Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Welcome to my live, ongoing WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony 2024 blog from live in the rafters of the Corestate Spectrum in Philly (aka their press box)
With Smackdown off the air, WWE is streaming a Hall of Fame countdown.
Here in the building, the ring crew is RUSHING to change things over to the Hall of Fame ceremony.
They have turned the ring into a stage with chairs on three sides. They have also set up rows of chairs near the entrance aisle. They have turned one side of the ring into steps.
On the screen they are playing a countdown show with live interviews and while CM Punk was being interviewed, AEW's Keith Lee wandered by. Whoops.
They are starting to seat talent, families and friends but they aren't showing them on the screens. There was a JBL chant.
They aired a nice video package on the WWE Hall of Fame.
Jackie Redmond and Corey Graves are hosting.
They showed Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, CM Punk sitting at ringside.
They are starting with Paul Heyman, I am guessing so they don't short-change his speech if they run long.
The acoustics here in the arena aren't the best, but the Heyman video package was great. The live crowd still popped for the "Triple H didn't want to work Tuesdays" line from ECW One Night Stand 2005.
Roman Reigns inducted Heyman, saying he was the greatest promo in the history of the business.
Paul came out to the ECW theme, deservedly so. Stephanie is even wearing that friggin' ECW beret.
MASSIVE ECW CHANTS, followed by "Paul E" and "You deserve it" chants.
Heyman said, "You're damn f**king right I do." That got an ECW chant.
Heyman said he didn't prepare anything tonight as he wanted to feel the room. He pointed out Rob Van Dam, who was sitting with his wife Katie Forbes and Tommy Dreamer. He said he asked RVD how he could truly reveal himself. He asked his son and his daughter, who were sitting next to CM Punk, asking how he could predict himself as "me" and like Rob Van Dan, he took a hit off a joint.
The Dudley Boyz are also in attendance.
Heyman said he got to do with his life what he wanted to do with his life. He gets to work with men and women in the art of sports...entertainment, no, professional wrestling. He's the first inductee in a class picked by Paul Levesque. The crowd chanted for Triple H. He praised HHH for taking on a leadership role that was sorely needed for the men and women in the locker room. He praised HHH's allowing talents to have freedom to become the superstars they have become. Heyman said for the rest of his life, he wants to be a Paul Levesque Guy and shook HHH's hands. The crowd chanted for Paul Levesque.
Heyman pointed out that Stephanie McMahon here and that she was wearing a ECW hat. It was time for her to admit after all these years that she married the wrong Paul. That got a ECW chant. He said they'd get to ECW, but first he wanted to address his children. He said this is what he wants them to do with their lives. He said if anyone messes with them, they are two seats down from Haku. He said it's not about money but about being worthy of people's respect and about pursuing your dreams again and again and failing 101 times and succeeding on the 103rd time. It's about waking up and can't waiting to get into it. He told them to pursue their dreams and they'll stand in front of their peers and friends and fans and their children because of the body of work. He told them how much he loved them and how much he missed his mother and his father were here tonight.
He asked where Cody Rhodes was. He said that he wishes Dusty Rhodes was here to see this. Philly chanted for Dusty. He said that covers all the mushy shit.
He said it was time to talk about ECW. Heyman pulled out his old leather jacket, a cell phone and an ECW hat. I won't even pretend this didn't make me misty eyed and happy all at once. He said there comes a time for every man that you have to accept reality. He said the reality in 1993, the industry sucked. He had a vision that created the Tribe of Extreme. It couldn't have happened any other place than Philadelphia. He praised the ECW Arena. He said Eric Bischoff got the idea of the Cruiserweights from the ECW Arena. He praised the Dudleys and RVD. He said they were Napster, they were out to change the industry. He said that ECW is alive today in the passion of those in the industry and those who love professional wrestling.
If you think the spirit of ECW died in a bankruptcy court in 2001, "You can suck my f***ing d**k."
Heyman joked that he's gotten himself canceled again. He said they aren't going to cancel him, because if they do, he's going to come back bigger and badder. He ran down everything he went through in WCW and then WWE, even mentioning Brock Lesnar. He said when he was canceled as Raw Exec Director, Roman Reigns brought him back to the Island of Relevancy. He said he's been canceled 100 times and will come back 101, stronger, smarter and wiser. He spoke about how proud he was to work with today's talents.
Heyman ran through all his catch phrases through the guise of "My Name is Paul Heyman" and closed it out by saying he has to pee but this isn't a lifetime achievement award as he's just getting started. He said he's going to be disruptive all over again and that's not a prediction, it's a spoiler.
This was FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC. One of the best Hall of Fame speeches of all time.
More on Page 2.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
