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Paul Heyman was the RAW Executive Director for nearly a full year. When he was put in charge of handling the creative aspect of WWE's flagship show in July 2019, there was largely a sense of excitement.
In the eyes of many fans, it was a change that WWE desperately needed and Paul Heyman was someone whose creative outlook was well-respected. While there were many episodes of RAW that were hit or miss, it was hard to deny the overall improvement that the show had undergone.
One of the most notable changes Paul Heyman made to RAW was the fact that he was utilizing active, full-time superstars with an eye to the future rather than centering RAW programming around part-timers such as Brock Lesnar.
Multiple superstars benefited from it as well, such as Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black, Apollo Crews, Andrade, and more. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a certain man named Chris McCumber, who recently vacated his post of President of NBC Universal's USA and SyFy Networks.
According to Meltzer, McCumber was a big supporter of Paul Heyman and his vision for RAW. He was told that ratings would take a hit, but it would be a long-term gamble as the plan was to build many new stars. McCumber liked the idea and wasn't happy when Paul Heyman was removed from his post and emphasis was put on older stars again.
What is the fallout of the Paul Heyman-era on RAW?
Bruce Prichard took over as the Executive Director of both RAW and SmackDown after Paul Heyman was removed from his post. While ratings have found a relative balance in the last month or two, SmackDown has had better numbers and has been the more acclaimed show from a creative standpoint.
It appears that there was always going to be a clash between Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon as they both appear to have different visions and an overall approach. Paul Heyman's hiring wasn't loved by all, however, as AJ Styles was one name who vocally against him due to various issues - the main one of which he accused Heyman of being responsible for Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson getting released.
