Wwe finally decided to split writing teams!

[Guest]

By Wade Keller, Torch editor

May 28, 2002 3:15 am

 

Vince McMahon has decided to assign separate writing crews to script Raw and Smackdown each week.

 

Since the roster split, the same crew had been in charge of writing both shows. In order to give each show a personality its own, and create a sense of competition between the shows, two teams have been created.

 

Raw is headed by Brian Gewertz, while Smackdown is headed by Paul Heyman and Michael Hayes.

 

Stephanie McMahon will continue to oversee the writing process for both shows, but will apparently allow each team to put their personal stamp on each show.

 

Vince McMahon, of course, will continue to guide the writing teams in the direction he chooses in terms of the big picture, and then give final approval to the scripts after they're written.

 

pwtorch.com

 

This must be why Raw was much better last night.

[Guest areacode212]

Wow, that's terrific news! Each show really needs a distinct feel, plus it gives the writers more time to come up with decent storylines (only 1 set of shows to write for).

 

I have my own little sources, so I'll see if I can get more info.

[Guest buffybeast]

I think that is an excellent idea.  This should allow the writers to have more time to come up with ideas for their respective brands and give each brand a unique identity.

[Guest Zack Malibu]

I'm glad that Heyman has a top writing position on Smackdown, since it probably means he'll make the cruiserweights look much better.  But Heyman has always done "more with less", and given the fact that half the guys he employed (Dreamer, Credible, Richards, Spike, Buh Buh) are on RAW, I'm kinda surprised he's not booking that show.

[Guest]

True... since Gewirtz was always tight with Edge & Christian, Heyman's ECW guys and Brock are on RAW, and Hayes is tight with the Hardys, I'm surprised it's not the other way around.

 

Or maybe not. Maybe that's a conscious move to get the writers to work in new and different ways. In any case last night rocked and I hope they can keep it up.

[Guest]

Stephs and Vince are on both shows, so my prediction for KOTR:

 

Triple H vs The Undertaker

[Guest Shaved Bear]

first week of split writing teams...best raw since split

coincidence?

 

anyway since the split ppvs always seem like shaky grounds, but no one wants to see HHH vs UT, maybe if raw keeps with the higer ratings though, then we will see the push of the raw wrestlers

[Guest Dangerous A]

The idea of split writing teams is something that should have been implemented BEFORE the split actually occurred. Then maybe we wouldn't have things like dueling star vs owner storylines.(HHH vs Vince, Austin vs Flair)

 

The only thing to watch out for is Vince cutting out the legs of something the writing teams have been planning out "for the long term". This long term thing seems to scare the shit out of McMahons as they have been booking week to week since the Invasion.

[Guest Risk]

Why does that damn bitch have to write for both shows?  Man, I really wish Steph and HHH didn't exist.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

I've been looking forward to this happening.  It's going to be interesting to see how Heyman works, since Raw and Smackdown don't travel together any more, and his character is on Raw while he'll be writing for Smackdown.

 

In any case, thumbs up to this.  Change continues to be good.

[Guest Human Fly]

Maybe they are actually coming to their senses. Although I don't like the fact that Stephanie is still on both shows it is a step in the right direction. Who books ppvs now?

[Guest buffybeast]

Well, Stephanie is the director of television writing so she must oversee both programs.  Supposedly she will allow the writers to do their jobs and just oversee everything.

 

I am not sure how the ppv's will be handled.  It still may be both writing teams handling their respective wrestlers.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I really hope this is actual change rather than the illusion of change... Which is something the Wwf has done so many times over the past year or so.

 

Hopefully more voices will be heard, more opinions and views allowed.  Hopefully the Wwf was smart enough to diversify their writing teams, because lord knows that too many Brian Gewertz's will kill a product in no time.

 

I am guessing the heyman thing deals with conflicts of interest.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Given the fact that RAW has the Hardcore title, and a whole host of guys that Heyman knows how to work with (from RVD and Austin down to Dreamer and Justin Credible...Heyman knows how to write for them)...I am a little dissapointed that he won't be writing for RAW.

