Stephen A. Smith took a shot at Paul Heyman earlier this week by claiming the WWE Hall of Famer had “gone soft.” It didn’t take long for Heyman to fire back, and he started by giving Smith a new nickname that pretty much set the tone for everything that followed.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Heyman addressed Smith’s comments by introducing him as a “Paul Heyman wannabe.” He quickly insisted it wasn’t meant as an insult, pointing out that Smith had previously admitted he admired Heyman’s style during an appearance with Roman Reigns.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman. I am here to address the comments made about me on ESPN First Take by that Paul Heyman wannabe, Stephen A. Smith. Oh, calm down. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not being insulting when I say Stephen A. Smith is a Paul Heyman wannabe. The first time I ever appeared on camera with Stephen A. Smith, he admitted in front of the whole world and the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns that he’s a Paul Heyman wannabe.”
After getting that out of the way, Heyman turned his attention to Smith’s claim that he’d become “soft.” He laughed off the criticism, arguing that after four decades in the wrestling business, choosing not to scream at everyone doesn’t suddenly mean he’s lost his edge.
“Now Stephen A. Smith comes on ESPN First Take, and he says he misses me and he loves me, but I, Paul Heyman, have gotten soft. Paul Heyman’s gotten soft. I guess the fact that I choose, after a 40-year Hall of Fame, legendary, GOATed career, not to be the second most obnoxious, abrasive loudmouth on television next to Shaq Cornette, that makes me soft.”
Heyman wasn’t finished there. He joked that if anyone involved in the conversation was actually “soft,” it certainly wasn’t him before launching into a series of deliberately over-the-top adult jokes aimed at Smith.
“Let’s be honest, the only person soft in this conversation is Stephen A. Smith. But let’s not talk about rumors coming out of our own bedrooms. Dr. Heyman is here with the 100 milligrams to get you hard all over again so that you can advocate on the wonderment of self-fornication. FYI, that means GFY. But don’t worry about it. It doesn’t make you soft. It makes you hard because my softness is a prelude to a level of hard you will never achieve.”
Even after all the trash talk, Heyman couldn’t resist getting in one last line. He reminded everyone that Smith had admitted he loved and missed him before joking that he felt exactly the same… about himself.
“Hey, Stephen, it’s okay because you miss me and you love me, and I miss you and I love me too.”
Whether this stays as two big personalities trading jokes or eventually turns into something on WWE television remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure, though—if these two keep going back and forth like this, fans probably won’t complain.
Do you think Paul Heyman won this round, or is Stephen A. Smith due for another response? Let us know in the comments.
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.
