Inside Logan Paul's quest to become a wrestling superstar

ROMAN REIGNS STOOD look to look with Logan Paul, with the bluish WWE Universal and achromatic and reddish WWE title titles draped implicit his close shoulder. With a scowl, Reigns stared down Paul, ignoring the blaring creation euphony that played astatine the excavation enactment conscionable feet away.

The improbable pairing -- the modern-day biggest prima successful nonrecreational wrestling and a societal media prima with conscionable 1 WWE singles lucifer nether his loop -- met 1 September day to sprout promotional photos up of their then-unannounced main lawsuit lucifer astatine WWE Crown Jewel, which takes spot Saturday astatine Mrsool Park successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (12 p.m. ET, Peacock).

The 2 reviewed the photos -- reacting to their enactment with support -- past headed disconnected to a suite astatine the Hard Rock Hotel successful Hollywood, Florida, for a taping of Paul's podcast, "Impaulsive." During that podcast, the wheels for the storyline came into motion. Paul, 27, boasted that helium could bushed Reigns, the antheral who held the WWE title for much than 855 days. Reigns, of course, disagreed, and 1 week later, connected a signifier wrong the Resorts World Casino successful Las Vegas, a quality league was held to denote the lucifer betwixt the two.

Celebrities person often participated successful WWE events. From Mike Tyson to Bad Bunny to galore others, WWE has welcomed outsiders who boast large followings with unfastened arms, knowing that their instrumentality bases volition apt transverse implicit to ticker them successful a wholly antithetic setting.

But ... a main event? Just months into a WWE career?

It's not conscionable WWE's content successful Paul's athleticism and wrestling quality to enactment connected an entertaining, premium-quality lucifer with WWE's biggest star. It's besides trusting that Paul, who boasts 24 cardinal Instagram followers, has the promotional skills to physique an intriguing communicative truthful fans spot him arsenic a viable challenger to the biggest prize successful wrestling.

If determination were doubts surrounding Paul's readiness, they were washed distant by his eye-opening show astatine SummerSlam successful July, erstwhile helium showed disconnected an array of high-flying moves successful a triumph implicit The Miz.

"I wouldn't enactment him successful the main lawsuit of a monolithic planetary lawsuit that's gonna person 60, 70 1000 radical determination oregon immoderate if I thought helium couldn't grip it, and surely helium had to beryllium that to me," Paul "Triple H" Levesque, a WWE Hall of Famer who is the company's main contented officer, told ESPN. "He had to beryllium that to everybody. He had to beryllium that to the world, right? To everybody connected this team. He's done that, right?"

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Roman Reigns was the past antheral lasting astatine SummerSlam, which besides featured Brock Lesnar flipping implicit the ringing and Logan Paul impressing fans.

THE MIZ, a erstwhile WWE champion, is nary alien to the benignant of situation Paul faces. After all, The Miz was a prima connected the world amusement "The Real World" earlier helium pursued a wrestling career.

Miz enactment successful his time, though, archetypal connected the autarkic country starting successful 2003 and then, aft a runner-up effort connected WWE's world amusement "Tough Enough," helium recovered his mode to SmackDown successful 2006. Now, helium was being relied upon to amusement Paul the ropes, figuratively and literally.

After teaming up astatine WrestleMania, The Miz and Paul would look disconnected successful beforehand of 48,000-plus fans successful Nashville. The time earlier their match, the 2 gathered successful a ringing successful the bowels of Nissan Stadium and laid retired their match.

They began with a collar-and-elbow tie-up earlier Miz landed a bid of chops connected Paul successful the corner. "I don't cognize however your wind's gonna be," The Miz said.

"My wind's gonna beryllium good. I'm not concerned," Paul responded.

They continued to simulate the lucifer without performing each the moves earlier Miz instructed Paul to "clothesline maine and past deed maine with the elbow."

Later, Miz coached Paul connected arguing with the referee, advising him connected pacing and facing the close camera. "Give that infinitesimal a small beat," The Miz said.

For this match, Paul was going to utilize Miz's finisher, the Skull-Crushing Finale, and the originator had a pointer for that, too: "I usually usage my manus to slap the mat, but immoderate feels much comfortable," Miz said, referring to the thwap dependable helium creates for effect.

Shane "Hurricane" Helms, a WWE shaper who spent much than 20 years successful the ring, observed arsenic Miz and Paul went done the motions. Helms is tasked with grooming the assorted celebrities who person made appearances successful nonrecreational wrestling, dating backmost to his clip successful WCW. In 1998, Helms guided NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman up of his in-ring debut. Helms past went connected to bid actors successful the WCW movie "Ready to Rumble" and adjacent served arsenic David Arquette's stunt double.

And astatine WrestleMania 38, Helms trained not lone Paul, but besides "Jackass" prima Johnny Knoxville for his lucifer with Zayn. "He's massively coachable," said Helms of Paul. "The astir coachable endowment I've ever trained; not 1 spot of attitude. There's nary superstar demeanor. He's precise humble successful his training. He shows up successful his gear. He's acceptable to spell the full time. ... As a trainer, you couldn't inquire for a much enthusiastic student." Helms chimed successful with plentifulness of proposal during the walkthrough, including a reminder to Paul that helium shouldn't telegraph that he'll retrieve from a genu strike.

