WWE has hired Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff as executive directors.
The sports entertainment juggernaut made the huge announcement on Thursday (27.06.19) and confirmed former Extreme Championship Wrestling mastermind Heyman and ex World Championship Wrestling boss Bischoff will be in charge of ‘Monday Night Raw’ and ‘Smackdown LIVE’ respectively.
The pair will answer directly to owner and chairman Vince McMahon in their new roles.
In an announcement on WWE.com, the company revealed: "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."
The move suggests the brands will have their own identities, which comes before ‘Smackdown LIVE’ debuts on FOX in the US later this year, while WWE also recently announced a new multi-year TV deal with BT Sport in the UK from 2020.
Heyman – who has been credited with launching the careers of some of WWE’s biggest stars – has over 30 years of experience in the industry including eight years in charge of ECW, where he earned the company a pay-per-view deal and a spot on national TV with TNN.
He later went on to join WWE’s own creative team, and can currently be seen on screen as the advocate for Brock Lesnar.
Meanwhile former WCW president Bischoff also boasts a fantastic legacy, including the development of the legendary nWo storyline.
Although Heyman and Bischoff are yet to comment on their new roles, current WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins has praised the latter’s appointment.
He tweeted: "The Bisch is back!! #teamwwe (sic)"
WWE hires Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff as executive directors
