Report: WWE Fires Lead Writers For RAW & SmackDown LIVE

WWE News

Report: WWE Fires Lead Writers For RAW & SmackDown LIVE

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, WWE has recently let go of two writers on their creative teams – Steve Guerreri, who was one of the lead writers on Smackdown and Steve Oppenheim, who was the in-office or “home team” leader writer on Raw.

Both were released from the company last week but it was neither of WWE’s new Executive Directors, Paul Heyman or Eric Bischoff, who made those decisions.

Former WWE writer Tom Casiello tweeted in response to this news, shedding some intriguing insight into the careers of both Steves while they were in WWE.

Steve-O (no relation) started about six months after I did. Back then, writer turnover was HIGH. Every three months someone left. So no one expected him to stick around. But Steve proved us all wrong.

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

See, most new writers, in order to be successful, end up working with a midcard talent and testing gimmicks out. If that gimmick succeeds, then they’ll succeed. And who, you ask, benefited from Steve’s input? None other than….

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

…the intellectual savior of masses himself, Damien Sandow. Sandow collaborated every week with Steve, fine-tuning his character and testing out the gimmick with promos and backstages. More than once, Sandow was heard bellowing “WHERE IS OPPENHEIM?” in the backstage halls.

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

And it worked. Sandow was slowly but surely getting over, and Steve cemented his role on the team. He worked his way up the ladder, working with every member of the roster, and ultimately became lead writer of Raw. (No, that doesn’t mean he had final say on Raw. Don’t be daft.)

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

Every week, I’d watch him pour everything he had into Raw, trying to give the fans what they wanted, but also giving the higher ups what they wanted. A Herculean task if there ever was one. And he pulled it off. Not many can. NOW…about that Steve G fellow…

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

Steve G was hired around the same time as a writers assistant. I don’t remember when he got promoted to writer, but it was fairly quickly, and when it happened, we wondered why it didn’t happen sooner. Steve G is chill, humble, so damn likable and won everyone over.

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

Wrestlers and writers alike. And you know which talent he ended up with, collaborating with them every week and assisting in writing and producing their promos every week? A couple of lesser known guys. I’m sure you’ve never heard of them. Their names are…

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

CM Punk and Paul Heyman. Now, make no mistake. When you’re “writing” for those guys, they’re in the drivers seat. And Steve was more than happy to let them be, learning from them and working with them and honing his craft. Once Punk left, Steve G proved he could hang with…

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

…the toughest of them, and got promoted to Smackdown Lead Writer, partnered with Road Dogg. And they were the team who suddenly found themselves with a roster of about 10 people in 2016 after the draft. And you know what they did?

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

They wrote one HELL of a show. Nobody thought SDL stood a chance after the draft. But they put their entire women’s division in story. They created Fashion Files. They revisited Daniel-Miz, and the whole time, Steve G and Dogg were unstoppable. They did the impossible.

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

They made you care about a show mostly midcarders. So today, I toast to you, Steve O and Steve G! The Net will make all sorts of wild assumptions about you, but those who were there, know. You gave everything to the men and women in that ring. Thank you. And welcome to the club!

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

P.S. I totally forgot to mention that Steve G was also one of the original Lead Writers of NXT down at Full Sail! Yeah. He’s kind of a badass.

— Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 22, 2019

Until next time, keep visiting eWrestling for your pro wrestling news and rumors coverage. For more late-breaking, around-the-clock WWE, AEW, UFC, Bellator MMA and other pro wrestling and mixed martial arts news, rumors, photos, results and other relevant content, follow our lead reporter Matt Boone on Twitter @MattBoone1984.