WWE Fire Raw's Lead Writer & SmackDown's Co-Lead Writer After Ratings Decline
Two big names behind Raw and SmackDown Live have been fired!
While WWE has recently brought in Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff in a move designed to give the current product a shot in the arm, now comes word that Vince McMahon’s organisation last week fired two of its creative team.
Courtesy of Pro Wrestling Sheet, Raw’s in-office lead writer Steve Oppenheim and SmackDown Live’s co-lead writer Steve Guerreri were given their marching orders by WWE.
Oppenheim had been working with WWE at its Stamford HQ since 2011, while Guerreri joined the company a year later in 2012. Considering that so many of the creative team last literal weeks or months, both guys had what would be deemed a "long" run with World Wrestling Entertainment.
Despite the aforementioned Heyman and Bischoff being given control over Raw and SmackDown, respectively, these terminations were not the decision of either of WWE’s new Executive Directors.
WWE has been in a creative slump for a while now, and clearly Steve Oppenheim and Steve Guerreri have felt the brunt of the record-low ratings WWE has felt this year. How WWE moves forward remains to be seen, although there’s still the same power-crazed fella at the top of the food chain: Vince McMahon.
For Paul Heyman, he has already been hands-on in his new Raw role, while Eric Bischoff officially started his Executive Director position today ahead of being part of his first production meeting at tomorrow’s SmackDown Live show.