Pro-Wrestling Eric Bischoff Q&A Session Pro-Wrestling Eric Bischoff Q&A Session
Last updated 3 September 2001
Prodigy Q&A session with Eric Bischoff conducted on 1x January 1997
This interview was conducted by Bob Ryder.
Moderator:
Welcome everyone, WCW Executive Vice-President Eric Bischoff is here to take
your
comments and questions.
Question:
I cannot imagine many Nitro viewers were thrilled having to sit through
nearly forty minutes
of "Robin Hood" to view a couple minutes of Hogan/Giant. Did you attempt to
anticipate
Nitro fan reaction beforehand and if so, was your anticipation included in
your business
decision to work with TNT the way you did?
Eric Bischoff:
First of all, it's clear that a lot of fans were frustrated and/or
disappointed in the manner in
which we promoted and delivered the Hogan/Giant match on Monday night.
Clearly it
wasn't our intention to disappoint anyone. I want to apologize to anyone
who was
disappointed or frustrated by our efforts. That being said, the fact that
Time Warner and
TNT approached WCW and asked for help in launching their new series was a great
opportunity for us. Under the circumstances, we felt it was in our
best interest to help with the networks efforts.
Question:
HI ERIC is it true you bought tickets for hall and nash to sit at royal
rumble as it was
reported at wcw hotline?
Eric Bischoff:
That's absolutely not true.
Question:
Eric - Will we see a HOGAN vs. STING Match on PPV at either SUPERBRAWL or
UNCENSORED?
Eric Bischoff:
I doubt you will see that match at either of those events, but it's
inevitable we will have that
match at some point, more than likely this year.
Question:
Were you aware that Nitro would only be shown every other commercial?
Eric Bischoff:
I wasn't clear on which commercial breaks the match was going to be shown
in, and that
decision was out of my hands.
Question:
Eric - What is the situation with Randy Savage and WCW?
Eric Bischoff:
As far as I know, Randy is enjoying his retirement and his free time. I
believe Randy is
pursuing other interests.
Question:
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF VINCE MCMAHON CRAETING DIESAL AND RAZOR
RAMON?
Eric Bischoff:
Vince McMahon has a right to exploit those characters anyway he sees
fit....just like he has a
right to do any of a number of other things that he has done recently with
his product.
Question:
Is it true that Kevin NAsh has an out Clause in his contract. And if so will
you meet the
clause described in his contract or will you let him walk in order to keep
Hogan happy, and
do u plan to do any thing about the Hall-Saggs house show incident and if so
what action
would you take??
Eric Bischoff:
I can't and won't discuss details of contracts, I can tell you there is
nothing unique in Kevin
Nash's agreement that would give him any more opportunity to walk out than
anyone else
has. More importantly, I think anyone who does an interview with Kevin and
asks that
question would find out he is happy right now. In fact, he and Scott Hall
and Hulk Hogan
have become close friends. Hogan uses a Lear Jet to get to and from Nitro
and frequently
gives Hall and Nash a ride with him. The rumors of
animosity are completely false.
Question:
Eric, Even with the success of the NWO angle, I tune into WCW to watch the
Cruisers. Men
like Malenko, Mysterio, Dragon, etc., continually put on great matches for
you. Is there any
chance of having a Cruiserweight only PPV or even a Clash?
Eric Bischoff:
I've never given that any consideration, but it's not a bad idea. I think
what we need to do is
develop more cruiseweights so that the division has more people to work
with. It would take
more athletes than we currently have to have a cruiserweight only event. We
are doing that
as we speak.
Question:
Please comment on the incident between Scott Hall and the Nasty Boys. is it
safe to say that
they are done with WCW
Eric Bischoff:
I really can't comment on it because I wasn't there and didn't see it first
hand. I've heard
several versions and all are very similar. I think it was one of those
things that unfortunately
happens from time to time with highly competitive individuals. As far as
I'm concerned it's
over and done and I look forward to a long relationship with all of the
principals.
Question:
Do you think Ring Warriors live Internet show will be a success? Any plans
of doing
something similiar with a WCW show?
Eric Bischoff:
I wish them the best of luck. I have no idea if it will be a success or
not. I'm not familiar
enough with the computer industry to be able to tell if a product like that
would be
marketable. It seems like that world continues to change on a daily basis.
