I was the WWE star who choked out The Rock, now I’m training Logan Paul

By day his name was Shane Helms, but in the wrestling world he was The Hurricane – now he’s training Logan Paul to become the next WWE Superstar.

Helms is fondly remembered by wrestling fans since the early 2000s for his impressive performances and hilarious banter with his fellow stars.

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And that included an ongoing feud with The Rock, real name Dwayne Johnson, which culminated in a classic fight in which The Hurricane submitted his longtime rival by choke and ultimately scored a historic victory in 2003.

Now 49 years old, Helms primarily works as a producer and agent for members of the current WWE roster, with YouTube sensation Paul being his most famous client.

Logan made his WWE debut in 2021 and became an instant hit, receiving praise from Triple H and Vince McMahon for getting into wrestling very quickly.

Working with the 28-year-old, Helms knows all about his skills and talent and insists this is just the beginning of his wrestling career.

He told Chris Van Vliet on his YouTube channel: “He’s the guy, he’s the guy.

“(New England Patriots general manager Bill) Belichick can play, but Tom Brady has to do it. Regardless, I have to give him credit.

“He works so hard. He’s a hustler, he works damn hard. I’m just the guy who trains him.

“If you know his story, he was an artist from a very young age. I knew this guy from Vine, I’m a social media guru and pioneer myself!

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Getty

“It just so happened that I would be the producer working with him, and it was a good fit.

“Out of everyone I have ever coached, coached and mentored in this business, he was the easiest person. Perhaps this is because he does not have the same experience as previous trainers and people in this business.

“I have a blank slate, but it’s like, ‘Hey, I think you can do this and can you do this,’ and then he’ll get inspired and start sending clips of him doing things from the top rope and like, “Hey, what?” about this” and “we will definitely do it!”

“He’s a real firecracker and it’s been a real pleasure. Of course it was a challenge. A lot of money has been invested. It was challenging, but it was a lot of fun.”

Helms knows all about winning over audiences and becoming a fan favorite, so Paul is in good hands.

Since he’s feuding with The Rock, arguably WWE’s biggest star, it’s not easy to try and steal the spotlight from him.

But that’s exactly what happened 20 years ago when an ongoing fight was finally resolved in the ring.

The Rock’s final appearance on Raw saw The Hurricane score a famous victory, becoming the last man to pin a wrestling legend.

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After a choke submission from The Rock, the fight looked almost over before The Rock made a late comeback.

But just before he dealt with his legendary People’s Elbow, Stone Cold Steve Austin burst into the party and caused a distraction.

It was enough to stun The Rock and allow The Hurricane to pull out the roll-up pin and get the win – but Helms insisted the real stress came from the ring.

He added: “It wasn’t easy, all the pressure was on me, people don’t realize that. If I go out and stink with The Rock, he’ll still be The Rock. You’ll never see me again!

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“Even before the match we were talking about Logan and Ricochet and who the pressure was on. There is pressure on me as a producer. I will be yelled at if something goes wrong.

“But yeah, with The Rock. All the pressure is on me.

“Because if this match fails, he will still be The Rock, he will still go to WrestleMania against Steve Austin.

“You won’t see my little ass again! If I fail it, it will be all over for me.”

“I think that was his last match on Raw or something like that. I kicked him out! The loser leaves the entire match.

“But yeah, he’s one of the best performers there’s ever been.”