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Published 12:03 28 Jun 2019 BST
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The addition of Bischoff could go either way - he was in charge of WCW both its commercial height and eventual downfall, and the less said about his tenure in TNA Impact, the better. But it is Paul Heyman being given the keys to the flagship show that is getting wrestling fans excited.
Paul Heyman is generally regarded as one of the smartest minds in pro wrestling. Starting out as a manager in WCW, in the mid-1990s Heyman changed wrestling forever with his stewardship of ECW. He took a regional promotion and turned into the number three company in America. And while some of it might be horribly dated now, it perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the 90s - grungy, anti-establishment, alternative, boundary-pushing, lots of dudes in plaid shirts. It was smart and innovative and forward thinking - traits WWE is sorely lacking in 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02WUftADD28
Following WWE's takeover of ECW, Heyman would then become lead writer for SmackDown from July 2002 to February 2003, an era beloved by fans for fantastic matches featuring the 'SmackDown Six' of Edge, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero. He'd also later oversee developmental territory OVW, where he'd shepherd an indie wrestler named CM Punk, who no one else saw potential in, into one of the biggest stars of all time.
The question then is: can Paul Heyman work his magic again? For the last few years, he has served as Brock Lesnar's on-screen advocate, often appearing in-lieu of Lesnar due to the former UFC star only being contracted for a very limited number of appearances. In truth, that schtick has gotten pretty stale, though the fault of that is mostly down to Lesnar's lack of screen time rather than anything Heyman has done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCCZduPSxN8
We are a long way from the late-1990s, and even the height of Heyman's success with CM Punk was a long time ago. Like anyone, Heyman talks a good game, but whether he still has any ideas in the tank remains to be seen. Yet despite the ongoing malaise, WWE's roster is currently stacked with incredible talents, and if anyone would know how to utilise them, you'd think it would be Paul Heyman.
Really, the most promising thing about the appointment of Heyman and Bischoff is the fact that someone - anyone - new has been drafted in. It shows that WWE is acknowledging it has a problem, and they need to mix things up. Of course, the big question here is whether Vince McMahon will actually let Heyman and Bischoff have the final say. That will be the real indication of change.
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