Stephen A. Smith Claims He’d Be a Bigger Heel Than Paul Heyman in WWE

Stephen A. Smith keeps inching closer to WWE territory — and now he’s taking more public shots at Paul Heyman while speculation about his future involvement with the company continues to grow.

Smith already got attention recently after reports claimed WWE wants to expand its relationship with the ESPN star following strong internal reactions to his appearances and crossover value. Now he’s back stirring things up again — this time directly on ESPN television.

While speaking on the May 8, 2026 episode of First Take, Smith once again brought up the idea of becoming a WWE heel and made it clear he thinks he could outdo Heyman himself.

“I will say that, you know what, through the guidance and the tutelage of the great Paul Heyman, I would ultimately be the number one heel. I think I would. I think—”

Smith then doubled down and made the comparison even more direct.

“I would out-heel the heel. I would. And I dress a lot better than Paul Heyman.”

The comments immediately stood out because Heyman has already become a recurring talking point whenever Smith discusses WWE publicly. Smith previously mentioned Heyman as one of the people he’d most want to go face-to-face with on the microphone if he ever became part of WWE programming.

That timing also lines up with a recent report from WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select claiming WWE officials are “pleased and enthusiastic” about Smith becoming more involved with the company moving forward.

According to the report, WWE and ESPN both see value in Smith’s crossover appeal and mainstream audience reach, especially with WWE’s growing ties to ESPN and TKO. The report also claimed there’s already an “expected payoff” planned for later this summer tied to a major WWE premium live event.

Even with all the speculation, the expectation internally reportedly is not for Smith to become an actual wrestler. Instead, WWE views him more as a celebrity personality who could get involved physically in angles without stepping into a full match — similar to how Jon Stewart got involved with John Cena years ago.

Still, Smith continuing to publicly call out Paul Heyman is only adding more fuel to the idea that WWE may already be laying the groundwork for something bigger down the line. At this point, Stephen A. Smith may not officially be part of WWE television yet — but he’s definitely talking like someone who wants in.

Do you think Stephen A. Smith would work in a regular WWE on-screen role, or should WWE keep him as an occasional crossover personality? Leave your thoughts and feedback below.

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