Eric Bischoff SHOOTS On Getting FIRED By WCW!

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 11. 11. 2023
  • Eric Bischoff talked exclusively to Inside The Ropes recently on tour about Hulk Hogan’s failed babyface run, fury with corporate officials during the Time-Warner Merger and how it led to his exit! Subscribe to the channel for more clips of our live shows and interviews, and don't forget to like and comment too!
    Subscribe to our new clips channel for smaller bitesize clips from our live shows and interviews.
    Check out ITRWrestling.com | For News, Interviews, Exclusives, Podcasts and Much More!
    Buy our magazine at insidetheropesmagazine.com | Available Now, Ships Worldwide.
    ITR Patreon is the best way to directly support us if you enjoy our content. We offer LOADS of bonus content, including the Pod Of Thunder, our dysfunctional journey back to WCW for the entire run of Thunder, The Power Slam OverRun, Retro Raw & Smackdown and ITR Patreon is the only place where you can hear our WWE & AEW PPV reviews!
    Support Us On Patreon Today! itrwrestling.com/patreon
    Follow us:
    Facebook: itrwrestling.com/facebook
    Twitter: itrwrestling.com/twitter
    Instagram: itrwrestling.com/instagram
    TikTok: / insidetheropes
    #ericbischoff #wcw #hulkhogan
  • Zábava

Komentáře • 345

  • @InsideTheRopes
    @InsideTheRopes  Před 7 měsíci +21

    Who is ultimately responsible for the death of WCW? Let us know in the comments below!

    • @frozyre7854
      @frozyre7854 Před 7 měsíci +8

      I think we can all agree that it was a conglomerate mesh of factors that really killed WCW. There really is no one single sole entity and I'll never understand why people don't get that.

    • @norbertschnurrbart936
      @norbertschnurrbart936 Před 7 měsíci +5

      Jamie Kellner

    • @RickRudeMark
      @RickRudeMark Před 7 měsíci +7

      Eric, He spent like a drunken sailor, paid people millions just to sit at home and was the sole reason they got into the hole they did

    • @user-kg6tp9js9p
      @user-kg6tp9js9p Před 7 měsíci +5

      Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Jeff Jarrett, Vince Russo, Jamie Kellner & Vince McMahon, The Undertaker, Triple H & Shawn Michaels in the wwf/e

    • @kylecook6365
      @kylecook6365 Před 7 měsíci +3

      It’s being pretty well researched that Turners mismanagement was the death of WCW.

  • @channeldeleted2946
    @channeldeleted2946 Před 7 měsíci +108

    Lol, googled worst Media Merger ever, Bischoff was spot on. Every article says the same thing as him. Dang.

    • @deadend1041
      @deadend1041 Před 7 měsíci +16

      It was one of the worst things that ever happened in business. It literally destroyed every company involved. The only one that made it out alive was warner brothers and it's not recovered to where it was.

    • @montygrip21
      @montygrip21 Před 6 měsíci +8

      ​@deadend1041 and now they've done it again with discovery 🤦‍♂️🤣

    • @alwilson3204
      @alwilson3204 Před 10 dny

      Ain't it great to hear that the failure of WCW had nothing to do with Bischoff's involvement. Uh-huh. But he's right about the decline of CNN, the Communist News Network as it's well deserved.

  • @plumlineltd7585
    @plumlineltd7585 Před 6 měsíci +37

    It’s crazy that 30 years later time warner is still involved in horrible media mergers

  • @jonbourgoin182
    @jonbourgoin182 Před 7 měsíci +171

    Eric wasn't wrong, I did Google it and AOL/Time Warner was in the first result at #1

    • @3one4_Syndicate
      @3one4_Syndicate Před 7 měsíci +7

      Me too

    • @jppennypincher9051
      @jppennypincher9051 Před 7 měsíci +7

      I found multiple sites that all listed it as up there for worst. Damn!

    • @Turk_2023
      @Turk_2023 Před 7 měsíci +22

      Dude they FIRED Ted Turner. Ted started that company. FFS look what half of the name is "AOL". What happened to them? They just imploded simply because broadband internet came out. They could have been Google today.

    • @Ian-Omega
      @Ian-Omega Před 7 měsíci +1

      @@Turk_2023How could they have been google exactly?