They continued to simulate the lucifer dilatory until Paul practiced a springboard moonsault to the extracurricular connected a clang mat.

"I deliberation you're precisely wherever you request to be," The Miz told Paul. "You deed everything connected point. I don't privation you to consciousness rushed tomorrow. I privation you to consciousness relaxed and comfortable.

"If you deed maine and I'm not knocked out, I'm good. I'm not going to bash thing connected intent and you're not going to bash thing connected purpose."

Paul felt bully aft the run-through and embraced The Miz, thanking him for each his guidance on the way.

"I deliberation The Miz is simply a vet and I deliberation helium has done an astonishing occupation of welcoming maine with unfastened arms," Paul told ESPN pursuing the rehearsal.

The pursuing day, the lucifer went disconnected without a hitch. For implicit 14 minutes, The Miz and Paul delivered 1 of SummerSlam's astir entertaining bouts.

The highlight: Paul's frog splash connected The Miz from the apical enactment to the denote array astatine ringside. And, of course, Paul enactment The Miz distant with the Skull-Crushing Finale.

"When you cognize however pugnacious this show is and erstwhile you spot idiosyncratic who tin drawback connected arsenic rapidly arsenic helium has, it's precise encouraging, particularly with idiosyncratic who has specified a following," Reigns said. "When you're dealing with idiosyncratic similar a Logan Paul, idiosyncratic who garners truthful overmuch attraction and has truthful overmuch buzz, you're not gonna wounded yourself dealing with idiosyncratic and doing concern with idiosyncratic similar that."

HELMS' FIRST MEETING with Paul came up of WrestleMania 37 successful April 2021 erstwhile Paul was paired with Sami Zayn -- simply successful his corner, not arsenic a subordinate -- for a lucifer against Kevin Owens. That was erstwhile Paul archetypal took a bump -- a Stunner astatine the hands of Owens.

That infinitesimal successful Tampa, Florida, piqued Paul's involvement adjacent further, and yet brought Helms to Puerto Rico, wherever helium and Paul trained for six weeks -- connected and disconnected -- up of each of his matches, archetypal alongside The Miz vs. The Mysterios, past against his erstwhile tag-team partner, and present vs. Reigns.

Immediately, Helms was struck by not conscionable Paul's athleticism, but his eagerness to larn and soak up everything the longtime wrestler could thatch him astatine the Paul brothers' backstage boxing gym successful Puerto Rico.

"The archetypal session, conscionable close away, I mostly effort to gauge somebody's attitude," Helms said. "Do they truly privation to bash this? Is this conscionable a wealth thing? And if it's a wealth thing, that's fine, too, 'cause that's not my determination to make. I could archer that helium wanted to bash this, that helium was excited and if he's excited, that makes it truthful overmuch easier connected me. So No. 1, his cognition was great. And No. 2, helium listened."

Helms hasn't conscionable relied connected himself to hole Paul for his 3 matches. Ahead of Paul's singles debut vs. The Miz, Helms enlisted the assistance of WWE's Cedric Alexander, a erstwhile cruiserweight champion known for his high-flying ability. Helms credited Alexander's guidance, particularly regarding Paul's awesome springboard moonsault to the extracurricular against The Miz.

"That's a coach's dream," Helms said. "Somebody that doesn't springiness you an cognition and they're capable to instrumentality what you springiness them and marque it their own."

Paul, listed astatine 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, was easy the biggest -- and strongest -- antheral successful the ringing successful his erstwhile 2 matches. That volition hardly beryllium the lawsuit against Reigns, who's billed arsenic 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds. The erstwhile all-ACC first-team antiaircraft tackle is simply a powerhouse wrestler, which means a antithetic wrestling benignant for Paul (and apt acold little high-flying).

"He was with The Miz. Being successful the ringing with maine is simply a small different," Reigns said. "Being successful a title main lawsuit matchup, it's gonna beryllium a small different. The intensity's gonna beryllium antithetic and past the expectations arsenic helium continues to turn successful this portion of his vocation are going to turn arsenic well."

Helms had Paul bid with Shawn Michaels, a wrestling icon, to hole Paul for the opposition successful benignant for 1 time astatine the WWE Performance Center successful Orlando, Florida. Helms besides sent Paul clips of the Heartbreak Kid's epic matches with Triple H, wherever Michaels was the smaller antheral contending with a acold stronger opponent, conscionable similar Paul would brushwood vs. Reigns.

"That was a immense learning acquisition for Logan," Helms said. "Some radical I've trained, I person to amusement them thing similar 40 times. ... Logan conscionable picks it up truly fast. ... He comes from a warring background, truthful his strikes are already good. ... And helium really has an amateur wrestling inheritance arsenic good retired of Ohio. ... I deliberation he's improved leaps and bounds."

Of course, there's acold much to wrestling than the in-ring aspect. Those who excel are besides larger-than-life personas who tin present a cutting promo connected the mic and make a unsocial character.

Paul has a built-in vantage there, too, arsenic idiosyncratic who has grown up successful beforehand of the camera, ranging from TV appearances to YouTube videos that summation millions of views.

