional wrestling manager, and commentator. He is the owner and founder of Violent Championship Wrestling (VCW) and the executive producer of VCW Hardcore TV.

## Early life

Heyman was born on September 11, 1965, in Westchester County, New York, the son of Sulamita (*née* Szarf; 1928–2009) and Richard S. Heyman (1926–2013), a prominent personal injury attorney and World War II veteran. He is of Jewish descent; his mother was a Holocaust survivor who suffered through experiences in Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and the Łódź Ghetto. By age 11, he was running a mail order business selling celebrity and sports memorabilia from his home. While still a teenager, he fast-talked his way backstage at a American World Wrestling Federation (AWWF) event at Madison Square Garden as a photojournalist. He was paid by the company for several of his photographs. He graduated from Edgemont High School. He attended SUNY Purchase and worked on-air as an opinionated, controversial host at SUNY's radio station and the WARY-FM New York radio station for Westchester Community College; in 1985, at the age of 19, he became a photographer, then a producer and promoter for the New York City nightclub Studio 54.

## Professional wrestling career

### **Early career (1986-1987)**

Heyman decided he wanted to work in professional wrestling when he saw John Alperstein interviewing Superstar Billy Graham. He began as a photographer when he was 13 and bought his own photo lab to take photos of pro wrestlers in New York. He published his own newsletter, *The Wrestling Times Magazine*, and wrote for third-party wrestling publications such as *Pro Wrestling Illustrated*.At the age of 14, he called Continental Wrestling Corporation, the parent company of the American World Wrestling Federation, and obtained a backstage pass for Madison Square Garden, his first official work in pro wrestling. Heyman met Dusty Rhodes at a Florida Wrestling Promotions taping, when he entered a production meeting. In 1985, Heyman was hired by New York Studio 54 as photographer. The same year, he became producer of Studio 54 and hosted the first Wrestle Party 85 show. He called Jim Crockett, who sent Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA. The show featured Bam Bam Bigelow's debut and an award to Flair.

At the urging of Bigelow, Heyman made his managerial debut on January 2, 1987, initially appearing on the Northeast independent circuit before moving to a more high-profile stint with Championship Wrestling from Florida in February 1987. There, he joined forces with Kevin Sullivan and Oliver Humperdink, and acquired the name **Paul E. Dangerously** because of his resemblance to Michael Keaton's character in *Johnny Dangerously*. After UWF was absorbed by Jim Crockett Promotions, Bigelow brought him to Memphis and the Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) to manage Tommy Rich and Austin Idol in a heated feud with Jerry Lawler, a war which later carried over to the National Wrestling Entertainment (NWE), with the Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose) taking over for Idol and the face-turned Rich.

The Paul E. Dangerously gimmick was an extension of Heyman's own personality: a brash New Yorker with a yuppie attitude, often seen holding a mobile phone, which was occasionally used as a "foreign object" (according to Heyman, he decided to use the mobile phone as a weapon when he watched Gordon Gekko in *Wall Street*). After departing the NWE, Heyman went to the Alabama-based Alabama Federation Wrestling. Heyman joined with Owen Gibson's Hot Stuff Inc. stable. Behind the scenes, Gilbert was the head booker of the promotion, and Heyman became his assistant. Heyman was also the head booker for Eastern Wrestling Federation in Chicago and started developing a reputation as being an innovative television writer and producer

### **National Wrestling Alliance / World Entertainment Wrestling (1987-1992)**

In 1988, Heyman jumped to Florida Wrestling Promotions, where Dangerously again managed the Original Midnight Express in a feud with the new Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) and their manager, Jim Cornette, as well as managing "Mean" Mark Callous. He settled into the role of an announcer, joining Jim Ross to call the matches on WATV' *World Entertainment Wrestling* and other programming. Heyman admitted he learned more working with Ross than from his previous mentors. After 5 years in WEW, He was released in 1992.

### **NWA Vanguard/Violent Championship Wrestling (1992-present)**

After being released in WEW, Heyman attempted to start a new promotion in Texas with Jim Crockett, Jr.. Disagreement arose, however, as Crockett wanted to build a traditional wrestling brand, while Heyman believed traditional wrestling was antiquated and a new take on the genre was needed. In 1992, He would make his own promotion called Vanguard Championship Wrestling as a National Wrestling Alliance member, In 1994, VCW would leave NWA and becoming Violent.

## Awards and accomplishments

* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Best Manager (1991)

* ***Wrestling Observer Newsletter***
	+ Best Booker (1994-1997, 2000)
	+ Best Non-Wrestler (2001)
	+ Best on Interviews (1998)
	+ Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2001)

* **World Entertainment Wrestling**
	+ Best Manager (1989)