October 21, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Eric Bischoff fired, WWE draft disappoints

After the second WWE Smackdown episode on FOX and completion of the draft, Eric Bischoff was fired by WWE and was replaced by Bruce Prichard as the Executive Director of Smackdown.

The idea still remains to have Raw and Smackdown be separate entities with the idea that the Executive Director, and their wrestlers, would be in competition with the other brand when it comes to things like television ratings, live events and other business measurements after the brand split goes into effect. Still, it’s hard to be in real competition when Vince McMahon’s fingerprints and the WWE system is still in place with both brands with at best only minimal changes. Bischoff and Paul Heyman were hired to head up Smackdown and Raw in late June. Heyman, who had been with the company for years, started immediately and Bischoff started a few weeks later after moving to Stamford, CT.

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