    • @Turk_2023
      @Turk_2023 Před 7 měsíci

      @@Ian-Omega AOL was a huge internet browser in the 90s, the most popular. Had they focused on that instead of tv they would have still been massive.

  • @j.d.6915
    @j.d.6915 Před 7 měsíci +53

    Ironically, the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery might go down as a worse merger than AOL/Time Warner

    • @ExarKun0
      @ExarKun0 Před 6 měsíci +4

      And now, WB and Paramount

    • @KUT-N-GO
      @KUT-N-GO Před 5 měsíci +4

      The Google machine still has AOL and time Warner the worst still. But I trust the Google machine as much as I trust news stations haha

  • @DJBIGCG
    @DJBIGCG Před 4 měsíci +8

    Very fun video. Eric Bischoff sounds highly educated

  • @StealthMarmot_
    @StealthMarmot_ Před 4 měsíci +5

    I Googled "Worst mergers in history". The first 6 results were lists. AOL/Time Warner was on ALL of them. And was #1 on results 1, 2, 3, and 5.

  • @jasonlee3759
    @jasonlee3759 Před 7 měsíci +27

    Read this guy’s book whether he’s blowing smoke or not. I don’t think his presence in the wrestling industry has been bad. He’s done more good than bad for it and at least every other word out of his flipping mouth isn’t bro.!!!!!!!

    • @zolofttube4840
      @zolofttube4840 Před 6 měsíci +3

      "NITRO: The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW" by Guy Evans is a really fascinating read. Highly recommended.

    • @Soon_Solstice
      @Soon_Solstice Před 19 dny +1

      I think that Bischoff gets a bad wrap. He did well for a while. Yet, corporate suits will be corporate suits, and his only choices were comply or be gone.

  • @andrewdecker616
    @andrewdecker616 Před 5 měsíci +7

    I paused it and immediately googled "worst media merger" and sure enough he's right.

  • @TC-wx3ln
    @TC-wx3ln Před 7 měsíci +12

    Where can you find this full interview as a podcast? What’s it called please

  • @EpicNinja187
    @EpicNinja187 Před 7 měsíci +23

    I wish someone would of asked him what he would of done to compete with WWE if he got to stay in charge and have all the funds that he had in WCW

    • @jamie.777
      @jamie.777 Před 7 měsíci

      He would jammed 15 different NWO colors down our throats and fail miserably

    • @ShadowAngel18606
      @ShadowAngel18606 Před 7 měsíci

      He would've bankrupted WCW in a matter of 6-12 months if he took over. Look at Bankrupt Bischoff's life: Bankrupted himself twice, bankrupted every business he ever started (Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment, MX Digital, Bischoff Family Brewing) and did a absolute horrendous job in TNA

    • @antology7
      @antology7 Před 7 měsíci +6

      Not sure storyline-wise but I've heard him express how he started getting limits on how ruthless he was able to make the product. So, I'd imagine he'd want an edgier product to try push the boundaries beyond what WWF was capable of at the time.

    • @firstnamelastname1453
      @firstnamelastname1453 Před měsícem

      No that's a good question

    • @Dmgolfer22
      @Dmgolfer22 Před 20 dny

      Buy out all of WWF’s talent. Same as he did in mid 90s.

  • @Krillep
    @Krillep Před 7 měsíci +18

    WCW/NWO 4-life. The best time to be a fan. It was all epic and 94-98 WCW was the better product.

    • @gamingwithvulpixanddratini7604
      @gamingwithvulpixanddratini7604 Před 22 dny

      By April 98 with Austin/Mcmahon feud really firing up after the DX/Austin feud with Mike Tyson ended at WM 14 is where imo WCW lost the war, WWF Austin/McMahon was must see tv I never missed a minute of Raw is War; whereas, the year before 1997 up Until Feb/March 98 I was locked in on Sting/NWO feud, and I was even at Thunder in Birmingham on 2/19/98, 13 yr old me made my mom take me lol, but come Wrestlemania 14 and the Austin/McMahon feud I was sold on WWF and all I’d see when I swapped to TNT was Goldberg winning another 1-2 minute match. Then, at Unforgiven in 98 we got that Taker/Kane match with flames around the ring and then in June of 98 we had Taker/Mankind’s iconic HIAC match at KOTR plus by the later half of 98 not only was Austin still feuding with McMahon but at Survivor Series 1998 Austin/Rock Rivalry picked back up, but this time it would morph into a legendary rivalry that would go until 2003 for Austin’s retirement match,
      So, I’d say 1998 was far and away WWE’s year unless your were like a giant Goldberg fan

