Paul Heyman has paid tribute to ECW legend New Jack who has passed away aged 58.
The news of Young’s passing was announced by the former ECW Tag Team Champion’s wife Jennifer, who gave confirmation to PWInsider.com
Speaking on Talking Smack, a visibly shaken Paul Heyman, paid tribute to the man he described as “the most non-PG performer in sports entertainment history.”
“When I heard that New Jack had passed away, my hope was that New Jack had turned to his wife and said ‘Hey I’d like to read my own obituary. Call a bunch of people and tell them that I died. And everyone will make a big fuss about it and I’ll read about my own life.’ And then at some point this weekend, they’d sell a bunch of t-shirts and he’d sit there and go ‘gotcha.’ Because that’s what New Jack would do.
And apparently it’s not so. Which sucks.
And usually when we would, pay tribute to somebody here in WWE we’d show a lot of footage of that person, and to be blunt, we can’t show a lot of footage of New Jack because he was the most non-PG performer in sports entertainment history, because New Jack was a gangsta.
Everybody who was a fan of ECW, that came to see ECW, who watched ECW, knew that fact from the moment that his music hit, and no we never had rights to use his music. Why? Because as an organisation, we were gangsta’s, and New Jack was the most gangsta, of all of us gangsta’s.
It’s over 20 years ago, but anybody that ever saw New Jack perform live, or heard him cut a promo, understood just how real he was.
Jerome Young was quite an individual, and deep in his heart, he was every bit of New Jack that he could offer you.
I wish you all a most extreme weekend. Gangsta style.”
Heyman finished his speech holding up a signature ‘X’ to the camera.
Former colleagues, rivals and friends have been paying tribute to the star ever since the news began to circulate.
Mick Foley called the ECW original an “an intense performer and a riveting interview” while Sean Waltman added that “couldn’t help but love New Jack.”
Everyone at Inside The Ropes sends their deepest condolences to New Jack’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.