Vince Mcmahon is said to have feared both Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff signing on with All Elite Wrestling, which is why he appointed them executive directors of Raw and SmackDown Live.

Heyman and Bischoff have been around the wrestling industry a very long time and they would have undoubtedly added to AEW's credibility, as well as their ability to attract viewers had they been brought in. And that's exactly what WWE was wary of.

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, as cited by Rajah, the pair were handed their contracts because either one of them would have been a huge help to Tony Khan's new promotion, which is already gathering huge plaudits on the back of their first two PPVs.

Both Double or Nothing and Fyter Fest turned out to be remarkable shows and fans are already gravitating towards the novel brand ahead of its TV launch on TNT.

PREVIOUSLY: 5 Ways Eric Bischoff Can Shake Up WWE TV (And 5 Ways Paul Heyman Can)

via cbs.com

AEW looks to have some real edginess to it, with Fyter Fest showing that the brand has absolutely no qualms as it relates to hardcore wrestling. Kahn, though, has promised that their TV shows will not be as violent as PPVs but it's very likely we'll see a string of attitude when things kick off in the fall.

WWE has already seen the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Jim Ross head over there and was reportedly keen on making sure Heyman and Bischoff didn't follow suit. It appears they're better off for it too, with both Raw and SmackDown putting on some good shows last week.

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has lauded the appointments, stating that WWE's content will be going back to “blueprint of what wrestling always was”.

"Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff, they both have an agenda now, and that agenda is to do well,” he said on his The Hall Of Fame podcast (h/t Sescoops). “I was reading today that Eric Bischoff is moving his family to Connecticut. To do that, that’s a huge, huge commitment. That means I want to get close to my work, and I really want to throw myself into it and try to create something.”

Whether or not it's true that WWE put Heyman and Bischoff in those positions to keep them away from AEW's clutches, it seems to be a very positive move for the company. Time will tell how well this works out but we imagine it will not be something regrettable.

NEXT: Vince McMahon Now Understands The Need For WWE To Change [Rumor]