    • @Krillep
      @Krillep Před 22 dny

      @@gamingwithvulpixanddratini7604 I agree. But WCW was still the show to watch to April 98, and they beat WWE to that point. In April WWE won the first rating in a long time, but it was still close between WWE and WCW under the summer, of 1998 - and WCW also won ratings in all august 98 and half september. WCW got stale under autumn a bit, Hogan retired. The NWO vs Wolfpack feud started to decline. There was only a face NWO and Goldberg and DDP was the only WCW guys left. So the NWO-storyline run out of gas october/november. And in 1999 the WWF was the better product.

  • @jonbourgoin182
    @jonbourgoin182 Před 7 měsíci +19

    I'm still confused why the new suits didn't want wrestling when it was so successful

    • @simplyhuman2213
      @simplyhuman2213 Před 7 měsíci +28

      Arrogant rich guys looking down on wrestling

    • @user-kg6tp9js9p
      @user-kg6tp9js9p Před 7 měsíci +8

      Because for 2 years WCW lost so much money with their terrible booking and the wrestling bubble was going to burst by 2001. WWF was good enough that the mainstream audience didn't want to spend their time with another company like WCW or ECW. If WCW was still a great company in 2001, they probably would've still been cancelled by TNT. But they could've found another better network. Since in reality WCW's reputation was damaged, other networks didn't want them

    • @TPJH850
      @TPJH850 Před 7 měsíci +13

      WCW was losing money and ratings by the time the merger was going to happen

    • @jonathanfenton8695
      @jonathanfenton8695 Před 7 měsíci +2

      Two words: Vince Russo

    • @ArghalladGaming
      @ArghalladGaming Před 7 měsíci +1

      Basically, back then wrestling had become something of a bad kind of entertainment. Just one or two steps above porn. Henceforth, it was very much frowned upon. Most broadcast companies wanted nothing to do with it. When the merge started to happen and Ted Turner got fired, the new owners, Time Warner and AOL, decided they didn't want to keep WCW at all, because they didn't want that kind of entertainment. They couldn't sell so soon, because the company had large profits, so they decided to use legal ways of making WCW lose rivers of money. That was the only way they could end the company. By either having it's value become so low that someone would end up buying it (which VKM did) or by just having it go completely bankrupt and closing it down, firing everyone in the process. Whoever tells you that WCW fall was on Vince Russo, has only listened to Dave Meltzer and can't get their heads out of the gutter.
      And as for why wrestling as a while was so much frowned upon, we're talking about a time where female wrestlers would have mud fights, cat fights, lingerie or bra and panties fights where the one that ended up baked would lose the match, we would have women straight up being sexuallized on national TV. Remember Sable? Yeah... That was Attitude Era. We don't need to go that far back to still watch a mud fight between divas in WWE. For this reason, most broadcasting companies didn't want to touch wrestling with a 50 feet pole.

  • @MisterRichay
    @MisterRichay Před 7 měsíci +2

    How do you get full versions of these interviews? The website only has podcasts and future ones it looks like. Are they paywalled?

  • @matthewhutchinson1167
    @matthewhutchinson1167 Před 7 měsíci +31

    To really understand the downfall of WCW, read Guy Evans Nitro book. It provides so much depth that you wont get from a WWE documentary or dirt sheet writers with an agenda.

  • @Vas1984
    @Vas1984 Před 5 měsíci +3

    I double checked Sep 9th 1999. Indeed it was a Thursday 😅

  • @HepCatJack
    @HepCatJack Před 7 měsíci +23

    What Eric describes sounds a lot like what Enron did and it was not perfectly legal. Enron used a corporate entity to hide losses, it's described in the book "Conspiracy of Fools".

    • @stephkent2736
      @stephkent2736 Před 7 měsíci +4

      No, it's legal if you can justify the transfers. I used to work in this kinda environment and we did this stuff all the time. I once had to figure out what to charge another department what they had to pay for a switch port per month so we can boost our books by taking money from them. The Enron thing isn't legal because it was cross-company, what we did was net 0 for the company but it made a difference for VPs and such for their bonuses and profitability if we spun them out to their own company

    • @HepCatJack
      @HepCatJack Před 7 měsíci

      @@stephkent2736it sounds like what Peter Lynch called pulling out the flowers to water the weeds. The branch that's deploying capital effectively producing a high ROIC ought to get more capital not less. What Turner Broadcasting was doing was akin to an investor selling Amazon to purchase more Sears.