 

RAW has more of a Heyman feel to it than SD! does (and given the actual wealth of talent on the SD! side...I don't see how Heyman fits in there).

 

He's best at writing for guys who aren't so great.

 

Raven and Dreamer on the RAW side....and Heymans not there to write it?   DAMN!

 

But I'd guess Lance Storm will be in for some attention now.  He may be the only favorite Paul has over there.  Oh theres Jericho...but we all know that its illegal to push him now.

[Guest]

Call it a hunch, but I think all signs are pointing to Brock being traded to Smackdown for Benoit. The first sign is that the WWE blew off the Buh Buh Ray feud with Lesnar last night by placing them in the ring with each other in a singles match instead of waiting for pay per view which we all thought was going to happen. The second sign is obvious. Benoit is going to be on RAW, no questions asked. The third sign is Heyman is the head of the Smackdown writing team, and if Lesnar and Heyman are traded to Smackdown, then it would be easier on Heyman to write and be on the show

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

The only way I can see it is that Brian G. is a character man and Paul is more of a wrestling man.  Raw is a character driven show, smackdown is not.  Heyman is able to skew the line between entertainment and sport much better, and that is needed for Smackdown.

[Guest buffybeast]

Hadn't thought of that, bigjig.  I was wondering how Heyman was going to write for one show and actively participate on another.  I know he can travel to both shows.  But I think it would make more sense for Heyman to be involved exclusively for one brand.

 

I am surprised they didn't give Heyman RAW to write for seeing as though most of his ECW guys work there.  Unless of course that is the whole point, as someone mentioned earlier.

 

Also, I thought Benoit wasn't scheduled to return to WWF tv until July.  Have those plans changed?  I guess so, since he turned last night.  But you never know with WWF.

[Guest]

Taking Heyman away from Raw - where about half of his old roster is - is just another example of Vince scooping up most of the best talent (ring-wise & writing-wise in the case of Paul Heyman) for "his" show.

[Guest]

I think we won't see Benoit actually back in the ring wrestling until July. Thats why I'm thinking that Austin will continue to feud with Eddie with Benoit in his corner interfering and doing beat downs etc...

 

and as for Heyman, it's really anybody's guess. It's possible that Heyman will continue to work both shows, but with Benoit most likely working RAW now, there will probably be a trade since Ross has already mentioned that trades will be made in the near future. I chose Brock because from last night, I could see that happening logically... plus if they're really interested in giving the guy a push, then Smackdown is the better place to be because it has a deeper talent roster. If they're truly serious about trying to make Brock the "next big thing", they're not going to do it well when he's feuding with low midcard "hardcore divison" guys, no offense to those workers of course

[Guest]

Hopefully Freebird Hayes will bring life back to the dead tag-team division on Smackdown.  Hayes knows a thing or two about tag-team wrestling so this could be a good sign.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Last time I checked Smackdown needed the better talent.

[Guest]

Smackdown has Angle, Jericho, Benoit (officially), Edge, Christian, Storm, Saturn, + all the cruiserweights...I think they already have the better talent.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

"Taking Heyman away from Raw - where about half of his old roster is - is just another example of Vince scooping up most of the best talent (ring-wise & writing-wise in the case of Paul Heyman) for "his" show."

 

My response was that Smackdown needed the talent.  And it does.  It gets the lower ratings.  There is a difference between having talent and using talent.  Hopefully, Paul will use the talent to the best of its abilities...

[Guest RetroRob215]

I'm glad they split the staff, but I'm suprised Hayes is already being given more power backstage conisdering his incident on the plane.

[Guest Smeghead]

It's about damn time!  I don't like the idea of Steph being on both shows either, but it said she would be "overseeing" the writing of both shows, not actually writing herself.  Take that, plus the fact that Heyman finally controls a show, and it is a welcome change.