WWE Hall of Fame 2024: Top Highlights from Paul Heyman, U.S. Express and All Speeches | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Inducted by: Roman Reigns
Surprisingly, it was Paul Heyman that was announced first for this Hall of Fame class. He was the obvious headliner, but this was likely to make sure that he had as much time as he wanted.
WWE put together a phenomenal video package going over his time as a manager in WCW to running ECW and finally managing the future of the business.
Reigns gave a simple personal speech highlighting Heyman’s impact on his career. He credited The Wise Man as the reason The Tribal Chief exists. He even declared that he would no longer be The Tribal Chief when he was without The Wise Man.
Heyman came off hesitant, obviously uncertain about talking about himself. He talked up his friend Rob Van Dam, his son and daughter nearby and CM Punk before turning to Triple H’s leadership in a time of uncertainty for WWE.
After he was done getting mushy, he turned to ECW, pulling out of a box that contained his classic jacket, hat, headset and old-school phone.
He went into full promo mode, finding his confidence as he put over everything he did over his career. He went from ECW to Reigns to the future of WWE.
He promised to continue to disrupt this business for years to come, ending with his classic line: “That’s not a prediction. That’s a spoiler.”
This was a fantastic speech and was going to be difficult for anyone to follow. It could have been shortened up, but Heyman has always been better at content than brevity. Fans were not ready for it to end when it did.
The clearest message to everyone watching was that Heyman found his way to achieving his dream, and we all can achieve our own dream by being equally as unapologetic.
- “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, The Miz and more paid tribute to Heyman in the video package highlighting his career.
- Much of the crowd acknowledged Roman Reigns on his way to the ring, including Nia Jax, who looked very happy to shown her Bloodline support.
- Reigns explained that he did not want to be the man to hype Heyman as he knew he could not do his Wise Man justice, but he respected Heyman too much to say no.
- Reigns: “He taught me if we’re not learning, we’re not growing.”
- Reigns: “The only thing you need is to do is be yourself, to believe in yourself. The moment that you start doing that, you will need for nothing.”
- Heyman came out to the ECW theme and hugged RVD, Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray on his way to the ring.
- Heyman: “You’re [expletives removed] right I deserve it.”
- Heyman said he had become a “Paul Levesque guy” and hoped that his daughter could even be half the woman that Stephanie is, though he did joke that Stephanie had married “the wrong Paul”.
- He told his children to “pursue your dreams, pursue your happiness”.
- Heyman wished that his father and Cody’s father (Dusty) were here to see this.
- Heyman: “The reality to this man in 1993 was this industry sucked.”
- Heyman put over the impact of ECW on professional wrestling as a whole. His response to those that believed ECW was dead needed to be completely censored.
- The Advocate was not afraid (for better or worse) to bring up Brock Lesnar.
- Heyman: “Only you can stop yourself from living out your dreams. Only you can let them cancel you.”