    • @jgosal1981
      @jgosal1981 Před 7 měsíci +5

      It's legal, because it's all all under the same umbrella. To shareholders and the government it makes no difference because the total profit and loss to the parent company is the same.

    • @scottsetzke7967
      @scottsetzke7967 Před 5 měsíci

      OF "models" and big streamers have started to open LLCs and Corps and "businesses" to "reinvest" (launder) their own incomes from streaming to claim the "losses" at the end of the year in order to pay far less in taxes. 😅.

    • @NoneofYabiz-rx3zi
      @NoneofYabiz-rx3zi Před 5 dny

      General Motors and Opel anyone? All the profits from Opel were transferred to the parent company GM, so they could claim Opel is in the red to avoid paying taxes in Germany

  • @omarhasan03
    @omarhasan03 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Hes not wrong about the AoL/Time merger being the worst in history. It actually is considered the literal worst in history. So, he is at least truthful on that fact.

    • @paulmallon9292
      @paulmallon9292 Před 4 měsíci

      Hey Omar. Your last comment seemed to be deleted from my original comment. Sorry about that mate. Definitely say something else that CZcams doesn't delete

  • @cklambo
    @cklambo Před 7 měsíci +10

    Hope tony khan is listening. Avoid any old mistakes made by wcw.

    • @TheJosephoenix
      @TheJosephoenix Před 7 měsíci

      ​@@user-pu3ce3jt7hyou have no idea what you are talking about

    • @TheMegamyGamer
      @TheMegamyGamer Před 7 měsíci

      If this was true he would be world champion by now. Try a new narative buddy@@user-pu3ce3jt7h

    • @six6thdisciple
      @six6thdisciple Před 7 měsíci +1

      DIDNT WWE JUST LOSE A TV W DEAL WITH FOX????

    • @gohan7389
      @gohan7389 Před 7 měsíci +2

      No they got a 30% increase with the USA network so they left fox who wouldn't

  • @ratgenerationx2946
    @ratgenerationx2946 Před 7 měsíci +4

    I just googled the worst media merger, and Eric was right! ❤❤❤

  • @Turk_2023
    @Turk_2023 Před 7 měsíci +24

    A "desperate" WCW gets better ratings than WWE, the NBA, and MLB today lol.

    • @ProWrestlingJoe
      @ProWrestlingJoe Před 7 měsíci +5

      Because it isn't 1998 anymore. WWE the NBA and MLB are paid a lot more for their numbers today than WCW was back then for theirs. Times are different, Turk.

    • @rileyk5228
      @rileyk5228 Před 7 měsíci +2

      You're aware viewing habits and technology have changed over the last 20+ years right?

    • @ferox965
      @ferox965 Před 7 měsíci +1

      Streaming changed the game in an irreparable way.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios Před 6 měsíci +1

      @@ProWrestlingJoe WCW didn't have deals with networks, they *were* the network. WCW wasn't paid by TNT/TBS - they were both part of the same company, Turner. They didn't have that huge source of revenue - TV deals - that other promotions have. Rather than be paid, they were allocated time when Ted or those working for him decided to give it to them or take it away.

    • @OfficerDoofyInTown
      @OfficerDoofyInTown Před 5 měsíci +1

      As sad as it is, ratings means nothing today. The money is out there, on the table thanks to the investors and social media.

  • @dogstar5927
    @dogstar5927 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Eric Bishoff gets a lot of hate, but only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. He accomplished great things with WCW that has since never been replicated. There is no bravado and ego in these interviews now. He's already been there and done that !

  • @madringking1119
    @madringking1119 Před 2 měsíci

    IMO the advent of DSL is what started the nosedive of AOL Time Warner. Because DSL was the start of 24/7 Internet connectivity for EVERYONE. Prior to that only schools and businesses had that.
    So when companies like Verizon started providing DSL, it causes AOL's profits to fall cause there was no need to pay for their Internet service when (local phone company) can provide it for far less and have constant connectivity.

