WWE shocked the world when it announced Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff would be returning to the company to run Raw and SmackDown , respectively...
Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff Named Executive Directors for WWE Raw, SmackDown Live
Jun 27, 2019
WWE is turning to two of the most influential figures in professional wrestling history to oversee Raw and SmackDown Live.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, WWE has hired Paul Heyman to serve as executive director of Raw and Eric Bischoff to be the executive director of SmackDown Live.
WWE later confirmed the news and noted that Heyman and Bischoff will "oversee the creative development of WWE's flagship programming and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business," and report directly to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
The restructuring of Raw and SmackDown means WWE now has the top three executives from the Attitude Era/Monday Night War time period in positions of power.
McMahon is and has long been WWE's chairman, while Heyman was in charge of ECW and Bischoff ran the show for WCW in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Heyman has a lengthy history with WWE, joining the company after it purchased ECW in 2001. He began as an on-screen character and eventually became a major player behind the scenes as the lead writer for SmackDown from 2002 to 2003.
After departing the company in 2006, Heyman returned in 2012 as the advocate for Brock Lesnar. Heyman has been a consistent on-screen presence in support of Lesnar since then, and it wasreportedlast year that he began working more closely with other wrestlers in a backstage capacity.
Bischoff became executive vice president for WCW in 1994 and remained the lead executive for the company until 1999. He famously helped WCW beat WWE in the Monday night ratings war for 83 consecutive weeks in 1997 and 1998.
WWE purchased WCW in 2001 and then hired Bischoff in an on-screen role in 2002. He acted as Raw general manager until 2005 and made some appearances for the company in the following years as well.
Bischoff later served as an executive with Impact Wrestling from 2010 to 2014, and he has most recently been in the spotlight thanks to his 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson. Unlike Heyman, Bischoff is a completely outside hire for WWE.
The shake-up comes at a pivotal time for WWE, as SmackDown is set to move from USA Network to Fox beginning in October. Per Barrasso, Bischoff will work directly with Fox executives once the SmackDown transition takes hold.
Bischoff seems to be a strong fit for the position since he has a great deal of experience dealing with television executives dating back to WCW Nitro and Thunder airing on TNT.
Universal champion Seth Rollins commented on Bischoff's return to WWE:
Barrasso noted that while Heyman and Bischoff have both made a significant impact as on-screen characters over the years, there are no current plans for their behind-the-scenes roles to become part of storylines.
The narrative on social media in recent months has been negative with regard to WWE's product, which has been exacerbated by the fact that All Elite Wrestling is emerging as an alternative with a weekly show set to start airing on TNT later this year.
By putting Heyman and Bischoff in positions of power, WWE is entrusting two highly respected and accomplished pro wrestling minds and increasing the likelihood that Raw and SmackDown will have a decidedly unique feel, which should benefit the product as a whole.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
Reliving the Time Donald Trump Sold WWE Raw Back to Vince McMahon
Jun 21, 2019
Long before he entertained the idea of entering the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump was the proud owner of WWE Raw—or at least for one week he was.
It was a fairly exciting time for the promotion's flagship show, as virtually anything and everything was known to happen on Raw. WWE promised that someone new would take the reins of Raw from Mr. McMahon on the June 15, 2009, episode, and sure enough, fans were not left disappointed.
The mystery buyer was revealed to be Vince's longtime foe Donald Trump, who wasted no time giving the fans what they wanted in announcing a commercial-free episode of Raw for the following week. It was an unprecedented move by the new owner of Raw, much to the dismay of McMahon.
Trump running Raw may not sound too appealing to the masses, but the Raw show with The Donald in charge—10 years ago Saturday—ended up being excellent.
In addition to being commercial-free, Trump announced that Randy Orton would defend his WWE Championship against Triple H in a Last Man Standing match. Despite the draw finish, it was one of the better outings those two have had against each other.
In typical WWE fashion, the storyline was rushed, with McMahon immediately offering to buy back his coveted program from Trump that same night to avoid losing more money. Before things could get interesting with a fresh face at the helm, Trump agreed to return Raw to Vince (albeit for double the price).
In short, the angle was a waste of time and could have been so much more with additional developments. It couldn't have been a more obvious attempt to boost ratings, but for one week, it was a fun ride.
The commercial-free concept happened only one other time in Raw's history, in 2010, so that was an apparent flop as well. If nothing else, Trump's time as Raw owner did lead to a new celebrity guest host running Raw each week for the next two years.
It was a silly shtick that didn't do much to help the red brand in the long run, but at least WWE was willing to give it a chance, unlike with Trump taking over Raw. The most interesting ideas tend to get cut short by the company before they realize their potential.
Similar to when Vince faked his own death and debuted the Million Dollar Mania gimmick, this stunt was a glorified failure. What could have been a big reset for Raw resulted in a massive disappointment.
As for Trump, there's no telling how much good he would have done the ratings had he stuck around longer. He played a huge factor in WrestleMania 23's success, and as an on-air authority figure for WWE, he could have been a blast.
