WWE names Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff executive directors of Raw, Smackdown

BREAKING: WWE names Paul @HeymanHustle Executive Director of #Raw and @EBischoff Executive Director of #SDLive, as first reported by @SInow! https://t.co/5kVwoyfxUw

— WWE (@WWE) June 27, 2019

STAMFORD, Conn. (UPI) — WWE announced on Thursday that Paul Heyman has been named the executive director of Monday Night Raw with Eric Bischoff being named the executive director of Smackdown.

“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 company said in a statement.

Heyman and Bischoff will both be reporting directly to WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. Both men were former competitors of McMahon, who eventually joined the company in backstage and on-camera roles.

Heyman, who is featured regularly on WWE programming as the outspoken advocate for Brock Lesnar, was the former president of ECW or Extreme Championship Wrestling until McMahon bought the promotion in 2001.

McMahon also bought WCW, or World Championship Wrestling in 2001, where Bischoff served as president. WCW was WWE’s biggest competitor in the 1990s with Bischoff launching WCW Monday Nitro on TNT to go head-to-head with Raw.

Bischoff is also serving as a producer on Netflix’s upcoming biopic on wrestling icon Hulk Hogan with Chris Hemsworth starring in the lead role.

Bischoff’s role as executive director of Smackdown comes as the weekly wrestling program prepares to move over to Fox from the USA Network on Oct. 4.

Reporting by Wade Sheridan

United Press International

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