Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff named to Executive Positions in WWE

[Stiva]

So, this is something.

WWE® NAMES PAUL HEYMAN AND ERIC BISCHOFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
Stamford, Conn., June 27, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it 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 WWE's flagship programming and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business. The creation of these roles further establishes WWE'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 1993-2001, 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 WWE'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.

[Migs]

Heyman is going to be the "Executive Director" of Raw. Bischoff for Smackdown. 

https://www.si.com/wrestling/2019/06/27/wwe-paul-heyman-monday-night-raw-eric-bischoff-smackdown-live-vince-mcmahon?utm_medium=social&xid=socialflow_twitter_si&utm_campaign=sinow&utm_source=twitter.com&__twitter_impression=true&__twitter_impression=true&__twitter_impression=true

[FMKK]

The Bischoff news is pretty wild imo. It would be interesting to know to what extent this is a desperation move, a XFL move or a loss of faith in HHH.

[Blehschmidt]

Wow. They are in full blown panic mode.  

 

[Flyin' Brian]

Interesting. Wonder how long it will last or how much creative input they will actually have? 

[DMJ]

Kudos to the WWE. I was thinking last night that, even though its bad publicity, Seth Rollins' Twitter tirade did take some attention from AEW, which has really been on top of the wrestling news cycle for the past few months. Again, I don't think Rollins helped his cause very much, but it at least had people talking online about the WWE, which nobody was doing in May or June (aside from other negative attention from the Saudi deal). So...y'know...at least it was something?

This news story, however, is actually a definite positive and win for the WWE brand. Heyman is overwhelmingly (rightly or wrongly) beloved by wrestling fans - for ECW, for SmackDown, as an on-screen character. Bischoff is a little bit of a different story, but I do think that, compared to say Vince Russo, he's got some goodwill built-up. Its a mix of "Distance Makes The Hard Grow Fonder," nostalgia for WCW, and him being humanized a bit from 83 Weeks and other interviews/twitter. 

So - kudos to the WWE for, at the very least, getting a major news story out that isn't negative. 

Also, I too am fascinated as to what this means for Triple H and how it makes him feel. Ditto for Kevin Dunn, who I can see being hesitant to change up the production style while Heyman and Bischoff will likely want to inject their shows with noticeable changes (especially Bischoff, who, for better or worse, does seem to subscribe to the philosophy of differentiating his show from what the other show is doing).

[...TG]

WWE is promoting the SI story in their twitter feed, so it's probably safe to assume that until proven otherwise, "Executive Director" is just another name for "Commissioner" or "General Manager".

[Matt D]

@The Thread Killer

I've listened to a lot of the Bischoff podcasts too, even though i don't often comment there. I usually listen over the span of a few days given the length and that I do it on my commute. 

That said, you get the sense that he's learned a lot, from market research back in the day and from going back over all of these shows. I don't agree with everything, of course, but I usually think that he's pretty reasonable about a lot of things. He claims to value long-term storytelling, surprises, in-ring storytelling, etc. He comes off as very consistent about which creative decisions he agrees with and which ones he regrets from decades ago. You hear a lot of patterns and they at least sound reasonable. 

Would you agree?

 

[goodhelmet]

My favorite comment from reddit (paraphrased)... it's like a politician promising to make changes and filling his cabinet with people from the Reagan administration. 

[Makai Club #1]

Well that's certainly something big. Not sure how much change it'll bring to the shows given Vince McMahon will still be in charge of everything. I guess we can appreciate the sentiment.

 

Now just because they were a success in the past, doesn't mean that they will be be a success now. Bischoff in TNA proved that. 

 

It'll be an interesting few weeks for sure

[El-P]

52 minutes ago, FMKK said:

The Bischoff news is pretty wild imo. It would be interesting to know to what extent this is a desperation move, a XFL move or a loss of faith in HHH.

Yep. Also, I can't wait until magically everyone is going "Wow, Raw is so much better now Heyman is a genius". Although of course it is something, at the very least.

But like it's been said, how much of this is only in storylines ? Not too sure what to think about this. 

Hey, if it actually makes the product better, good for them.

Also, that makes Conrad in an interesting position. He's got basically two WWE guys and one AEW guy now on his podcast business. Kinda crazy.

[El-P]

5 minutes ago, goodhelmet said:

My favorite comment from reddit (paraphrased)... it's like a politician promising to make changes and filling his cabinet with people from the Reagan administration. 

Not bad. Bischoff in particular, I mean, come on... He's not Russo but, as far as working on creative... 

