Paul Heyman: "I never paid myself for seven and a half years in ECW"; WWE Hall of Famer reveals "saving grace"

WWE legend Paul Heyman recently talked about his days in ECW during a conversation with Stephanie McMahon on her latest podcast. The Oracle revealed his "saving grace" in ECW.

Before joining World Wrestling Entertainment in 2001, Paul Heyman was the owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The former Paul E. Dangerously helped elevate several stars in the promotion, including The Dudley Boyz, who later became legends in the pro wrestling world.

During the latest edition of What's Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon, the former chairwoman of WWE asked Paul Heyman why the ECW wrestlers were loyal to him even when they weren't getting paid due to the company's financial issues.

The Oracle said that the biggest reason was that he was never selfish as a booker, as he didn't stuff his pockets with money and let his company go bankrupt. Heyman added that he didn't draw any salary for seven and a half years in ECW.

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"I think my saving grace always was, I didn't loot the company. I wasn't one of these promoters that took the money, stuffed it in my socks, and go, 'Ohhh, there's no money tonight.' I went bankrupt, too. I spent whatever I had trying to save the company, too. I never paid myself for seven and a half years in ECW," he said.

Check out the podcast below:

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A popular WWE star talked about aligning with Paul Heyman

Ahead of WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025, Logan Paul has aligned with Paul Heyman and The Vision. During his recent YouTube vlog, The Maverick was full of praise for The Oracle, saying that joining forces with Heyman was the smartest thing any wrestler could do.

"I got to tell you something. I've decided to align with the Vision. Bronson Reed, Bron Breakker, and the Wise Man himself, Paul Heyman. Aligning with Paul Heyman is the smartest thing any WWE wrestler can do. And yes, he's done some scummy sh** alright. You like, like you ain't cheating, you ain't trying," said Logan Paul.

Paul Heyman's side needs to add two more names for the Men's WarGames match. It will be interesting to see what the Triple H-led creative team has planned for the show.

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Please credit What's Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon, and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use quotes from the first half of this article.

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Edited by Aashrit Satija