Along with his iconic feud with McMahon from 2007 and Trump Plaza hosting several WrestleMania events back in the day, his brief stint as the owner of Raw was enough to earn him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame's celebrity wing in 2013.
Other than that, it's been a decade since Trump last featured on WWE TV. Considering his commitments and the controversy that always seems to be surrounding him, that might for the best.
The last thing WWE needs is bad publicity, regardless of the ratings he would bring in by making another appearance. Either way, fans will forever remember the night he had complete control over Monday Night Raw.
That said, let's hope Raw's original owner doesn't follow Trump into the White House.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website,Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his officialFacebook pageto continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
If you strip it down to basics, professional wrestling is just another medium for storytellers to practice their craft, and just like most good stories, pro wrestling deals heavily in the concept of good vs...
Jon Moxley's NJPW Deal, Shane McMahon's Push, More in June 18 WWE Roundup
Jun 18, 2019
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Jon Moxley is working dates for New Japan Pro Wrestling in the months leading up to the debut of AEW's weekly television show later this year, but there are reportedly some restrictions in place.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Raj Giri of WrestlingInc.com), AEW has exclusive rights to Moxley within the United States, which means he can only work NJPW events that are held out of the country.
On July 6, NJPW is holding a G1 Climax 29 opening day event in Dallas, and although Moxley is part of the G1 Climax, he will not be on that particular show.
Moxley is in the B Block, but only A Block matches will be held on the Dallas show.
Formerly known as Dean Ambrose, Moxley made his AEW debut at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view last month by attacking Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. It has since been announced that Moxley will face Omega at the All Out pay-per-view on Aug. 31.
Before that, Moxley will face Joey Janela at AEW's Fyter Fest on June 29.
In his debut match for NJPW, Moxley beat Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States champion. Moxley then beat Shota Umino in a quick match to kick off last week's Dominion pay-per-view.
Moxley figures to be a major player in NJPW in the coming months since he is a titleholder, but AEW is his main company of employment, and it will remain his focus on American soil.
WWE Stars Reportedly Down on Shane McMahon's Push
Shane McMahon has been a constant presence on both Raw and SmackDown Live in recent weeks, and it reportedly may be wearing on talent that hasn't received as much television time.
According to Fightful (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), Superstars have not criticized Shane personally, but consider the decision to feature him so heavily to be "infuriating."
The Wild Card Rule has essentially rendered the brand split moot since any Superstar can appear on any brand. That has been especially true of McMahon, who has surrounded himself with the likes of Drew McIntyre, Elias and The Revival.
Shane is essentially the top heel in WWE currently, and he has been feuding with some of the company's top faces in Roman Reigns and The Miz.
While Shane's overexposure may be a case of WWE wanting to establish him as a strong heel authority figure in the same vein as his father, Vince McMahon, during the Attitude Era, there could be additional reasoning behind it.
WrestleVotes reported last week that a source indicated it is possible Shane-O-Mac could be the one to beat Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship.
Such a decision would be met with a great deal of resistance from the WWE Universe, but it would also generate the desired amount of heat since fans will want to see another babyface take the title back from McMahon.
Whatever the case, there appears to be some frustration within WWE since the Wild Card Rule allows writers to focus on a select few stars, and McMahon is one of them.
WWE Open to Superstars Pitching Ideas
In the wake of Moxley's tell-all interview with Chris Jericho after departing WWE, the company is now reportedly more open to the input of its performers.
According to Fightful (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), WWE wants its Superstars to submit more "ambitious" ideas to the creative team.
Moxley bashed WWE's creative process during the interview with Jericho. He expressed his belief that there are too many writers and lamented the fact that everything is scripted. Moxley also questioned if Vince McMahon should still be the one calling the shots.
McMahon isn't going anywhere soon and a mass firing of writers isn't likely, so the next best way to improve the creative process may be to involve the performers more heavily.
Nobody understands the strengths and weaknesses of WWE's Superstars more than the performers themselves, so there is great value in allowing them to give themselves some direction.
There is no guarantee that McMahon is going to like every idea he hears and put it into action, but if Superstars at least feel like they are being heard and are part of the creative process, that could go a long way toward ensuring they are happy and fulfilled in WWE.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
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Why Vince McMahon, WWE Need AEW to Be a Successful Wrestling Company
Jun 13, 2019
FILE - In this Oct. 30, 2010 file photo, WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks to an audience during a WWE fan appreciation event in Hartford, Conn. WWE's 'Raw' set out to be a special kind of wrestling show from its birth on Jan. 11, 1993.
All Elite Wrestling debuted with its first pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, on May 25 to great reviews from fans, but one successful event does not mean the company is going to knock WWE off of its pedestal as the top promotion in the world right away.
For almost 20 years, Vince McMahon and his company have been unchallenged in the wrestling world. Promotions like TNA have tried and failed to compete with WWE and it almost cost them everything.
