Paul Heyman Doesn’t Want To Die In The Ring, Is Okay Going Out Like Shmuli Zimmerman

Paul Heyman has been part of wrestling he was 13, taking photos in New York City. He’s become a legendary figure in the business, whether he’s been a promoter, an announcer, or a manager.

In 2026, he’s still a focal point of WWE TV as the leader of The Vision and the Advocate for Brock Lesnar.

He shows no signs of slowing down, and doesn’t want to retire.

“Oh, f— no. Why?” Heyman told Dotun Akintoye of ESPN in a featured piece. “I’m enjoying this way too much. And ‘retire,’ I mean, like, just stop working completely?”

Asked if he wants to die doing this, Heyman told the story of Shmuli Zimmerman.

“The blessing in the Bronx courthouse was always, ‘May you live your life and death like Shmuli Zimmerman.’ Shmuli Zimmerman was a 90-something-year-old attorney in the Bronx. And he was a f—ing’ killer, man. He was a killer. He was the best at his game, and in one case, he presented the case to the jury, his summation to the jury, and he looks, and he sits down in his chair. He says, ‘And so, ladies and gentlemen, Your Honor, fellow denizens of the Bronx, of the jury, we hereby rest our case.’ He put his head down, and he died. Boom. Gone. Put his head down and was dead.

“You know, they’re pushing him on the back, going, ‘Shmuli, Shmuli, Mr. Zimmerman,’ and he’s dead. That was it. Presented the case and went to the afterlife. He won the case, by the way.”

Heyman concluded by saying, “Do I want to die in the middle of the ring during a promo? No. But having done my greatest promo ever, and coming to the back, and being left alone for a minute, and putting my head down? OK. That’s not a bad way to go. But let me finish the job first.”

Heyman will be in the corner of Brock Lesnar and The Vision at WrestleMania 42.

Lesnar will face Oba Femi, while The Vision (Austin Theory & Logan Paul) will team with IShowSpeed against The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) & LA Knight.