Article by Dave Meltzer
At the behest of Joanie Helmsley, a new addition has been added to the team of writers in charge of EBWF's Creative team: Onscreen Manager and former Owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling, Paul Heyman. Heyman will report directly to Joanie and will work with the Creative team in an official capacity at this point, where he previously existed only as a television personality, and provided only limited counsel when asked of him.
This marks the first time since 2006 that Paul Heyman has served a wrestling company in any administrative capacity. Heyman came close to striking a deal with TNA in 2009 to be in charge of booking and creative, however the deal would have come with provisions of control that Dixie Carter, et al were uncomfortable with handing over. As a result the deal never got signed, and Carter went with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, a deal that by many reports has resulted in the current dire situation in TNA.
While many call into question Paul Heyman's ability to handle the finances of a major wrestling company, due to ECW's crushing debt before it's eventual bankruptcy, few are willing to deny that Heyman is a creative force backstage, and it is this talent that Joanie Helmsley wishes to tap for future EBWF programming. It has been reported that Joanie Helmsley's wish to hire Paul Heyman onto the creative team was met with a lot of skepticism, but at the end of the day, Wes Ikeda trusts her judgement, and so the deal was inked.
Paul Heyman and Joanie Helmsley are said to have a strong mutual respect for one another, and for Heyman's part, it is largely due to the fact that Joanie does not use her influence on the Board of Directors to play out her personal opinions on television, unlike Vince McMahon.
Heyman is reported to be in his new role effective immediately. What this means for his onscreen presence is still to be determined, as Brock Lesnar is still taking time off.
