Paul Heyman’s son Jacob Heyman just took credit for one of the biggest changes to his father’s iconic look. According to Jacob, he’s the reason Paul finally said goodbye to the signature ponytail that wrestling fans had associated with him for years.
Speaking during HeymanHustleTV Presents: The Roundtable, Jacob was sitting alongside Cody Rhodes, Charlotte Flair and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as the group swapped stories about growing up with famous fathers. When the conversation turned to things about their parents that fans might not know, Jacob decided to drop some “breaking news.”
“This is breaking news. I’ve never revealed this to the world, but, uh — I told him to cut the ponytail. That was my idea.”
That confession immediately caught everyone at the table off guard. Cody, Charlotte and O’Shea clearly weren’t expecting Jacob to casually take responsibility for such a memorable change to Paul Heyman’s appearance.
“Oh my God. This is how you tell us?”
Jacob wasn’t backing away from the claim either. He doubled down and made it clear that getting rid of the ponytail was his suggestion.
“That was my idea.”
That prompted another surprised reaction from the table: “You’re the one.” Cody Rhodes then decided to have a little fun at Paul’s expense, joking that Jacob might actually deserve some gratitude for making it happen.
“Some would say you did a service.”
Heyman ultimately cut off his iconic ponytail in February 2014, but the idea of losing it had actually been floating around before then. Heyman previously revealed that he wanted CM Punk to cut it off as a trophy during their 2013 WWE feud, though Vince McMahon initially resisted the idea.
The storyline haircut never happened, and Heyman eventually chopped the ponytail off himself as part of a fresh look before returning alongside Brock Lesnar. Now, Jacob’s comments add another piece to the story, as he says he was the one who told his father to finally cut it.
After all the laughs about the ponytail, Jacob got much more serious about his relationship with his dad. He explained that the Paul Heyman he knows at home couldn’t be further removed from the heel wrestling fans have watched on television for decades.
“My dad’s played a heel on TV for — what was it? — 40 years. And he’s the biggest babyface of my life. He’s my hero. He’s my best friend. And I couldn’t ask for a better dad.”
Paul may have originally imagined CM Punk taking the ponytail as a wrestling trophy, but Jacob is now taking some of the credit for its eventual disappearance. More than a decade later, fans finally have another piece of the story behind one of Heyman’s biggest changes in appearance.
What do you think about the newly revealed story behind Paul Heyman finally cutting off his iconic ponytail? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