Question:
Have you seen SSN? Either ways, from seeing it or hearing about it, what
are you thoughts
on the show?
Eric Bischoff:
I've seen clips of the show, and I think it's an embarassment to an
organization that professes
to be the leader in family entertainment. I think it's going to further
erode the image of our
industry among advertisers and television executives, as well as the public
who stumbles
upon it. To date, it is the most obvious sign of desparation the WWF has
exhibited in the
past 2 years.
It amazes me that Vince McMahon continues to use blasphemy and sex to try to
cram his
product down the throats of the viewing public in the name of family
entertainment.
Question:
What is your opinion on how long the NWO can exist before it becomes stale
in the fans'
eyes?
Eric Bischoff:
I remember answering that question in this forum approximately 2 months ago.
I didn't have
the answer then, and don't have it now. All I can tell you is that
merchandise continues to
increase in sales, ratings continue to increase. Two of our last 3 PPV's
were all time revenue
record generating PPVs. Arenas are at all time highs. So, it's working and
it's working well.
The audience doesn't seem tired of it, and I can't predict when it will die.
It's NWO4LIFE
after all.
Question:
In the new issue of WWF magazine there is an interview with Marc Mero-Johnny
B Badd
who states that through his first three years in WCW he was never once
tested for drug use.
What are your thoughts and answers to this statement?
Eric Bischoff:
I'll be anxious to check my records when I get back to my office tomorrow
morning to see if
that's just another one of the inconsistencies of Marc Mero's world.
Question:
Eric, you look like you're having a blast being in the nWo. What do the men
in black do for
fun outside of the ring?
Eric Bischoff:
I think that varies....for each individual. I feel like I work 80 hours a
week. I don't have
much fun. Hulk Hogan has several things he is quite busy with outside of
the ring, as does
Hall and Nash. We look forward to getting together after the shows on
Monday to party a
little bit, but once Monday is over with, we all go our separate ways.
Question:
When will David "Fit" Finlay return to WCW?
Eric Bischoff:
We haven't had any conversations with him since he left.
Question:
Eric, have you had a chance to see the "new" National Wrestling Alliance?
Young, up and
coming wrestlers like Reckless Youth, Ace Darling, Dave Keller, and Chachi
Arcola...future
superstars that are really very talented and are the real "New Generation"...
Eric Bischoff:
I apologize....I haven't had an opportunity to see them. I look forward to
seeing tapes of
them if they are as good as Chat members say they are.
Question:
Is Chris Chavis aka Tatanka coming to WCW?
Eric Bischoff:
I had a conversation with Chris several months back. At the time he was
unsure of his
release status with Titan Sports. I told him when he had a release to
contact us, and I haven't
heard from him since.
Question:
What do you think of Saturday Night Shotgun, and the Fondle-Me-Elmo skit?
Eric Bischoff:
I'll repeat what I said before. It's the debths of bad taste, particularly
when a Mattel
commercial follows a skit like that. It's the typical Vince McMahon "genius".
Question:
Eric, how come live WCW action hasen't been coming to New York? Will live WCW
action ever come to New York in the near future?
Eric Bischoff:>Eric Bischoff
ic Bischoff
hoff (Speaker)
Vince McMahon has been able to keep us out of arenas like Madison Square
Garden by
virtue of a unique contract he has with them. We do intend to challenge
that, and to move
some of our events into the New York area and into the Northeast in general.
Question:
Hey Eric, what are you going to do when the NWO falls apart, and the Nitro
ratings start to
diminish??That's the only reason most watch Nitro!
Eric Bischoff:
I don't know that that's true. The NWO is a big reason why people watch,
but if you look at
the quarter hours, some of the best numbers come during the Lex Luger
segments and the
cruiserweight segments. I think it's unfair not to give other people some
credit.
Question:
Will we be seeing more of JJ Dillon in the weeks to come?
Eric Bischoff:
I don't know that you've seen any of him to begin with. I'm not really
sure. JJ's pretty busy
with his office duties.
Question:
Just curious on your thoughts on both "Mean" Gene Okerlund and Mark Madden..
thanx
and continued success...
Eric Bischoff:
I think Mark Madden is a loose cannon, who's mouth can sometimes get him in
trouble.
