-- When Paul Heyman was hired by WWE as an Executive Director last June, he had pushed to Vince McMahon that the brand had to create new stars and that this process would take at least 18 months to realize. At the time, McMahon agreed with him, noting on a conference call to investors that Raw’s recent low ratings were due to introducing so many new stars and the lag in getting them over. He had claimed the numbers would bounce back once the new stars were established.
-- The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that once the COVID-19 pandemic started, McMahon’s “mentality changed about everything.” Instead of focusing long-term - including the XFL, Raw’s progression, expansion into Europe and Japan and other markets, his thinking shifted to worry about the “now.” McMahon is also apparently frustrated at his belief that many of the new stars that Heyman was looking to push aren’t getting over even though with no live audience, that seems inconclusive at best.
