Paul Heyman has openly criticized WWE’s handling of both Cesaro and Curtis Axel, describing Cesaro’s booking as a "crime" and admitting the company missed a major opportunity to elevate him into a top-tier star.

Speaking during an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Heyman reflected on his time managing Curtis Axel in 2013 and revealed there was never a long-term vision behind the partnership. According to Heyman, Axel’s role primarily existed to support CM Punk’s babyface run rather than position him for a meaningful push.

Heyman explained that Axel was essentially cast as a generic "Paul Heyman Guy" whose purpose was to serve as an obstacle for Punk. He noted that Axel could have been presented as virtually any character because the focus was on advancing Punk’s story, not building Axel into a star. Despite that, Heyman stressed that Axel had far more talent and potential than he was ever allowed to showcase.

The WWE Hall of Famer then turned his attention to Cesaro, arguing that the Swiss standout possessed every quality needed to become a main event attraction. Heyman recalled that numerous wrestlers came away impressed after sharing the ring with Cesaro, including John Cena.

According to Heyman, Cena once returned backstage after working with Cesaro and told Vince McMahon, "I could main event WrestleMania with him." Heyman agreed with that assessment, saying not only could it have happened, but it should have.

Heyman also shed light on how his alliance with Cesaro came about. Following Brock Lesnar’s victory over The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, Lesnar was set to take time away from television. Pairing Heyman with Cesaro allowed Heyman to remain on WWE programming while continuing to reference Lesnar's historic achievement.

However, Heyman said he quickly realized the partnership was only a temporary arrangement and suspected it would be abandoned once Lesnar returned to television.

One aspect of Cesaro's character that Heyman believes WWE failed to capitalize on was his ability to speak multiple languages. He suggested that allowing Cesaro to answer interviews in different languages could have highlighted a unique side of his personality and helped audiences connect with him on a deeper level.

Heyman compared the concept to the multilingual performances seen in the film Inglourious Basterds, arguing that Cesaro naturally adjusted his mannerisms and delivery depending on the language he was speaking. In his view, this untapped trait could have transformed Cesaro into a compelling and distinctive promo.

Looking back, Heyman did not hold back in his criticism of WWE's creative decisions.

He called the handling of Cesaro a major mistake, saying both the wrestler and the audience were deprived of seeing what he believed was one of the most gifted performers in the business at that time.

Heyman also revealed what he considers the biggest missed opportunity of all: a future rivalry between Cesaro and Brock Lesnar. He envisioned a storyline where he would eventually turn on Cesaro, setting the stage for the Swiss star to become a legitimate threat to Lesnar. In his opinion, the matches they could have produced together would have been extraordinary.

Ultimately, Heyman accepted responsibility alongside WWE, acknowledging that everyone involved shares blame for failing to fully realize Cesaro’s potential. Cesaro departed WWE in 2022 and currently competes in AEW under his real ring name, Claudio Castagnoli.