Originally Posted by PWInsideher

The announcement today that Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff have signed on with WWE to become Executive Directors of the Raw and Smackdown brands is a legitimate announcement, not a storyline situation.

WWE has been pursuing Heyman to come on board officially in their corporate circles as far back as February, PWInsider.com can exclusively confirm. An offer was issued to Heyman to come on board full-time as a top member of the creative team around the same time Bruce Prichard was brought back as a Senior Vice President but the conversations were slow in progressing. Heyman had been working on certain storylines and with certain talents, including Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Alexa Bliss and many others dating back far before that point. He's been in the inner circle when it comes to the creative process for some time without an official title. He and WWE have been circling around this deal for a long time and finally came to terms recently.

The Eric Bischoff deal came together within the last several weeks. Bischoff has been working on pre-production of the planned Netflix Hulk Hogan biography film and had a slew of personal appearances booked. Over the last week, he quietly began canceling those appearance dates, so that is likely when he came to official terms with WWE. We are told he will be working directly with FOX as WWE builds their relationship with Smackdown's new home. To say this is a massive return to form for Bischoff is a grand understatement. We are told that WWE approached him about the role and that his previous work in collaborating with Turner Broadcasting. Spike and other networks in building past TV series was one of the reasons Bischoff was pitched for the position.

We are told that they will be overseeing all aspects of their individual series, answering directly to Vince McMahon. They are now the top of the pyramid, respectively, for Raw and Smackdown but obviously McMahon will always have the last say. One WWE source compared their roles to Paul Levesque's in NXT in that they will be in charge, but it's still Vince's company.

Heyman is expected to continue his role as Brock Lesnar's advocate.

There is no word yet whether Bischoff will appear on camera, but given how good of a performer he is, one would think it's just a matter of time.

Originally Posted by Destor (Post 5264677)

Cant see a downside to hiring people who have ran wrestling shows to run a wrestling show

Originally Posted by Stickman (Post 5264685)

If they can run the shows with their own vision but with Vince’s final say it could be huge. I think the problem may be the PG environment.

Originally Posted by The Dastardly One (Post 5264683)

Paul Heyman isn't a bad idea - but I have my doubts about Bischoff, given what happened at the end of WCW/his TNA run, and that he's said many times he's not great at creative.

Like E as a smarmy heel, though.

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito (Post 5264690)

Remember that awful millennial promo that Ronda cut about Becky Lynch who is two days OLDER than Ronda?

That was Heyman's idea.

Doesn't inspire me with a lot of hope that Heyman himself isn't a bit out of touch, but we'll see.

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito (Post 5264690)

Remember that awful millennial promo that Ronda cut about Becky Lynch who is two days OLDER than Ronda?

That was Heyman's idea.

Doesn't inspire me with a lot of hope that Heyman himself isn't a bit out of touch, but we'll see.

Originally Posted by SlickyTrickyDamon (Post 5264706)

Millennial isn't just about age it's about attitude.

Originally Posted by Seanny One Ball (Post 5264703)

Eric Bischoff will be soaking this all up like it was his master plan from the start back in 1993.

Maybe it was. He's had his tongue down Prime Steph McMahon's throat, he had a pretty long run as a talent and now look. All he had to do was wait for Vince to go as insane as the old men he put out of business back in the 80's.

Everything's coming up Bischoff

Originally Posted by Mr. Nerfect (Post 5264755)

Honestly, I'm not sure and I wouldn't want to be in that position at all. I think it's way too messy and you probably couldn't pay me enough to want to take on the stress of working with Vince. I'd take a much lower-paid but possible job somewhere else.

Originally Posted by PWI

We are told that they will be overseeing all aspects of their individual series, answering directly to Vince McMahon. They are now the top of the pyramid, respectively, for Raw and Smackdown but obviously McMahon will always have the last say. One WWE source compared their roles to Paul Levesque's in NXT in that they will be in charge, but it's still Vince's company.

Originally Posted by Emperor Smeat (Post 5264768)

Probably the most important part of PWI's report.

Everything hings on how Vince is going to act once things start going into motion. If this plan is actually modeled after NXT, then it has a very good chance of succeeding.

If not, then they will eventually just become like Bruce Prichard, who has been very ineffective as the top guy in Creative and as the mediator or "voice of Vince" to Creative.

Originally Posted by James Steele (Post 5264772)

To be fair, every face in WWE is brutally boring. They make them single-note and hammer that note into the fucking ground.

Originally Posted by Big Vic (Post 5264734)

Stephanie MOST LIKELY had sex with Bischoff, the kids are probably his.

Originally Posted by Destor (Post 5264762)

Let me ask the question in a different way:

If these two guys arent the guys who you think are fit for the job then who is more qualified then them?

Originally Posted by James Steele (Post 5264697)

God dammit, give Trips the fuckin’ book!

Originally Posted by Seanny One Ball (Post 5264792)

I'm pretty sure Bischoff will have usurped Triple H to claim Steph and NXT before the year is out. He'll then give NXT to Kevin Nash.

Originally Posted by James Steele (Post 5264772)

To be fair, every face in WWE is brutally boring. They make them single-note and hammer that note into the fucking ground.

Originally Posted by Destor (Post 5264677)

Cant see a downside to hiring people who have ran wrestling shows to run a wrestling show

Originally Posted by Destor (Post 5264717)

I dunno what theyre doing to increase they gate but they should be very concerned. Granted for the first time ever the gate isnt paying the bills but thats a huge revenue stream to have hemorrhage like that.

Originally Posted by Slik (Post 5264765)

Seth is a good rassler and a boring face character

Maybe Paul can spice him and Drew up IDK

Originally Posted by Tom Guycott (Post 5264967)

Case in point on how they can ruin an upside - remember how they were pushing the network at the exclusion of the PPV market? They not only actively and repeatedly told the audience they were dummies for doing the thing they always did for access to the monthly big show, but got themselves locked into the $10 price point when they could've asked for a bit more just from the strength of those PPVs. As they were, I mean. Now, since the PPVs on average are kinda "meh", the value proposition isn't as high.

Speaking of value, I wonder how much tix are anymore? That might also be compounding the problem. You present fans with a conundrum: spend an estimated $50 or so to go to a house show full of people your weekly TV tells me aren't worth watching for free or browse anything that might strike my fancy on demand for $10 in that month?

Originally Posted by Triple A (Post 5265127)

Paul Heyman only 53... thought he was a lot older

Was 28-36 during the original ECW

Originally Posted by Mr. Nerfect (Post 5265165)

How old Bischoff is/was doesn't surprise me. How young Heyman was does.

Originally Posted by Observer

Regarding the promotinal e-mail blast that went out earlier today pushing Paul Heyman for Raw and Eric Bischoff for Smackdown this week as the big stars in Dallas and San Antonio, that was both legit and a subject of a lot of controversy. It wasn't supposed to be released like that and Bischoff was not even scheduled for the show. The idea is to push the idea that it's all new to boost ratings after the last few weeks. But Bischoff was not even scheduled to be in San Antonio as of this morning (Heyman was to be in Dallas but he's at every Raw). It is possible that Vince McMahon has in the last few hours or will contact Bischoff about being in San Antonio based on the advertising going out.