Smaller companies like Ring of Honor have been able to succeed by not trying to compete directly with the biggest dog in the fight, but AEW seems like it's out to be No. 1 even if nobody is saying that outright.
Cody Rhodes took a direct shot at his former employer when he destroyed a throne that looked like it belonged to Triple H during his Double or Nothing entrance.
Believe it or not, AEW being successful is not going to ruin WWE. If anything, McMahon and Co. need the new promotion to thrive for their own survival.
Competition Breeds Creativity
If you ask any WWE fan over the age of 30 when the product lost its appeal, they will almost certainly say it was after the company bought WCW.
For five glorious years, WWE and WCW engaged in a ratings war on Monday nights. Both promotions threw everything they had at fans in an attempt to steal a few away from the other company.
WCW won the battle for over 80 weeks until Mick Foley winning the WWE title caused thousands of people to switch to Raw to see his victory celebration.
WWE seems to have a loose policy that says not to mention other promotions on television, but that wasn't the case during the Monday Night Wars.
McMahon poked fun at Ted Turner and Hulk Hogan with parody characters in pre-taped skits while Eric Bischoff challenged McMahon to come to Nitro for a fight.
WCW had Sting, The New World Order and the best cruiserweights on the planet, and WWE had D-Generation X, The Rock, Steve Austin and tag teams like The Hardy Boyz putting on classics against Edge and Christian on a regular basis.
Before DVRs became a thing, WWE and WCW were competing for the same fans every single week. This led to both companies taking risks with their storytelling we just don't see anymore.
Bischoff and McMahon were desperate and that led to some of their best work. Once WCW was a thing of the past, the need for such an aggressive product was no longer necessary.
Unfortunately, WWE has become complacent. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the June 10 episode of Raw has the lowest ratings for a non-holiday episode in WWE history.
If AEW is successful enough to make WWE sweat a little, the hope is that McMahon and his creative team will work harder to make every show must-see instead of feeding us the same thing every week.
An Alternative Product Keeps Fans Engaged
Other than Impact Wrestling, WWE has been the only major wrestling company with a television deal, but that will all change when AEW debuts its weekly show on TNT in October.
This will be the first time Turner Networks will feature pro wrestling since WCW closed down. The details have not been released yet, but it won't air on Mondays to compete against Raw.
This is actually good news for WWE because it gives casual fans an alternative product they can watch on a major network instead of having to seek out smaller promotions online.
If someone who only watches WWE when its convenient gets sick of the product, they will just stop watching and possibly lose interest in the wrestling business altogether.
If a fan stops watching WWE but continues to watch AEW, they are far more likely to check out what WWE is doing again in the future than a lapsed fan who stopped watching completely.
A fan of the competition is easier to win than someone who is not a fan at all. WWE knows this and that is why it isn't trying to sink AEW right away, even after Jon Moxley and others jumped ship.
AEW and WWE Can Live in Peace
When WWE and WCW were at war, fans had to choose which show to watch or try to flip between channels to see what was going on during both Raw and Nitro.
These days, people consume entertainment much differently. Digital video recorders have made it so people can watch one show live while another is being recorded at the same time, so even if AEW ends up on the same night as one of WWE's shows, it doesn't mean there will be another battle for ratings.
Both companies have their diehard fans who will only watch one promotion, but a lot of wrestling fans just want everyone to put on the best show they can.
One promotion's success does not have to come at the expense of another. WWE can be The New York Yankees of the wrestling world while AEW can be The Chicago Cubs.
They can compete with each other in terms of who has the best wrestling and storylines but there is no longer the need for fans to choose between one or the other.
WWE needs AEW to be successful because it's good for the entire industry. Fans have more options to watch, wrestlers have more ways to make money and both companies will be driven to put on the best product possible.
WWE Needs a Reason to Try Again
With the exception of NXT TakeOver 25, all of WWE's recent pay-per-views have been underwhelming to say the least.
WrestleMania 35 was forgettable, Money in the Bank was predictable and Super ShowDown was something most fans wish they could wipe from their minds.
The repetitiveness of storylines and WWE's need to feature semi-retired and part-time wrestlers in main event spots when they can no longer perform at a high level are hurting the product.
The Undertaker vs. Goldberg was so bad that Goldberg felt the need to apologize for his performance on Twitter due to being knocked out when he busted his head open on a turnbuckle:
WWE still has Superstars like Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles who are producing great matches. They just aren't being given good material to work with to make their feuds important.
The recent "Firefly Funhouse" segments with Bray Wyatt have been unique and intriguing, but if WWE doesn't follow through with the gimmick, none of that matters.
Nobody is advocating for the company to bring back bra and panties matches or have its wrestlers start swearing, but we are looking for an edgier product.
If AEW is successful by presenting something a little more adult, WWE is going to attempt to do the same thing. If WWE keeps losing fans as it has been for the past several years, it will need to do what it can to maintain its profitability. If that means spicing up the product, then that is what will happen...hopefully.
Are you excited for AEW's weekly show this fall? How do you think WWE will change its strategy in response?
