It’s a high pressure time for WWE, with the company losing prestige, viewers, and stock value even as Smackdown prepares to move to Fox and the specter of possible competition looms. WWE seems to be responding with publicity stunts like the Raw Reunion, but they’re also changing things up backstage in the hopes of making the company run more smoothly.
As reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet, WWE has released two of its two writers, SmackDown co-lead writer Steve Guerreri and RAW in-office lead writer Steve Oppenheim. Both had been with WWE for the better part of a decade, and no specific reason for their release has been offered. It may have something to do with Heyman and Bischoff taking over the top Creative spots on the two brands, although PWS says those two were not part of the decision to release the two Steves.
Wrestling Inc is also reporting that WWE has assigned each of its producers to work for either Raw or Smackdown, rather than letting them all work on both shows. According to their report, this move is primarily to avoid a problem where producers were often going out the road, then being sent home because there wasn’t enough work for them, then being called back for television. Now each producer will travel the same loop as the rest of their brand, simplifying things for everybody.