[Coffey]

I like both Paul & Eric. That being said, it feels like... a show, more than anything else. It's two names that wrestling fans will recognize. That haven't really done anything in wrestling for about twenty years. It's bringing back more of the same. Plus, if they still have to get everything ran passed Vince himself still, what is actually going to change?

It's fun & exciting news, I guess, but I'm not sure if I'm expecting a lot to change on-air. Maybe the first couple of months but if we're still seeing Baron Corbin in main events & Super Shane McMahon, it won't matter whose name they use on the shows.

[The Thread Killer]

This is such huge news on so many levels - and raises so many questions.

Firstly, Bischoff has re-tweeted a couple of news stories about this, so it seems to be legit.  Otherwise, I'd just assume that it was April 1 and we are all being fooled.  This also explains why Bischoff just cancelled his entire tour of live shows in Canada.

Secondly, if the multiple reports (Sports Illustrated, ESPN, etc.) are to be believed, this is not an "on screen" thing where these guys are going to be playing General Manager roles, this is supposedly legit.  I really find that so hard to believe for so many reasons.  Heyman has been saying for years that based on how his relationship with Vince deteriorated after the disastrous ECW reboot, he didn't want to work in a creative/executive role with WWE again...and I assumed the feeling was mutual.  I know Heyman and the truth rarely meet, and I know money talks, but I find it so hard to believe both parties would want to work together after that whole debacle. Every single story I've ever heard about Heyman's tenure with WWE after the original ECW went under indicate that he was constantly stepping on Vince's toes and the two got on each other's nerves constantly.

Eric Bischoff I can totally see in a role like this, it's pretty much made for him.  If he's in charge of Smackdown, that means he's going to be the official liaison between WWE and FOX.  Who knows more about being the go-between a major network and a wrestling organization than Bischoff?  I know people love to slag him off, but he had to try and keep the Turner TV executives happy while running WCW, and for a while he succeeded.  He is constantly talking about what he'd do if he had the chance to do it over again, and now he has that chance.  Except this time, the TV Network he'll be dealing with actually wants the Pro Wrestling show, unlike Turner Entertainment who treated WCW like the unwanted child.

What does this mean for Triple H's role with the company, does he work for these guys or is he separate from this deal?  I can't imagine he is happy about this, although as Executive Vice President I assume he outranks them.

Not to mention, Vince's propensity for interfering, micro-managing and having to be the last word regarding every little thing is pretty much legendary.  Is he actually going to let these guys do their jobs, or is this Bill Watts in 1995 all over again?  Or...does Vince bringing in Prichard, Heyman and Bischoff prove that he actually knows he'll be too busy with the XFL once they start up to run WWE?

Finally, hiring Heyman and Bischoff doesn't exactly disprove the theory that Vince McMahon is stuck in the 1990's, does it?

[Coffey]

42 minutes ago, DMJ said:

Also, I too am fascinated as to what this means for Triple H and how it makes him feel. Ditto for Kevin Dunn, who I can see being hesitant to change up the production style while Heyman and Bischoff will likely want to inject their shows with noticeable changes (especially Bischoff, who, for better or worse, does seem to subscribe to the philosophy of differentiating his show from what the other show is doing).

If ANYTHING happens that switches up the awful production style, I'm in. It's one of, if not the top, worst things about WWE. The constant camera cuts, the shaky cam, the zooming in-and-out. It's erratic, unnatural & headache inducing. How anyone could think that was a good look is beyond me. Even switching to HD, if you're that afraid of moves/strikes looking too fake... put motherfuckers in there that don't look fake! Stop trying to put buckets of shit like Lacey Evans on TV.

[El-P]

6 minutes ago, The Thread Killer said:

Finally, hiring Heyman and Bischoff doesn't exactly disprove the theory that Vince McMahon is stuck in the 1990's, does it?

Heyman's creative peak : 1995/1996

Bischoff's peak (although he was not the actual booker ) : 1996/1997

We're in 2019.

[goodhelmet]

https://twitter.com/MmmGorgeous/status/1144251563629830146

[Coffey]

Just now, goodhelmet said:

https://twitter.com/MmmGorgeous/status/1144251563629830146

He's not wrong. A lot of us have been saying as much. Like, yeah, WWE needs change but is the change they need recycled angles from the Attitude era? Because that's what it feels like we're going to get.

But maybe I'm underrating what Heyman & Bischoff could bring to the table.

If Heyman had full control of RAW, Bischoff Smackdown & Triple H NXT it would be interesting to see who could make the most compelling show with their respective roster. Instead, I still feel like the shows will all feel like Vince McMahon shows with talent jumping to whichever show whenever Vince feels like it. 

