10 Ways Paul Heyman Has Changed WWE Raw

2. More Creative Freedom

Drew McIntyre
WWE

During a recent appearance on Jerry Lawler's podcast, Drew McIntyre revealed that all Raw superstars have been given the chance to have more freedom since Paul Heyman has been tasked with overseeing the red brand.

Previously, each passing episode of Raw was full of the same monotonous and dull characterisation and dialogue that was a major turn-off for many a fan. Sure, Raw might still have its issues at present, but there has been some clear improvement in how certain characters are carrying themselves and how they're talking.

Rather than spewing lines of dialogue that no sane person would ever say, superstars seem to be able to have some level of creativity with the words coming out of their mouth. That doesn't mean that every promo is a home run - Ricochet being a prime example of this - but it's freedom such as this that has given talents such as Drew McIntyre and Buddy Murphy the chance to show some personality.

Ultimately, it comes down to a performer to make the most of this newly-afforded level of creative freedom in-ring and on the mic. For Paul Heyman, all he can do is provide such opportunities for a talent to make themselves stand out from the pack.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.