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This ECW original credits Paul Heyman for ushering in WWE’s greatest success

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Matty Breisch | Last updated 4/15/24

Though he may no longer be the manager of the top performer in the WWE Universe, with Roman Reigns losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40 and Solo Sikoa seemingly starting a coup by swapping out Jimmy Uso for Tama Tonga in The Bloodline, Paul Heyman is still riding high based off of his WWE Hall of Fame induction alone, with some already calling his speech the greatest of all time.

Another WWE Hall of Famer who is all about what Heyman brings to the table is D-Von Dudley, the once and future Dudley Boy who largely owes his career to Heyman as one of the most prolific ECW originals.

Discussing his thoughts about Heyman in an interview on Gabby AF, Dudley celebrated his fellow Hall of Famer, noting that the WWE Universe and its most successful period of time, the Attitude Era, wouldn’t have been the same without Paul E. Dangerously’s influence.

“The whole induction for Paul was great because Paul really did deserve it. Paul helped change the face of professional wrestling, of course along with Cactus Jack and Terry Funk and Onita bring that style from Japan to the United States when ECW was born. But, with the ideas and the booking of Paul Heyman and how he ran that company, it was great with how he gave a bunch of misfits the opportunity when other wrestling organizations wouldn’t have dared to give us an opportunity. He made us into stars. I like to say that we were stars in ECW, but we became superstars in WWE. In order for us to be able to become that superstar, first we have to become a star, and Paul Heyman helped us do that. Well deserved for him being inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Again, if it wasn’t for him, there would be no attitude era, there would be no Stone Cold Steve Austin, there would be none of us so I’m very happy and proud that he’s in the Hall Of Fame,” D-Von Dudley told Gabby AF via Fightful.

“His speech on the other hand, ooh. That was a little crazy because no one had ever spoke like that at the Hall Of Fame. He kept it real, he kept it real but no one had ever done that before and the language that was being used, I’m listening to it in the arena, so I don’t know what was being bleeped but I’m sure you can make out what he was saying even though it was being bleeped. I think that’s the first time that anyone has ever done that before and that’s just true Paul Heyman form. He’s not gonna do the same like everyone else, Paul is gonna be Paul and he’s gonna be entertaining. You’re gonna be glued to the TV from the time he comes on until the time he says goodnight.”

Is Dudley on the money? In a word, yes, yes he is; while Heyman didn’t get to book the Attitude Era – gosh, could you imagine? – his influence was all over WWE’s product, as what he did in ECW truly changed the industry for the better, even if it burned out in a spectacular way after a few explosive years. If Heyman never appeared in a wrestling ring again after his run in ECW, he’d still be a Hall of Famer, which highlights just how incredible his career has been.

Why D-Von Dudley didn’t join Bully Ray, Paul Heyman at the Linc.

Though D-Von Dudley was in Philadephia for WrestleMania 40 weekend, wrestling a match with Bully Ray for Battleground Championship Wrestling at the 2300 Arena, why didn’t he join his fellow Dudley boy – and Paul Heyman in an unrelated match – in the ring at WrestleMania 40? Well, Dudley explained his absence on Gabby AF, letting it be known that his efforts at the old ECW Arena left him on the proverbial injury list.

“I thought it was great. I would’ve loved to be out there, people have to understand, sometimes the body doesn’t move the way it wants to,” D-Von Dudley explained. “We had wrestled at the ECW Arena like two or three nights prior to WrestleMania. I’m not really in the ring like that much anymore, so at the end of the match, I’m shutting down, like my back and legs were killing me. I had someone ask me, ‘Why weren’t you there?’ I said, ‘Man, if I would’ve walked down that ramp, it would’ve been WrestleMania 50 by the time I got to the bottom of it. I was sore as h*ll man. We didn’t even do that much at ECW arena with Tommy Dreamer and Onita, but it was enough where I was sore the next two or three days. Certain things like that, I love it when Bubba represents the family and goes out there and does what we does. The great thing is that people were chanting, ‘Where’s D’Von?’ That’s even better, it’s not like I’m being forgotten.”

In hindsight, would Duley have traded in his Team 3D match for a spot at WrestleMania 40? Yeah, probably so, but hey, when you’re a professional wrestler in your 50s, especially a part-timer, sometimes your body doesn’t move the way you expect it to.