Paul Heyman reportedly rejected Braun Strowman for WWE RAW as Executive Director

Paul Heyman was the RAW Executive Director for a year, having taken up the role in June 2019 but relieved of his duties a year later in June 2020. Various reports had indicated that he was involved in pushing underutilized Superstars on the Red brand during his time as the Executive Director.

A recent report by Fightful Select has backed that claim and revealed that Heyman made it a point to use the underutilized Superstars on RAW who were dubbed the “catering crew” and backed them to be a success on the Red brand. The report also revealed that Heyman rejected the use of established Superstars on the brand, including a former Universal Champion.

Paul Heyman reportedly rejected Braun Strowman for RAW

The Fightful report has claimed that Paul Heyman passed on Braun Strowman, who was on RAW when Heyman became the RAW Executive Director. Strowman was moved to SmackDown during the 2019 Draft and became the Universal Champion earlier this year at WrestleMania 36 when he defeated Goldberg.

Strowman was once again drafted back to RAW earlier this month in the 2020 WWE Draft.

Paul Heyman returned to WWE television for the first time since being removed as Executive Director in August, when he appeared on SmackDown to become Roman Reigns' on-screen manager. Heyman had last appeared on television at WrestleMania 36 when Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Chapionship.

Heyman was replaced by Bruce Prichard as the Executive Director of RAW, who had also replaced Eric Bischoff as Executive Director of SmackDown. The former RAW Executive Director recently spoke about his previous role and revealed why Vince McMahon fired him from that role:

"I served at the pleasure of the Chairman Vince McMahon and there came a day I was no longer at the pleasure of the Chairman Vince McMahon. When I took the role of Executive Director, I made an agreement with Vince McMahon. I want this job as long as every morning Vince McMahon woke up, he said thank God or whatever deity he subscribes to [that] Paul Heyman is looking after the store on Raw. And the day that Vince McMahon didn’t wake up and feel that way, I didn’t want the job anymore."

Heyman revealed that the WWE Chairman was pleased with the job he did, and he claimed that McMahon praised the former RAW Executive Director to WWE's investors as well.