WWE TV is about to undergo a major change, as Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff will be running RAW and SmackDown with each working under the new job title of Executive Director.
Sports Illustrated‘s Justin Barrasso is reporting Paul Heyman will become the new Executive Director of WWE RAW, while Eric Bischoff will run WWE SmackDown. A spokesperson from WWE confirmed the news when Sports Illustrated reached out for comment about the changes. According to the report, both will report directly to WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and the roles are going to be full-time executive positions, with no plans at the moment for it to be a televised angle. The report also indicated Bischoff will work directly with executives from FOX when the show moves to the network beginning on October 4 at 8 p.m. EST.
Fans will remember both have a tremendous amount of experience in similar roles, with Heyman serving as ECW President, while Bischoff ran WCW during the company’s peak in the ’90s. Heyman has been active on WWE TV as Brock Lesnar’s advocate in recent years. Bischoff previously served as an on-air General Manager for RAW and has made sporadic appearances on TV and WWE documentaries, and currently hosts the 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson.
Update: WWE has also formally announced the moves in a press release issued to the media following the initial SI report:
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.
Do you like the move? What do you think they can bring to their respective brands? Let us know in the comments section below!
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