Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon are two individuals who have crossed paths many times throughout their careers.
They had a working relationship when Heyman was running Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and Vince McMahon held the reins of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In 2001, ECW collapsed due to its financial struggles, and the promotion was purchased by McMahon. Heyman got a job in WWE as well, and he worked with McMahon’s company on and off over the next two decades.
Heyman still works for WWE today, while McMahon is no longer part of the promotion.
Paul Heyman Reveals The Best And Worst Part Of Working With Vince McMahon
Paul Heyman recently appeared on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, where he talked about the best and worst parts of working with McMahon.
He says McMahon’s expectations that everyone keep up with his work ethic was the worst part about working with him.
“Well, the worst part is just he expects you to keep up with his work ethic and that’s impossible. 24/7/365. He didn’t take holidays. He did what everybody in this business will talk about. He missed weddings, he missed funerals, he missed ball games. He missed a lot. He sacrificed.”
This isn’t a surprising statement, considering many other wrestling figures have said similar things about McMahon. The former WWE CEO worked harder than anybody in the company and expected other people to do the same. At times, this caused friction with other key figures in the company.
Heyman continued, “And his work ethic is unparalleled. Never have I met anyone that works as hard as Vince McMahon, and it’s both inspiring and it is paralyzing because trying to keep up with him is absolutely impossible. It is being a slave to the cause to which he benefits more than anyone.”
McMahon’s expectations of people kept changing the more they tried to keep up with it.
“And you just sit there and say, ‘How can I keep up with these expectations?’ Because his expectations change the further you grow and the more ability you show. He’s [like] ‘Oh, I can get more out of this person.’ And it’s the exploitation of your gifts and your knowledge and your ability and your talent that drives him and makes him as successful as he had become. It’s at the same time, he’s riding that vehicle until the wheels fall off. You’re the vehicle and it’s your wheels that are falling off.”
If this was the worst part about working with McMahon, what was the “best” part? In Heyman’s words, “Everything I just said.”
In 2019, Paul Heyman was promoted to Raw’s Executive Director. He was working directly with McMahon until Bruce Prichard replaced him. McMahon left WWE in 2024 after resigning as TKO Executive Chairman and from the TKO Board of Directors.
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Wrestling news reporter.
