WWE News: Eric Bischoff removed as Executive Director of SmackDown; replacement announced

WWE released a statement confirming that Bruce Prichard will replace Eric Bischoff as the new Executive Director of SmackDown.

WWE put out the following press release regarding the new appointment:

Stamford, Conn., October 15, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it has named Bruce Prichard the Executive Director of Friday Night SmackDown, reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. Prichard will oversee the creative development of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business, replacing Eric Bischoff.

Prichard brings nearly 40 years of experience in sports entertainment with an extensive background in character development and creative storytelling. Over the course of his career, Prichard has served in a variety of roles including announcer, producer, agent and on-screen personality. Earlier this year, Prichard returned to WWE as a member of the company's creative team. Friday Night SmackDown airs at 8 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Eric Bischoff's short stint

Bischoff was hired as the Executive Director of SmackDown in June this year while Paul Heyman was announced as his counterpart on RAW.

It has been reported in the past few months that Bischoff had minimal involvement in the creative side of things on the Blue brand. While Heyman has been hands-on with the product on RAW, Bischoff has rarely been mentioned when it came to the booking decisions on SmackDown.

His departure may come as a surprise to a section of the fans, however, pro wrestling insiders always predicted this outcome.

Bruce Prichard's new role

Prichard is a WWE veteran who has assumed various roles in the company in the past. He served as a manager and announcer on various occasions and later on became Vince McMahon's go-to man behind the scenes.

He returned to the WWE in February this year and was signed up as the Senior Vice President. Prichard has now been handed the role of Executive Director of SmackDown on FOX. He will oversee the creative development of characters and storylines on the Friday night show while also 'integrating all platforms and lines of business' of SmackDown.

Prichard has a documented experience in building and improving the product and the talents involved and his appointment looks like a great decision on paper. As for Bischoff's future with the company, we have backstage updates on the same coming in soon. So, stay tuned.

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