Paul Heyman reveals past fallout with McMahon hurt CM Punk’s WWE career

Paul Heyman disclosed how his 2006 departure from WWE negatively impacted CM Punk’s early career trajectory. Speaking with SHAK Wrestling, Heyman explained that being labeled a “Paul Heyman Guy” initially held Punk back due to management’s perception.

The label, which now carries prestige, worked against Punk following Heyman’s contentious exit from the company. According to Heyman, WWE management used the association to diminish Punk’s potential as a star.

“CM Punk battled against the perception that all he was was a ‘Paul Heyman Guy’ and he got unfortunately dragged down by that tag,” Heyman said. “Because of my fallout with management, he got tagged. They described him as if I had made him a star using smoke and mirrors from ECW.”

SmackDown meeting could reveal Heyman’s influence on Punk’s return

Punk and Roman Reigns’ upcoming SmackDown confrontation might expose how their alliance formed through Paul Heyman.

Their partnership emerged last week when Heyman introduced Punk as the final member of The OG Bloodline for Survivor Series: WarGames.

The roots of this alignment trace back to June, when Heyman and Punk briefly reconnected on SmackDown. At that time, The Wiseman sought protection from Solo Sikoa’s faction. Their discussion this week could frame their cooperation as strategic, based on their shared history with Heyman.