Paul Heyman Calls Vince McMahon A Dictator, Explains Difference Between Working For Vince & Triple H

Paul Heyman has worked under both Vince McMahon and Triple H and recently explained the difference in their processes. The ECW founder has been involved with the creative process of both men, working with McMahon until he was forced to resign over the sexual abuse and trafficking allegations levied against him and working with Triple H since.

During his appearance on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Heyman was asked what it was like working with each of them. He talked about how McMahon was, as most wrestling fans can tell you, a “dictator” who left it up to his creative team to pitch ideas that were better than what he had in mind. Triple H, he noted, is more of a collaborator and an editor. You can see the highlights below:

On Working For McMahon:

“Well, Paul runs the creative. And it’s a much different environment with Paul running the creative than Vince, because they are distinctly different personalities. Vince was a dictator. It was his money, and therefore it’s his show. And you’re going to be the executive director, or you’re going to be the lead writer, or you’re going to be my top idea man. [Imitates McMahon and picks up a glass] ‘Graham, I see this is not half empty; it’s not half full. That is a percentage which I have in my mind, and you can’t talk me out of it.’ ‘Well, Vince, what’s in your mind?’ ‘I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me what’s in your mind, and talk me out of what’s in mine?’

“So, you better be good at pitching. And it’s the constant chase for Vince to buy into your ideas over his own. That’s the dynamic of pitching Vince McMahon. He’s right; he has the right to be wrong. It’s his show; give me your best shot. Because if you can sell Vince, you can sell the talent, you can sell the lieutenants, and you can sell the audience. So if you’re that good of a salesman, he’s going to buy it. And then it’s his idea because he gets the credit, because he’s the owner.”

On How Triple H Runs WWE Creative:

“That’s not the way it works today. Paul Levesque is not a dictator; he’s a collaborator. See, Vince loves a blank piece of paper. Paul Levesque doesn’t like the blank piece of paper. He accepts the fact that the paper has writing on it already. He’s the best editor I’ve ever worked with in my entire life, ever. Because he’s an open collaborator that walks in the room with no expectations of his own vision. His vision is to listen to very smart people that have different ideas than he does. So, he’s a collaborator the likes of which I’ve never had the pleasure of working with. It’s just a completely different experience.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit In Depth with Graham Bensinger with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.