How Heyman & Bischoff Can Shake Up WWE

With the additions of Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff back into the fold of creative for Raw and SmackDown respectively, many wonder how things will be “shaken up.”

I want to see the return of long-lasting teams and stables. Looking back to the great year of 1997, WWE produced Survivor Series with the tag line Gang Rulz. You had the Disciples of Apocalypse, DX, Hart Foundation, The Nation of Domination, amongst others. Then in WCW, you had the NWO, Four Horsemen and a general Team WCW. Having groups and rivalries revolving around championships is a proven winning formula. It’s still working today in New Japan. Not every person needs to be in a group, though, but at least it helps give everyone some kind of meaning. I’m not saying that we need Vince Russo, but we do need to give him some credit for presenting everyone on the roster with some kind of character and storyline. With WWE’s overabundance of talent, it’s time to bring stables back to rejuvenate the product.

Speaking of bringing things back, I’m completely behind Kevin Owens becoming this generation’s Steve Austin by having him call out and go after Shane McMahon every week, but does he really need to be doing the Stunner? Some finishers should be left alone, kind of like a sports team retiring a player’s number. The Stunner is so synonymous with Stone Cold that it’s impossible to separate him from the move. Anyone doing it, including Owens, feels like a tribute act. When Randy Orton decides to hang them up one day, the RKO will be another finisher that should be retired.

KO does not need the Stunner to get this storyline or his character over. Just give him a live mic and he can do the rest. Oh, and don’t script it. If Vince McMahon had any idea of what he was doing, he would have Bruce Prichard or some other member of the creative team dig up some classic Ring of Honor footage, circa 2012. Check out the SCUM days of ROH and watch Kevin Steen drive Jim Cornette nuts every week, becoming one of the most hated, yet beloved wrestlers in the world at that time. (I know CM Punk was better, I’m not that naïve.)

WWE can easily channel that spirit of Owens once again, similar to the Summer of Punk storyline being recycled from ROH. Have KO use his apron powerbomb to destroy his opponents in every major match. Most importantly, he should do it to Shane O’Mac to injure him and finally give us a break from “The Best in the World.” While in recovery, Shane could send various wrestlers to try and exact revenge on Owens, instantly transferring Shane’s heat to the actual talent that needs it. Then when Shane returns, fans will be salivating over a match between him and Owens. It’s a storyline straight out of the Attitude Era, something Bischoff is very familiar with.

I’m not on the creative team, though, so what do I know?