Prichard replacing Bischoff as WWE SmackDown executive director
UPDATE —
WWE has confirmed that Eric Bischoff is no longer with the company.
**********
Less than four months after he was announced for the position, Eric Bischoff is being replaced as executive director of SmackDown.
WWE issued a press release today announcing that Bruce Prichard has been named the new executive director of SmackDown and will report directly to 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 returned to the WWE creative team this February.
In June, WWE announced Paul Heyman as the executive director of Raw and Bischoff as the executive director of SmackDown, hyping that “the creation of these roles further establishes WWE’s ability to continuously reinvent its global brand while providing two distinct creative processes for its flagship shows.”
Bischoff moved to Connecticut for the role at the beginning of July.
SmackDown made its FOX debut on October 4. This past Friday’s episode was the first night of the WWE Draft.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.