Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff named as Exec Directors to RAW and Smackdown

[smarkmouth]

Via wwe.com

WWE has named Paul Heyman as Executive Director of Monday Night Raw and Eric Bischoff as Executive Director of SmackDown LIVE, newly created positions reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.

In their executive roles, Heyman and Bischoff will oversee the creative development of WWEâ??s flagship programming and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business. The creation of these roles further establishes WWEâ??s ability to continuously reinvent its global brand while providing two distinct creative processes for its flagship shows.

With more than 30 years of experience in the sports-entertainment industry, Heyman served as President of ECW from 1993 to 2001, securing pay-per-view distribution for the company as well as a national cable television deal with TNN. After his time with ECW, Heyman joined WWEâ??s Creative team and is widely credited with helping launch the careers of many current and former WWE Superstars.

Bischoff is a former WCW President and New York Times bestselling author. During his WCW career, Bischoff oversaw the signing of some of the biggest names in sports-entertainment and helped create and develop the nWo storyline. He was also instrumental in securing a television deal for WCW Monday Nitro on TNT and WCW Thunder on TBS. After WCW, Bischoff co-founded Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment, a production company that launched TV reality shows and mobile games.

Can't say I saw this coming. I hope for the fan's sake this leads to the creative that I'll bet many are optimistic about.

['Ravishing' Ned Flanders]

It can't suck anymore than it does now so I'm cautiously optimistic.

[BestSportsEntertainer]

This could be big if Vince scales back his involvement a bit. Otherwise I expect more of the same.

But like Milenko said, WWE's product can't get much worse, so it's exciting to see them try something new.

[Spidey]

Little surprised at the support for Bischoff given his history in that department.

Still, if it means some semblance of fun, I'll take it.

[Stone Cold Tea]

Monday Night Avengers Assemble

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

If it involves interesting storylines then I'm all for it. Just keep Vince away from it. Throw a bingo card at him or a Health and Fitness magazine, got to distract the guy somehow.

[Y 2 Jake]

Ultimately it won't mean thing.

[Jack-Hammer]

The root problem of WWE's creative woes is Vince McMahon. I don't expect anything is going to be solved until/unless Vince steps back from being the end all and be all of WWE's creative process. I mean, even though Triple H is supposed to be head of WWE's creative team, it's part of his job title after all, it's ultimately just a title as Vince is the only real, true and final authority.

Until Vince is no longer calling the creative shots, the presence of Bischoff, Heyman, Triple H or anyone else will pretty much be moot.

[Yaz]

It has been speculated *speculated* that when the XFL kicks off next year that Vince will take a step back from WWE and focus on Alpha Entertainment/XFL. This may be part of taking the next step in that.

I think Bischoff and Heyman could come up with some good stuff. Heyman doesn't have to pay anyone and Bischoff has someone over him to make sure he doesn't go HAM.

I'd look for any real chance to not happen until after SummerSlam though as most major story lines there seem well in motion.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

I have nothing against this.

[Jack-Hammer]

It has been speculated *speculated* that when the XFL kicks off next year that Vince will take a step back from WWE and focus on Alpha Entertainment/XFL. This may be part of taking the next step in that.

I think Bischoff and Heyman could come up with some good stuff. Heyman doesn't have to pay anyone and Bischoff has someone over him to make sure he doesn't go HAM.

I'd look for any real chance to not happen until after SummerSlam though as most major story lines there seem well in motion.

Yeah, I've read those reports as well. Some say Vince won't be stepping back but I honestly don't see how he couldn't. If half the stuff I've read is true, basically all Vince does in terms of "relaxing" is working out, watching an occasional football game on weekends and taking a crap. The rest of the time, he's said to be totally immersed in work. If he doesn't take time off from WWE, then I'd guess it means that he actually trusts someone to run the day to day operation of actually running the XFL. Maybe pro football isn't his wheelhouse and can actually admit that? I mean, the XFL did fail once and it's not l ike Vince has years and years under his belt of working in football; maybe he feels nobody knows wrestling better than him and, therefore, keeps his primary focus on WWE and lets others handle the XFL?

To me, that seems like a long shot. It's just so difficult to imagine Vince not being in control of the XFL and since it's his money that's funding the thing, at least for now, I just can't see him trusting anyone else with that investment. So yeah, I just don't see how he'll be able to stay on top of things in both WWE and the XFL and I can see him turning things mostly over to Triple H. After all, whenever you see an interview being given to Sports Illustrated, Forbes, a press conference or what have you, it's always Triple H unless it's something to do with WWE's various partnerships with organizations like Make A Wish and what not, then it's usually Stephanie front and center. Trips and Stephanie are reportedly the ones who negotiated the big billion dollar TV deal with Fox, Vince is said to have had nothing to do with it and, if true, then you know that has to mean he has trust in them.

I don't know how people backstage feel about Bischoff but Heyman is said to be really, really well liked by the wrestlers, producers, agents and is alleged to have gotten pretty close with Triple H as well over the last several years. If Vince steps back, Trips steps in and can maintain a real working relationship with Heyman and Bischoff, and by that I mean actually considering their ideas, listening to them and even working with them on ideas, then we could see some really good stuff whenever things fall into place.

[Slyfox696]

So to save a product that is struggling, the WWE has brought in two men who...completely failed in their own endeavors.

Well, it's an idea at least!

[BestSportsEntertainer]

It's being reported that Bischoff and Heyman will be heavily featured on-screen.

Just what WWE needs - more time dedicated to on-screen authority figures.

[smarkmouth]

So to save a product that is struggling, the WWE has brought in two men who...completely failed in their own endeavors.

Well, it's an idea at least!
I'll give you Bischoff, but ECW failed because Heyman was (is, too, maybe?) a terrible businessman. It certainly didn't fail because people weren't interested. That being said, whether his imagination and supporting talents resonate with an audience in 2019 remain to be seen.

Anyone remember that interview when TNA was entertaining the idea of getting Heyman. I recall a quote from Heyman, along the lines of "If you're over the age of 40 when I walk in the door, I'll chop your head off."

Good thing for Randy that he's on Smackdown.

[Y 2 Jake]

ECW peaked creatively in '97. Smackdown when Heyman was booking was great because of the quality of wrestling and the relatively new stars that were pushed in the mid-card, it wasn't exactly eventful elsewhere.

[Jack-Hammer]

The next few weeks could be telling as to the foreseeable future of WWE as Heyman and Bischoff are both set to truly step into their new roles following the Extreme Rules PPV. There have even been reports that they'll have a "clean slate" to work with but I'm not putting too much stock in that. For instance, Shane McMahon isn't going anywhere anytime soon, that's obvious due to Kevin Owens' attack on him this past Tuesday so it looks as though we're about to see Shane face off in a feud against yet another former World Champion in WWE.

At any rate, the build towards SummerSlam should show if Heyman and Bischoff actually have any real creative authority or if they're basically just a go between for Vince and the creative staff, much like Triple H has been. I have no doubt that Vince is still running the show, of course, and that he'll still approve or disapprove of whatever, but if he's not really going to listen to their ideas and just simply do what he wants, as he's been doing for forever, then WWE is pretty much doomed until/unless Vince is just not physically or mentally capable of being in charge and is forced to leave due ot age or sickness.