Gene Okerland is a professional to work with and I enjoy working with him.
Question:
What's the status on the WCW video game?
Eric Bischoff:
I know we have one in development and were approached yesterday by one of
the largest
companies in the world to do another one.
Question:
Do you have any plans for Bobby Eaton? He hasn't been involved in any cool
angles lately,
like he used to be in the olden days of WCW.. :)
Eric Bischoff:
Bobby is a part of the team and certainly has the talent to be involved in a
future storyline at
anytime.
Question:
Eric; Good evening, It' great that the Giant took time for satellite
interviews with stations
across the country, Does WCW/NWO plan on any more satellite interviews for local
stations?
Eric Bischoff:
We do satellite media tours everytime we do a PPV, and virtually every
station in the
country is notified of media tours. They all have the opportunity to
interview any of our
stars and we'll continue that practice.
Question:
Eric, When is the NWO going to turn on Hulk Hogan? You know they will, its
only a
matter of timer... You make a great heel.. Are people booing or cheering
you.. Be honest :}
Eric Bischoff:
I don't think the NWO is going to turn on Hulk Hogan anytime soon. There
seems to be a
close relationship with everyone. Don't assume it will happen anytime soon.
Generally, I
would say the fans reaction to me depends on which market we are in. I'd
prefer not to go
back to Charlotte and make an entrance to that crowd again. It depends on
the market.
Question:
Eric what do you think of stars Like Shawn Micheals, Sabu, Taz, Brett Hart
and other Pure
real wrestlers. Would you like to bring them to WCW/nWo and If so what in
what way?
DDP Rules!
Eric Bischoff:
I find it ironic that someone would throw Taz and Bret Hart and Shawn
Michaels in the
same category and refer to the group as real wrestlers. Everyone knows that
I would love to
have Bret Hart on our roster. He's not only a phenomenal talent, but one of
the class acts in
our industry both in and out of the ring. I'm not sure Shawn Michaels would
ever fit on our
roster, and don't know enough about Taz to have an opinion. I've only seen
brief clips of
him.
Question:
Eric, how about some more nWo merchandise available to us fans?! I'd also
like to see the
nWo website expanded. Keep up the good work!
Eric Bischoff:
We are coming up with merchandise as we speak, and thank you for the kind words.
Question:
Do you believe that you have been aesthetically beneficial to the NWO angle?
Eric Bischoff:
I'm not sure what you mean by asthetically beneficial, but as the angle
evolved it became
clear to me that eventually the NWO was going to need an announcer...so I
decided to hire
myself. Call me an opportunist if you will, but I'm having more fun now
than I've ever had.
Question:
What do you think of the independent scene? There's a great indie, up here
in Boston, called
Boston Action 'N Destruction..and they definetly have a couple of talents
that are ready for a
try-out in the big-leagues. Guys like the Mark Windsor, Damien Wink, Paul
Pierce, and
Reckless Youth could ALL do well in the nWo/WCW..
Eric Bischoff:
I hope it flourishes so that young talent has an opportunity to work in
front of a crowd and
hone there skills so there is a future for the entire industry. I would
encourage people to
support the independent scene whenever they have an opportunity. Most of
these guys are
working for gas money and a hamburger, and a hope for an opportunity at the
big show one
day. They deserve support.
Question:
In the past, you've claimed you don't watch ECW. But if men such as Malenko,
Guerrero,
Mysterio, etc, never wrestled in ECW, do you think they'd be in WCW today?
Eric Bischoff:
Absolutely. I had a chance to watch all of them wrestle in New Japan in
person, and had a
chance to meet all of them before it ever registered that they were a
regular part of ECW.
They are in WCW primarily because of my exposure to them in New Japan which
I see
much more of than ECW. People should remember that Dean Malenko was
associated with
New Japan for nearly 13 years. It's unfair to suggest that it's only
because of ECW that
Dean got an opportunity.
Question:
With the NWO angle seemingly getting worse as the months go by and the WWF's new
"hardcore" look on Shotgun Saturday Night what can we expect from the WCW
when the
NWO has come to its finish?
Eric Bischoff:
You are certainly welcome to your opinion, but all the indications from
merchandise to PPV
buy rates to Arena attendance shows that the angle is doing anything but getting
stale...despite your personal opinion. If a transvestite giving birth and
Sunny falling in bed
with a muppet is your idea of hardcore, you are welcome to that as well as
your opinion.
