Why Paul Heyman Accepted WWE Hall Of Fame Induction After Previously Turning It Down

The WWE Hall of Fame class of 2024 will be headlined by a man who has managed to find himself in the most relevant of positions almost every time he steps in front of a camera, Paul Heyman. From his days as Paul E. Dangerously in WCW, to making ECW the most influential promotion of the '90s, right up to his pivotal present day role as Roman Reigns' "special counsel" and "wiseman," Heyman has managed to not only survive but thrive.

It's this desire to always keep looking forward and remain relevant that has kept Heyman out of the Hall of Fame in the past, even turning an induction down outright. Speaking with Uproxx, Heyman went into more detail on why he originally turned an induction down. "My goal now is to make everyone regret putting me into the Hall of Fame this year," Heyman said. "Because the run from '65 when I was born to 2024 pales in comparison to what I do from 2024 on. Otherwise, what am I doing? I'm accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award and I'm doing a run that people go, 'Hey, he should have gotten out while the getting was good.' And that's not me."

Heyman explained that his children have been nagging him to be inducted after everything he has done in wrestling, which played a big part in why he accepted it this time around. On top of that, Heyman stated that being the first headline inductee under Triple H's regime is a massive honor, and he would not only be a fool to turn down an induction given where he is in WWE currently, but it would also disrespect the work Triple H has put in since he took over the creative direction of WWE in 2022.

Please credit "Uproxx" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.