[goodhelmet]

https://twitter.com/WWERollins/status/1144247000608755713

[DMJ]

4 minutes ago, goodhelmet said:

https://twitter.com/MmmGorgeous/status/1144251563629830146

He's obviously correct, but...

Heyman is kind of known for using "fresh" talent and reinvigorating old ones. Even during that initial ECW revival, it wasn't like he was pushing The Sandman as the champion. He revitalized Big Show, was attempting to revitalize Test and Hardcore Holly, and was clearly building up CM Punk and at least attempting to get Kevin Thorne and Mike Knox over. Plus, on RAW currently, most of the main eventers are under the age of 35. Rollins, Reigns, Corbin, McIntyre...they're not exactly "the old guard." 

As for Bischoff, Tyler Breeze's point rings truer. Bischoff is kind of infamous for not knowing when or how to elevate the young talent he had. Plus, the TNA stint was kind of also infamous for regurgitating old storylines (see "The Band"). But, at the same time, Bischoff's handling of the cruiserweight division and foreign talent in 95'-96' was way better than ANYTHING the WWE has ever done in that department. I mean, has the WWE successfully built a cruiserweight from the ground-up that got over as much as even Billy Kidman did? They've spent the last 20 years trying to find The Next Rey Mysterio and they haven't even figured out how to get a masked wrestler as over as La Parka was in 97'.

[goodhelmet]

I think the problem is that Heyman is sort of tied to Brock Lesnar right now... and Lesnar is not fresh.  

[Migs]

Also, just generally - was there really no one new who could be brought into a role like this? If you're reaching outside the org currently... Dave Lagana, Don Callis, Jimmy Jacobs? Even within, wasn't Road Dogg's whole problem when he stepped down as head writer of Smackdown the lack of control? (There's also probably a ton of names we don't know with the talent to take these roles. I'm just throwing out some off the top of my head.)

Vince wants to make it the 90s again, but, no matter how hard he tries... it isn't.

[C.S.]

8 minutes ago, Migs said:

Also, just generally - was there really no one new who could be brought into a role like this? If you're reaching outside the org currently... Dave Lagana, Don Callis, Jimmy Jacobs? Even within, wasn't Road Dogg's whole problem when he stepped down as head writer of Smackdown the lack of control? (There's also probably a ton of names we don't know with the talent to take these roles. I'm just throwing out some off the top of my head.)

Vince wants to make it the 90s again, but, no matter how hard he tries... it isn't.

Jimmy Jacobs and Dave Lagana don't make for a sexy headline though, and that's really what this is all about. Don't fool yourself into thinking there will actually be substantial changes here. Not when the buck still stops with Vince.

[The Thread Killer]

23 minutes ago, Matt D said:

@The Thread Killer

I've listened to a lot of the Bischoff podcasts too, even though i don't often comment there. I usually listen over the span of a few days given the length and that I do it on my commute. 

That said, you get the sense that he's learned a lot, from market research back in the day and from going back over all of these shows. I don't agree with everything, of course, but I usually think that he's pretty reasonable about a lot of things. He claims to value long-term storytelling, surprises, in-ring storytelling, etc. He comes off as very consistent about which creative decisions he agrees with and which ones he regrets from decades ago. You hear a lot of patterns and they at least sound reasonable. 

Would you agree?

 

I couldn't agree more.

Sadly, I seem to have evolved into PWO's #1 Eric Bischoff defender/apologist/fanboy. I have decided to embrace that role, so be prepared to see me eloquently defending the honor of Eazy E in this thread against any and all disparaging remarks. I expect my comrade @SomethingSavage to join me, if needed.

In all seriousness Matt, I am quite interested and intrigued about this announcement, if it is true.  It's a bit of a bummer that the Fusient purchase of WCW never went through and we never got to see what WCW would have looked like with Eric Bischoff totally in control without Turner Entertainment overseeing, or being saddled with Vince Russo as part of his creative team.  When he discusses the plans that he did have, it sounds very intriguing. I think that Bischoff has legitimately learned from a lot of the mistakes he made in WCW and would not make them again. (Of course, he might make all new mistakes, who knows.)  I feel he has learned from his past mistakes, and that is a key phrase because in his case, he actually admits he made mistakes. When comparing the podcasts hosted by Conrad Thompson with Bruce Prichard and Eric Bischoff, you will notice one major difference.  Prichard largely used his podcast as a platform to defend a large amount of the creative decisions he was involved in during his WWF career.  The infamous Triple H/Booker T "people like you" angle/promo leaps to mind.  Conversely, Biscoff is markedly more self-critical and reflective regarding the decisions he made while running WCW.  One of the things I found most remarkable was that when Conrad was effusive with his praise regarding the success WCW had in 1998, Bischoff pretty much deflected that positive feedback.  His position was that WCW was only successful in 1998 due to the smart decisions made in 1997, but the bad decisions he made in 1998 actually led to his downfall in 1999.  That is a level of introspection that I think will really serve him well in this new role in WWE.

