10 Things That Happened Last Time Paul Heyman Worked WWE Creative

2. Wrestling Took Centre Stage

For all the Al Wilson silliness, Heyman's run in charge of SmackDown had one consistent thread. It gave performers who loved their craft the spotlight, and it shone a clear focus on honest-to-goodness professional wrestling skill. Just look at some of the top pay-per-view matches he promoted.

Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker at No Mercy 2002 was a brutal, old-school brawl. On the same card, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit vs. Edge and Rey Mysterio was a tag classic; a three-way also involving Los Guerreros at Survivor Series was similarly fun. Later, Benoit and Angle produced a mat stunner at 2003's Royal Rumble, and Angle vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XIX promoted amateur acumen in the build up.

It was a variety bag of pulsating moments.

Compare that to Raw's ill-advised decision to push two Scott Steiner vs. Triple H stinkers, the aforementioned necrophilia and 'HLA' embarrassments, and the lifeless 20-minute promos Trips was doing weekly. It's night and day. Heyman's SmackDown put emphasis on wrestling more often than not, especially in main events.