Paul Heyman Says He’s In the Brock Lesnar Business, Not the WWE Business

-Paul Heyman spoke with Sports Illustrated for a new interview discussing his business relationship with Brock Lesnar, his future in WWE and more. Highlights are below:

On his future in WWE: “I think there are a lot of people who would argue that I have not been in the WWE business, the pro wrestling business, the sports entertainment business, et al for quite some time, and that I’ve arrived at a place in my career where I am in the Brock Lesnar business. Please feel free to develop your own conspiracy theories based on that.”

On why wrestling world is a better place when he and Lesnar are involved: “I don’t know if I would actually advocate that position. At this time, I would like to respectfully invoke my fifth amendment right against self-incrimination.”

On his success in wrestling: “Evolution is the DNA of a continued existence. Those who don’t evolve become the subject of a ‘Whatever Happened To’ story. I can only hope that I’m a very different person and performer, some would suggest the different person aspect is most important, but I digress, than I was a decade ago. And I hope to be a much different person and performer a decade from now as well. I’ve been blessed with a long enough career that I’ve been allowed to grow into this role.”

On Lesnar’s part-time status: “The more you see a true box office attraction, the more commonplace they become. It’s a law of nature. The concept? Keep a Brock Lesnar experience as a rare occurrence, so when it happens, it’s not only ‘Can’t miss’, it is ‘Must see!’, and hopefully, that takes us back to the WWE/UFC business philosophy of Brock Lesnar, which then translates into ‘Must pay!’ Let’s keep in mind, whether it’s WWE, UFC, boxing, Major League Baseball, the NFL, NHL, NBA; it’s a business. And it’s a business of rights fees and box office. Brock has one philosophy, both in WWE and in UFC: What is the biggest possible box office scenario that we can tap into? It’s really that simple. Nothing complex. Straightforward, no other agenda. What will entice the most number of people to spend their time and money invested in what we are presenting.”

On his mindset in his WWE career: “We’re all only as good or bad as our last performance. I am of the mindset that every appearance on Raw is simply an audition to be invited back the next Monday.”

On the future of the wrestling business: “Spend a day at the WWE Performance Center and you’ll be assured the future of this industry is secure. And by the way, that’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler.”

On his non-wrestling ventures: “The Looking4Larry Agency is, with all humility aside, New York’s hottest start-up marketing firm. My agency partner, Mitchell K. Stuart, is a madman when it comes to new and innovative ways for us to create awareness for our clients. We have expanded from simply doing The Heyman Hustle website and video series to now being everything from a marketing firm that took the Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas out of bankruptcy and into the hands of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group; wrote, directed, produced 2K Sports worldwide ad campaigns both on television and for the web that set analytic records that have yet to be matched by any agency in the world; developed a strategy that took a brand new record label Reviver Music to number one on the charts in less than a year; partnered with Roy Bank to create new TV projects from our freshly-minted studio. And we’ve only just begun.”