Bischoff has said on countless occasions that one of his big regrets was his role (or lack thereof) in the creative aspects of WCW.  He was never "the booker."  When he was first promoted in 1994, he was only handling the TV production aspect of management, and other people were in charge of creative.  When they review those early shows on 83 Weeks and Conrad either praises or criticizes matches or angles, Bischoff frequently points out that he had nothing to do with the creative.  Sometimes that means he can avoid blame, but sometimes it means he doesn't take credit.  Once he was promoted to actual President of WCW, he still left the creative to either Kevin Sullivan or the booking committee.  He has said that he wishes he had taken a bigger hand in creative decisions, but that he lacked the confidence.  He has also said that he wishes he hadn't let some talents have so much input into their own creative. (Just not his best friend Hulk Hogan, of course.)  I honestly don't think we've ever actually seen Eric Bischoff creative version of Pro Wrestling.  In WCW he was an Executive, first and foremost.

What I have learned about him from 83 Weeks is that his tastes are surprisingly old school.  He hates gimmick matches and screwy finishes.  He loves technical wrestling. If FOX really does want a "sports" themed Pro Wrestling show when Smackdown debuts, then I think Bischoff will want to give it to them. The major question is, how much control will Bischoff actually have over the writing staff in WWE, and will Vince McMahon interfere and override his decisions?  If you listen to the podcast/interview Jon Moxley did with Chris Jericho, it gives you a pretty clear window into the mindset of Vince McMahon nowadays. If Vince insists on poop jokes and personally approving every scripted promo, I don't think it matters who is in charge, the product is going to continue to be shit.  Not to mention, who will decide what talents get pushed, and how?  If Vince McMahon hands Bischoff (or Heyman) a guy like Baron Corbin and says "this is your #1 guy" then they're not going to be able to turn the proverbial chicken shit into chicken salad.  And if anybody can disguise weakness and play to a strength, it's Paul Heyman...not Eric Bischoff.

I think Bischoff will do well working with the talent and liaising with FOX.  Hell, he probably has just as much experience working with different television networks as Vince, if you count all the outside projects he has been involved with over the years.  I think he'll probably do a lot better answering to Vince McMahon than Paul Heyman will. I think he'll do a good job at overseeing creative, and I think he likes and appreciates the more competitive based and less outlandish style of Pro Wrestling that many of us do.  If he is capable of presenting that style of wrestling and if Vince will actually let him...that's the million dollar question.  I'd say all signs point to no, based on Vince's history.  I am guessing the XFL and Vince's age are the only things that might actually allow this scenario to work.  Even though Vince reportedly loves to micromanage, he can't be everywhere at once and the XFL is going to be his baby and require a ton of his time.  He may have no choice but to finally cede some control to Heyman and Bischoff. And at Vince's age, how much longer will he be able to burn the candle at both ends?  Maybe Bischoff will actually get the chance to run Smackdown the way he wishes he had run WCW.

[Stiva]

16 minutes ago, Migs said:

Also, just generally - was there really no one new who could be brought into a role like this? If you're reaching outside the org currently... Dave Lagana, Don Callis, Jimmy Jacobs? Even within, wasn't Road Dogg's whole problem when he stepped down as head writer of Smackdown the lack of control? (There's also probably a ton of names we don't know with the talent to take these roles. I'm just throwing out some off the top of my head.)

Vince wants to make it the 90s again, but, no matter how hard he tries... it isn't.

Ryan Ward's NXT run was widely praised and still holds up but even he seems to be completely lost in the shuffle writing and booking the main shows. I always figured Jericho would end up as a major figure on the booking team but obviously, he's AEW now and has shown no intention of retiring.

My only hope is that Bischoff and Heyman are there to oversee each department (booking, agents, talent etc) and remove some of the ridiculous clutter they have at a creative level. It seems strange that they'd hire more middle-men between Vince and everyone else but maybe they need outside eyes to start cutting the crust off the shit sandwich. Either way, Heyman running Raw is probably bad news for anyone sick of Lesnar.