"He's utilized to uncovering that camera," Helms said, but helium cautioned Paul not to spell "too brainsick successful the beginning" with his character.

"We're going to physique successful presumption of [his] emotions and [his] facial [expressions] and worldly similar that. Just close away, helium gets it."

So far, Helms said, determination isn't 1 happening Paul can't do. But the existent trial comes Saturday.

"This ain't the heavy extremity of the swimming pool," Helms said. "This is the heavy extremity of the ocean."

PAUL HAS PROVEN his diversion chops successful respective accumulation boxing matches, including a mega lawsuit past twelvemonth with Floyd Mayweather. Paul's lone nonrecreational boxing lucifer came successful 2019, a nonaccomplishment to chap societal media prima KSI.

Meanwhile, his younger brother, Jake, is carving retired his niche successful boxing. He ran his grounds to 6-0 connected Saturday with a determination triumph implicit UFC fable Anderson Silva.

But Logan Paul's place, it appears, is successful a wrestling ringing alternatively than the boxing ring.

"I similar nonrecreational wrestling and I'm benignant of bully astatine it, truthful I figured I'd thin into it 'cause I person fun," Paul said. "I consciousness beauteous comfy successful the ringing arsenic is, but aft I saw the effect from WrestleMania -- my friends, radical that were adjacent to me, radical that I spot with their opinions and person been benignant of guiding my vocation -- came up to maine and they're like, 'Hey dude, this is you. This is the astir you we've ever seen. You look successful your constituent successful that [ring], thin into it.'"

Presenting Paul arsenic a viable situation for Reigns is simply a daunting task. But there's different constituent that could bring issues: the locker room.

For years, wrestlers person griped publically -- sometimes successful storyline -- erstwhile a part-time performer returns to TV and is instantly fast-tracked into a large program. With Paul, those complaints could beryllium amplified. After all, this is conscionable his 3rd wrestling lucifer of immoderate benignant and it's not conscionable for some championships, but against Reigns, a prima wrestler young performers could person a boost from sharing the ringing with.

Wrestlers cherish those opportunities, and it's Paul who grabbed it successful WWE's second-to-last premium lawsuit of the year.

"If you look astatine it and you say, 'Well, Logan Paul gets that opportunity, I don't get that opportunity,' you person precise small, myopic reasoning ..." Levesque said. "When Logan gets this opportunity, yet helium goes distant oregon whatever. He is creating bigger opportunities for others. ... It's the bigger-picture thinking. I recognize wherefore radical deliberation that mode 'cause your interest is your career. But the information is successful the wide picture, this is amended for everybody."

Reigns, who has starred successful WWE for 10 years, wasn't acrophobic astir immoderate disapproval coming his way.

"I cognize I'm gonna person to dictate immoderate things [with Paul] 'cause of my cognition and acquisition to that peculiar setting," Reigns said. "It's conscionable thing that you get utilized to. John [Cena] did it, Steve [Austin] did it. Dwayne ["The Rock" Johnson] did it, Hulk [Hogan] did it. We each bash it. And that's conscionable a portion of gathering that equity and taking connected that relation arsenic the guy."

And portion nary 1 is expecting Paul to wrestle that presumption distant from idiosyncratic the caliber of Reigns, a antheral who looks similar a real-life superhero, Paul mightiness beryllium present to enactment connected a part-time basis.

That's the content Helms gathered from their assorted sessions and post-training conversations, wherever Paul laid retired a imaginativeness for his wrestling career.

"There's an quality determination that I deliberation is precise understated," Helms said. "He could virtually spell each the way. I mean, helium checks each the boxes. He's marketable, helium tin work, helium tin wrestle and helium tin talk. He's a promoter's dream. He's a feline you tin enactment connected the posters. He's recognizable. He brings extracurricular fans and ... arsenic overmuch arsenic helium commits, arsenic overmuch arsenic helium puts into this business, I deliberation he'll get out. And I don't deliberation there's a bounds connected however acold helium tin go."

Paul, of course, volition person myriad opportunities extracurricular the wrestling ring. Besides his aforementioned podcast and dalliances successful the boxing ring, Paul has acquisition acting on with galore concern ventures, including a hydration drink.

But if there's immoderate uncertainty Paul is successful wrestling for the agelong haul, look nary further than his younger brother, Jake, who has already surpassed expectations by leaps and bounds with his longevity successful -- and dedication to -- boxing.

"If you're conscionable successful and retired similar a batch of celebrities -- they bash it erstwhile and they get their designation and past they're done," helium said. "But I wanna beryllium much than that 'cause I deliberation I tin be, I cognize I tin be. The lone happening that's preventing maine from being perchance 1 of the top successful this athletics is the clip and vigor that I enactment into it, which is the 1 happening I'm bully at. So if I bash that, I don't spot wherefore I can't get there.

"There's a batch of s--- I tin do," Paul continued. "But thing astir wrestling is truthful exciting, right? It's entertaining. I get to beryllium a showman. I get to beryllium physical. I get to get highlight-reel clips connected my societal media. Pays well. WWE is precise generous."