Paul Heyman Talks New Jack Being Included In WWE 2K25, ‘ECW’s Contributions To The Industry Are Now Far More Respected’

Paul Heyman loves that ECW is still relevant to this day.

To the surprise of many, New Jack was included in WWE 2K25 as a part of the game’s third DLC pack, the ‘Fearless Pack’. This was Jack’s first game appearance since ECW Anarchy Rulz in 2000.

Speaking with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp for a new interview, Paul Heyman was asked about New Jack’s inclusion in WWE 2K25 and the general uptick in the acknowledgement of ECW in the world of wrestling.

“It’s like asking the guys in NWA what it felt like when they did movie called Straight Out Of Compton. All of a sudden these rebels, these anti-society rebels, these renegades, these people that were looking through music to change society and have society conform to a different vision, all puns intended. ECW is now recognized for how relevant it was in the social curve of professional wrestling / sports entertainment and its contributions to the industry cannot be denied any further. People spent at least a decade after the death of ECW trying to deny the relevance to the point where when the One Night Stand shows were so successful, WWE practically launched a new ECW to kill the old ECW. Now, it’s more accepted. It’s more accepted for its historical significance. It’s more accepted for the cultural change that it brought to professional wrestling / sports entertainment.   and, in hindsight, acknowledged, again all puns intended, and because of that you see New Jack, amongst others, in the game, and it’s an uninhibited version of New Jack, not a watered down censored version of New Jack.”

Fans can check out Fightful’s full interview with Paul Heyman in the video linked at the top of this article.

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