Unpopular Opinion: Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman will not change the WWE landscape
Hey guys. I'm taking a leap of faith and throwing myself into the lion's den with what I'm about to talk about. I want my readers to understand and know one thing. From a fan's perspective, I could not be any happier to see Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman back with the WWE in a backstage environment, especially creatively and on the executive front. I'm very excited about what they may bring to the table.
Now having said that, we can sink our teeth into what should be an unpopular opinion. When I think about their new roles in the company, as exciting as it may sound, let us not forget a couple of short but key points to remember.
Paul Heyman, who ran ECW for eight years between 1993-2001, filed for bankruptcy and the company was eventually sold to Vince McMahon and the WWE in 2001. Eric Bischoff ran WCW as an Executive Producer from 1993 to 1999, was relieved of his duties from upper management, then brought back and failed to purchase WCW before the 2001 buyout.
I bring this up not to throw dirt at Heyman and Bischoff for their success and downfalls, but it should be noted that both men have a history rich with good and bad moments. Let's also not forget that Bischoff was an Executive Producer for Impact Wrestling for a few years (2010-12). The end result left them in worse shape than they previously were in, before he and Hulk Hogan came into the picture.
Heyman had various creative roles within the WWE over the mid-2000s. While he did succeed, his departure was met with frustration of the product and his back-and-forth quarrels with the McMahon family.
The Executive Director role is much deeper than what people may know or expect
The roles Bischoff and Heyman have acquired may also extend to their on-screen counterparts. It appears the WWE may have leaked out some very interesting information that suggests Bischoff and Heyman will be named as on-screen Authority Figures as well, potentially making for some very interesting television.
The roles mean that both will oversee the creative development of both RAW and SmackDown Live, which sounds great on paper. Perhaps they will have an effect to some degree on what may see on WWE TV in future. Bischoff will also be working to ensure a smooth transition between FOX, WWE and the SmackDown Live brand for October. Now, there is one more thing that needs to be brought up that will throw a wrench into everything positive the WWE Universe wants to see - leading to my third and final point.
Both Bischoff and Heyman have to report to Vince McMahon; he has the final say over everything brought to the table
A big reason for the individual success of Heyman and Bischoff when they ran their own promotions came from having the power to make the final calls on everything. Everything was good to go, as long as both had the consent from their television providers (such as TNT/TBS for WCW, TNN/Spike/Paramount for ECW). Until they debuted for WWE, they had to take a step back and bring their expertise to the table before answering to Vince for everything.
The same can be said in 2019. Yes, the roles both men share are very valuable and important to the WWE brand. However, let's not kid ourselves into thinking the company would magically do a 180, become a whole new product and make this big turnaround that everyone would like to see.
Honestly, I don't see it happening. The effect will be felt more behind-the-scenes than what we see on WWE TV. They may change some things and retool the product, but they ultimately still have to answer to Vince - something important to keep in mind.
What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments below! As always continue to follow us here at Sportskeeda for all the latest wrestling news, updates and results!