Paul Heyman Explains The Difference Between John Cena and The Bloodline

Paul Heyman will appear on tonight’s NXT broadcast, cornering Bron Breakker while John Cena is in the corner of Carmelo Hayes

Paul Heyman stood ringside this past Saturday at Fastlane during The Bloodline’s tag team match against John Cena and LA Knight.

With his hair grayed due to his character’s mounting stress from within The Bloodline–“Main Event” Jey Uso considers himself free from the group and now stars on Raw–Heyman conjured up a new way of storytelling.

Now in his sixth decade involved in pro wrestling, Heyman continues to innovate. The latest example was with his cell phone–longtime Paul E. Dangerously fans will fondly recall that was always his preferred accessory–as he detailed and described The Bloodline’s shortcomings in the bout with Cena and Knight on speaker phone directly to Roman Reigns.

Though viewers can rightfully infer that Reigns has own Peacock subscription, it still makes sense that Heyman–in his role as Special Counsel and Wiseman to the Tribal Chief–would provide play-by-play of exactly what was transpiring.

“My description of the action carries a heightened credibility over and above anything that Pat McAfee, Michael Cole, and Corey Graves could ever offer my Tribal Chief,” said Heyman. “And once again, I was blessed by the appreciation bestowed upon me by my Tribal Chief.”

Courtesy WWE

One of wrestling’s greatest treasures, Heyman’s history in pro wrestling, especially among its active members, is rivaled by only an elite few. That has only been enhanced through his partnership with Reigns. Their pairing has been so spectacular that, remarkably, it surpassed even the years of work Heyman created while associated with Brock Lesnar.

A key element in Heyman’s longevity is that his stories always make sense. That is why he will be at NXT’s live show tonight. After Carmelo Hayes announced John Cena will be in his corner during a match against Bron Breakker, Heyman later revealed that Reigns advocated for him to provide wisdom in Breakker’s corner.

Hayes and Breakker–who is the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner–are two of the most exciting rising stars in all of pro wrestling. This is only their third singles match against one another, and the first since May. The addition of Cena and Heyman–along with appearances throughout the night from Becky Lynch, Cody Rhodes, Asuka, and The Undertaker–will place a significantly brighter spotlight on their work.

“Bron Breakker versus Carmelo Hayes, in and of itself, is a demonstration of the magnificent future this industry is going to enjoy,” said Heyman. “There are few, if any, better representatives in the talent competing for the WrestleMania main events coming up in the next several years.

“The guest appearances on this show are merely to call attention to the enormously gifted talent pool that is offered to the viewer on a weekly basis every Tuesday night. I would humbly suggest this NXT roster can compete with any claim there has ever been a more significant or more talented roster.”

NXT offers an opportunity for wrestlers to develop. On the surface, it represents an entirely different entity than what Heyman created in ECW. Yet there are similarities, most notably in the kindred spirit of the wrestlers who hunger to make an enduring mark in the industry.

Heyman explained he is honored to be part of the legendary crew arriving at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for tonight’s show. He witnessed, first-hand, the way a superstar can stir the emotions of those around him during Terry Funk’s run in ECW.

Funk, who passed away two months ago, reinvented himself on multiple occasions, none more emphatically than he did in ECW. Guided by his quintessential maverick spirit, Funk perfected the moonsault in his 50s, cut memorable promos, and helped establish a legion of new opponents in Heyman’s extreme landscape. Unselfishly, Funk helped redefine the industry as a whole in the 1990s, results of which continue to reverberate in the modern era of pro wrestling.

“If one is to self-analyze what opportunities contributed to the enormous success that they enjoyed over others who pursued the same success, then that person is far more inclined to give back to the industry that provided the opportunity to live out such dreams,” said Heyman. “Terry Funk was never hesitant to give back. He was always aware that the industry would carry on without him–the same way the industry carried on without his father, and the same way the industry carried on without his father’s predecessors.

“His understanding that giving back to the industry only extends one’s own legacy is yet another reason why Terry Funk was and is so passionately respected and admired in this industry.”

Courtesy WWE

On the subject of legends, Heyman is fully prepared to test his mettle against Cena. While Cena has reached rarified heights in pro wrestling, Heyman has also carved out a legacy.

An air of unpredictability fills the air when Heyman and Cena are on dueling microphones, which will hopefully be the case tonight. One certainty, however, is that Cena will remain an adversary to The Bloodline.

Courtesy WWE

Unlike Sami Zayn, who enjoyed a fabulous ride as part of the group, Heyman vowed this is a line of descent that Cena will never allow himself to join.

“John Cena is so comfortable in his righteousness that he would never be able to live with himself knowing the compromise of conscience that would be necessary to be a full-fledged member of The Bloodline,” said Heyman. “Besides that, he is a highly intelligent and savvy self-promoter. Cena could never accept that, in The Bloodline, he’d be number two behind Roman Reigns, if not number three behind Roman Reigns and Solo–if not number four behind Roman Reigns, Solo, and Jimmy Uso–if not number five behind Roman Reigns, Solo, Jimmy Uso, and Paul Heyman.

“Cena is an enormous attraction. He’s also smart. He knows he’ll always be positioned as number-one on the marquee against us, but never with us.”

In the coming weeks, as the two inevitably share more time together on-screen, Heyman is eager to reintroduce Cena to the brilliance of Reigns.