For nearly two years, Paul Heyman has served as Special Counsel to The Tribal Chief. The man has done his best his entire managerial career to always be at the top of the card and run with the absolute best. Why should he being a part of The Bloodline be any different. He too has always been the one, the one with the distinctive vision for where the entire industry should go.RELATED: Paul Heyman's Dangerous Alliance In WCW: Where Are They Now?Roman Reigns isn’t the first member of the Anoa’i wrestling dynasty that he had been on the shoulder of delivering advice and counsel to. Whether he was Paul E. Dangerously, Psycho Yuppie, or Paul Heyman the promoter, when he wasn’t against a member of the tribe, Heyman has long been a trusted Wiseman to the Samoans for years.
Blurring The Lines
Blurring the lines between real life and storylines is something that both Paul and members of the Anoa’i family are masters at. Thanks to stories Heyman, Bill Apter, and other Samoans have told over the years detail and long and storied history between Paul Heyman and the Anoa’i Family. The relationship goes all the back to Afa and Sika, The Wild Samoans. According to a recent interview with LA Smooth by Bill Apter, Afa’s son explained as much before Kayfabe derided him for turning on The Tribal Chief. On-screen, the relationship started when Paul E. Dangerously managed The Samoan Swat Team, the future Headshrinkers in WWE — Samu, and Fatu. Years later, Heyman has come full circle as part of The Bloodline working with Fatu’s sons, The Usos.
Returning Favors And Feuding With Sons
As Afa and Sika were kind to a young Paul Heyman, once he began promoting ECW, he would repay the kindness of Samoan hospitality. After The Headshrinkers disbanded, a few years later Samu would partner up with his cousin Matt as The Samoan Gangster Party. Heyman brought them to ECW to wage war with The Gangstas.
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Later on, once ECW folded and Heyman was finally in WWE, he was able to cull from that history briefly during Brock Lesnar’s feud with The Rock and Roman Reigns. He even called out Samoa Joe for NOT being a member of the tribe. When Roman was coming after Brock in 2018, Heyman was at that time-serving at the altar of The Beast and even spoke Samoan directly to the then-challenger.
The Advocate Vs. The Counselor
It will be twenty years this year that marks the debut of Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman at his beck and call as his Advocate. Take that anniversary and combine it with the near-forty year history Heyman has with the Samoans and it makes for a compelling Easter Egg of a story for those in the know. For everyone that gives the ol’ annoyed grunt sound when it comes to The Tribal Chief and The Beast Incarnate and their seven-year-long story arch, you’re not looking deep enough at the storyline being told. Several weeks ago, it might have seemed comical when both men were seemingly fighting with and for Paul Heyman at the same time - remember there’s a lot of years of love, adoration, and respect there on both sides for Happy Heyman. He might be a shyster, but he’s both of their shysters. There have been a ton of Paul Heyman Guys to come out of the pipeline. But Reigns and Lesnar are amongst the biggest two names and the rich history he shares with the Anoa’i Family Dynasty has fueled this story.
Paul Heyman got his start in the wrestling industry as a photographer hustling his way backstage and into meetings with the likes of Vincent J. McMahon and Dusty Rhodes. That kind of moxy got him noticed by many. Couple that with the famed Samoan hospitality, and it was only a matter of time before the likes of Afa and Sika began to help show Heyman the way.
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His management of The SST eventually helped inform today’s run with The Usos and Roman Reigns who both in storyline and real life are more than happy to have him around. Jey Uso said as much in an interview that having Heyman just makes him better. Hopefully, the booking of the Winner Takes All main event at WrestleMania makes perfect sense and continues to add layers to this unique pairing and history.
