Nunzio Gives Flowers to Paul Heyman for Helping Him Get a Job in WWE

There have been a plethora of names that were initially a part of ECW and then made it all the way to WWE when the promotion had to close. The biggest name among them is Paul Heyman. The WWE Hall of Famer was the mastermind behind ECW and his stint in WWE couldn’t have been better. 

However, Heyman didn’t come to WWE alone. After he got a spot confirmed, he left no stone unturned to bring other guys into the promotion and help then elevate their careers. During a recent interview with Steve Fall for Ringside News, WWE veteran Nunzio revealed how Heyman helped him land a job in WWE after ECW had to close. 

The former WWE star revealed that once Paul Heyman got the booker position in WWE, he himself called Nunzio to bring him in. Not only that, but the latter revealed his immense respect for Paul and stated that his ten-year career in WWE wouldn’t have been possible without the WWE Hall of Famer. 

Nunzio stated that he also worked with Paul in the merchandise office while they were in ECW. While many top stars got a job in WWE right after ECW came to an end, Nunzio couldn’t until Paul Heyman called him and helped him fulfil his dreams.

“Yes, there was a lot of talk, and Paul Heyman did follow through. He told me from the beginning. The problem was when WCW closed down and then ECW closed down within the same month, all this top talent became available for WWE. So, I was on the market with top guys like Ric Flair and others from WCW who didn’t have contracts. Many of them ended up getting contracts and sitting at home for a while. But besides that, guys like Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, and others from ECW and WCW were available. I was a low man on the totem pole and wasn’t being considered much.”

“I got lucky because of Paul Heyman. I also worked in the merchandise office for Paul, along with Tommy Dreamer and Devon. We were selling merchandise during the week while I worked at ECW full-time. We used to answer phones and mail out shirts to fans who never knew they were talking to us. I made up names and used to push the FBI merch, saying it would be a great birthday or Christmas gift.”

“Tommy Dreamer mentioned in an interview that when he saw Paul Heyman on Raw after ECW closed, he wanted to kill him. Dreamer had an idea of going to WrestleMania 17 and confronting Paul Heyman. Towards the end, when ECW was closing down, Paul was trying to save it, saying he was going on interviews trying to get us a deal. Sure enough, we saw him on TV, and we already knew ECW was closing, but then he popped up on TV. Years later, it was said Paul was on WWE’s payroll even when he was with ECW, trying to keep it afloat.”

“I reached out to Paul after he showed up, and he actually got back to me. He told me he would try to get me a job. At that time, he wasn’t a head writer at WWE, just an announcer. Later, around 2002, when he started taking over booking, I got hired. Paul Heyman was the one who called me. It was a couple of years after ECW closed when I got a call from him. He congratulated me and told me not to say a word to anyone, as Jim Ross and John Laurinaitis would be calling me. Laurinaitis called and offered me a tryout, which led to a job.”

“Towards the end of ECW, Paul Heyman was always good to me. I worked in the office for him and got paid weekly for both office work and wrestling. Sure, there were some skipped paychecks, but he made up for it in other ways. If it weren’t for Paul, I wouldn’t have had a ten-year career in WWE. When ECW closed, some people were upset, but Paul helped me get my dream job at WWE. I respect him for that.”

“In the end, things worked out for me. If I had bad mouthed Paul publicly, it might not have worked out as well. Everyone has their own experience with Paul Heyman. Some people are upset with him, but I can only speak to how he treated me. ECW gave me fame, and Paul helped me get a job with WWE. Even after Paul left WWE, Vince McMahon didn’t hold it against me, and I stayed employed. So, while some were upset, I ultimately got where I wanted to go because of Paul Heyman.”

Nunzio is not the only star Paul Heyman helped to make their way to WWE. While some veterans foul-mouthed him for ruining their dreams in ECW, many had faith in him and got their dreams fulfilled.

Do you think Nunzio wouldn’t have been in WWE if it wasn’t for Paul Heyman? Let us know in the comments section below.