Arn Anderson Reflects On Paul Heyman’s WCW Departure, Talks Importance Of Knee Pads

On the latest episode of The ARN Show, Arn Anderson talked about Paul Heyman’s WCW departure, his impact on the business, and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On Paul Heyman: “I mean, when you have the aptitude that he has for the business and you understand who you are and what the business is. And you know, he’s just got a really good mind. He does.”

On Paul Heyman’s WCW departure: “Well, the reality is this. When you’re a booker in the wrestling business, and you come in and you take a job with a company — this was in the old days. And you were hired to be the booker, you would surround yourself with your guys that you had a history of trusting, that had a history of success, hopefully. And when Bill Watts came in, Paul E. was a young guy in the business. You were only gonna have X number of managers. Bill usually only had one, you know? At a territory at a particular time. But he had taken up another animal. You know, this was not just a small territory. Now you had national television. Could be worldwide television, depending on syndication. And the reality is he was gonna put his guys in place. I’m sure Paul did not have a choice in leaving.”

On wrestlers not wearing knee pads: “You may look through history to see at what point it happened. But if you noticed [Gene] Kinski, if you noticed [Steve] Austin, one thing that was missing: knee pads. Young guys that don’t wear knee pads, that don’t feel they need ’em or don’t want ’em or whatever, is a big mistake. I would advise every young wrestler, male or female, from the first time you step in a ring: knee pads are essential for longevity and protecting you. It just is. And you know, as you look at Steve further in his career, he ended up with a knee brace on both knees. And if you went back and asked him, ‘Would you have probably worn knee pads early in your career from day one if you knew that was gonna be the case later on?’ I bet you he’d tell you that, ‘Yep, that was a mistake’… Well, it’s just like wrestling boots. Guys that wrestle in high-top tennis shoes and that stuff. I’m just saying they are inviting a broken ankle, torn Achilles. Wrestling boots are there for a reason. Lace ’em up tight, and they will protect you. Same thing with knee pads.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The ARN Show with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.