5 ways Paul Heyman has drastically changed WWE RAW

Ever since Paul Heyman took charge of WWE RAW this past July, things have drastically changed. While there wasn't expected to be a change right off the bat, two months is quite a good time to present a drastically different product.

From the look of things, Vince McMahon isn't doing all that much to interfere with Heyman and his direction. After all, he did admit himself that the hiring of Heyman and Eric Bischoff was to reduce his overall workload on a weekly basis.

And so far, it's been really good under Paul Heyman. While we don't have clarity as to the impact of Bischoff's role on SmackDown, it's crystal clear that the creative direction on Monday Night RAW is all Paul Heyman at this point.

This was perhaps best summed up on the season premiere episode of RAW at the end of September. It was a great way to end a month and here are a few ways that Paul Heyman has changed the direction of WWE.

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#5 Knowing how to utilize legends properly

A good segment!

One of the biggest problems that WWE has had over the last few years is that they constantly overexposed the legends and pushed them a lot more than what they needed to be.

In fact, current talent would always be sacrificed at the expense of legends, who would end up going the next night anyway and not return until later on, while the full-time talent were left to suffer and look bad as a result of this.

Heyman is wise enough to know that he can't sacrifice his younger talent in favor of older ones, and the tease for Crown Jewel was a good example of it. For a second, fans thought they would be getting Flair vs Hogan, but instead, they'll be leading a team of their own. Not a bad idea!

#4 Pushing younger superstars

Ricochet has been a clear Heyman favourite

Paul Heyman is very wise about the fact that he has a great crop of talent to work with. He also knows that excessively pushing part-time superstars, such as his own client Brock Lesnar, simply won't work in the long run.

While this doesn't mean that we're going to stop seeing painful Undertaker matches time and again, it's quite evident that the focus is on pushing the newer generation of talent. Ricochet is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of this, or atleast will be in the long run.

Although he had a short United States Championship reign, he has been presented very strong and usually comes out every week looking good. Moreover, he keeps winning his matches and is constantly pushed as one of the most exciting new superstars on the roster.

While Cedric Alexander seemed to belong on that list too, his status is unclear as he has been on a losing streak lately. Hopefully, the rumors of his push being canceled are false and he becomes another beneficiary. It's going to be a great time for full-time talent again.

#3 The overall look and presentation of the product

The new set!

Under Paul Heyman, WWE RAW has gone through quite a transformation in terms of presentation. The RAW season premiere showcased a whole new look, including a new logo, a new set of commentators, theme song and a brand new set as well!

We love to see changes like this, and hopefully, it's kept this way for a while. Whoever thought of this was brilliant but it's clear that Heyman has a say on these things too. The season premiere was like an entirely different package in itself and it isn't just the physical look of the product that has changed.

It is the overall presentation of the show that feels entirely different. For quite a few years now, RAW has been very formulaic and more often than not, it felt like watching the same product over and over, week after week.

Under Heyman, there has been a clear break from this monotony and we're really happy about it!

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#2 Matches on TV matter

Storyline progress!

One of the more improved parts of RAW is that the matches that are being presented on television matter. That is the biggest and most refreshing change that we are seeing right now and the biggest difference-maker in the long run.

The RAW season premiere was an example of this. Every single match on the show mattered and every single one progressed storylines. While having occasional throwaway matches are fine, fans want storyline progression.

We do understand that it's difficult to implement that when there is no off-season whatsoever, but this past RAW showed that WWE can progress stories through matches on weekly television if they want to.

Having lesser throwaway matches means less of a reason to tune out or get bored. When you know that there is a significance in two or more Superstars going to war in the ring, it makes it all the more interesting to watch as a viewer.

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#1 Treading the line between PG and Non-PG

What on earth?

This is one thing that fans are going to have to get used to, for better or worse. While many will be happy that WWE will be treading that thin line between a PG and Non-PG product, this is an aspect which is 100% Paul Heyman.

It would be hypocritical of us to blame Vince McMahon for all the bad while praising Heyman for all the good. The reality is that Heyman is a fan of some sleaziness on television and if there wasn't a PG rating to the product, you can be assured that he would take an entirely new direction.

Perhaps it's not a bad thing in the sense that we can see a bit of edgy television without actually having to cross the line. The reality is that WWE doesn't need to go in a Non-PG direction to be good.

We have seen periods such as 2011 and 2016 where the product was fantastic throughout the year. Either way, this is going to be a noticeable change on television and the Rusev-Lana-Bobby Lashley and Maria-Mike Kanellis storylines are only going to be the start of it!

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