By the way....their Flying Nuns were the 'hardest core' thing I have ever
seen. LOL
Question:
what do you think about the wwf's new show "shotgun saturday night"?
Eric Bischoff:
>From what I've seen it's probably the worst thing that has been produced in
our genre in the
last 10 years. I wouldn't be surprised if Jim Ross, Vince McMahon and Bruce
Pritchard
aren't all standing in the ring biting heads off chickens to try to get a
rating.
Question:
Whatever happened to the NWO Nitro hour?
Eric Bischoff:
It is still in development and we hope to see it within several weeks.
Question:
What do you love most about wrestling?
Eric Bischoff:
Excellent question...but there is really no one thing I could say is the
thing I enjoy most. I
think the ability to create and witness a national audiences reaction to a
concept is incredibly
fulfilling. Generally speaking with all but several exceptions, the people
in our industry are
some of the most dedicated people I've worked with in any industry. That is
certainly an
aspect I enjoy. Quite frankly, I make more not than I did selling meat door
to door, so I
enjoy that aspect too.
Question:
what do you think your future will be with WCW, if and when the nwo ceases
to exist? will
you stay with the WCW, and do you think they will take you back?
Eric Bischoff:
That's up to Ted Turner.
Question:
When will the WCW come to Los Angeles?It's been a long time!
Eric Bischoff:
Yes, as a matter of fact, I saw Los Angeles on the schedule for a NITRO for,
I believe, the
first quarter of this year. I don't have the date right off hand.
Question:
Hi Eric......thanks for coming aboard......Question #1-----A few months ago
you promised
that the NWO would get what's coming to them. Have you done exactly what you've
planned to do or have problems arisen to change those plans.
Eric Bischoff:
They got what was coming to them....they got me.
I love those guys...I really do.
Question:
Will WCW's other television shows besides Nitro, like Saturday Night,
Worldwide & Pro
ever be taped from other arenas instead of being taped at Disney? I think
it would be better
that way.. :)
Eric Bischoff:
Saturday Night is already taped at arenas around the country. Saturday
morning and
Sunday are both taped at Disney and may be taped at other venues based on
the availability
of Disney.
Question:
what are going to do about the wreslers who dont convert to nwo
Eric Bischoff:hoff
>
I've given all of them an opportunity to make a wise decision. Those that
have have a secure
future. Those that haven't will suffer the consequences and we'll let the
chips fall where they
may.
Question:
Eric, What so you think about the rumors about the warrior joining the War
againdt the
NWO?
Eric Bischoff:
An icecubes chance in hell.
Question:
Will there ever be WCW action figures? That would be cool.. you could have the
horsemen.. nWo.. and harlem heat in a 2 pack.. :)
Eric Bischoff:
Perhaps. It's really up to our licensees.
Question:
What's up with Randy Savage? I've just begun to see him in the beginning
highlights again.
Is he coming back to join Sting/Giant and Luger in their battle with the NWO?
Eric Bischoff:
I doubt it. I really think Randy Savage has probably saved the first penny
he ever made in
the business. Financially he doesn't need to wrestle and I think he really
does enjoy his free
time more than he enjoyes wrestling at this point. Quite frankly I really
don't think there is a
fit on our roster for him.
Question:
Will you or Ted Dibiase be at the ring for the Hogan/Giant match?
Eric Bischoff:
We haven't decided yet.
Question:
Lex is coming on tomorrow night here on Prodigy Chat. Do you ever tell
anyone what not to
say online? Would Lex be allowed to tell what Sting said to him in the
battle with the Giant
a couple weeks ago?
Eric Bischoff:
I don't control the wrestlers outside of their performances on our shows.
It's a free
country...at least in our organization. Lex Luger is free to comment on
whatever Lex Luger
wants to comment on.
Question:
One of the greatest thing i've ever seen was you jackknifed through a table.
How did that
feel?????
Eric Bischoff:
It felt just like getting jackknifed through a table, or getting hit by a
car from behind. Take
your pick.
Eric Bischoff:
Thanks again for the opportunity to Chat on Prodigy. I look forward to
doing it again soon.