  • @CommanderLost
    @CommanderLost Před 7 měsíci +1

    I would love to hear the advice from those guys maybe you should have listened to them Eric.
    Because in August of '98 you were doing the ultimate warrior angle and the other angle was having hulk Hogan cower in fear of Jay Leno.
    Top quality stuff there buddy

  • @dhosea101
    @dhosea101 Před 7 měsíci +10

    WCW wasn't gonna make it anyway. Politics, the attitude era, Vince Russo, wrestlers being me, me, me, not WE, along with higher ups telling Eric how he was gonna run WCW & Jamie Kellner pulling the plug from a TV station standpoint, there was no way Eric was winning this war. Had Eric threatened to leave in 1998, he would've had more leverage & been able to try & win the fight against people above him. Ultimately, Jamie Kellner came in, said you can have everything except TV time, at the time, without TV to air WCW, WCW was done. Jamie Kellner is the man that ultimately gave the death blow to WCW.

  • @josesmith1329
    @josesmith1329 Před 7 měsíci +3

    When Time Warner acquired Turner broadcasting in 1996 corporate executives wanted WCW gone from TNT and TBS sabotaged from within executives of standards and practice slashing WCW budget insisting for family-friendly entertainment eventually Ted Turner no longer had control of his media outlets then in 2000 AOL/Time Warner merger happened came into fruition they wanted WCW gone from cable Television one of the worst mergers in history is AOL/Time Warner

  • @allencollins5666
    @allencollins5666 Před 5 měsíci +2

    He Was Slowly Gaining Momentum Back For WCW. The Nitro Before He Was Fired Drew A 4.1 Rating To WWE 4.4. Time Warner Hired Vince Russo. Time Warner & Vince McMahon Conspiracy. Had Bischoff Been There September 13, 1999, WCW Ratings Would've Increased & WWE Ratings Would Have Dropped.

  • @jessewallace666
    @jessewallace666 Před 26 dny +1

    I could be wrong, but this man clearly knew what he was doing.

  • @101cintron
    @101cintron Před 7 měsíci +1

    I googled it. And it says American online and time Warner 😮

  • @madmarduk1936
    @madmarduk1936 Před 3 měsíci

    Living outside Atlanta I loved WCW because I could go to so many matches.

  • @woody5581
    @woody5581 Před 6 měsíci +1

    These stories are incredible

  • @HarleyQuinnGoon
    @HarleyQuinnGoon Před měsícem

    I've always wondered how things would've played out if Turner Broadcasting didn't merge with Time Warner

  • @Cruor34
    @Cruor34 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Like Eric or not, I can relate to the last part. Nothing is worse at work when you think someone is your friend, but they aren't and they are telling the people above you everything you say. I've learned the hard way more than once NOBODY at work is your friend. Talk about the weather if you have to leave it at that.

  • @mikejejenich-pb5zx
    @mikejejenich-pb5zx Před 5 měsíci +4

    98. Was wcw. Last year of having a good product……. 99 to the end 2001. Was dreadful. 👋

  • @TOFTS77
    @TOFTS77 Před 5 měsíci +5

    You have to be careful when listening to Bischoff. He loves to pepper every story with indisputable facts to set a baseline that he is telling the truth and can be trusted. After that he starts slipping in the BS. The issues that occured between Eric and Time Warner stem from Eric not approaching his peers with proper decorum or respect. Even in his story he talks about showing up at the office wearing jeans and leather jacket and riding his harley. Walking through the halls with his long scraggly hair. He would go to meetings and come off as arrogant and condescending which in a corporate environment is going to piss people off.
    Yes he was correct that they saddled more loses on top WCW but at the time this occurred WCW was already on track to lose millions. The additional loses weren't even 5% of WCW was on track to lose all by itself. As one member of the finance team that was sent in to try to stop WCW hemorrhaging had said the spending was out of control. They were paying for flights to every Nitro and Thunder for the entire roster. The downside guarantees which Eric was famous for using had D list wrestlers sitting at home making 75k to 150k. Not to mention the huge pay out to Kiss for the rights to the Demon and a concert that never happened. The payouts to celebrities like Master P and 10 members of his entourage, Dennis Rodman, and others. They even sunk a good bit of money into Hogans fake presidential run. Perhaps Eric isn't responsible for it all but he doesn't get to say well we were under budget and making money and they saddled us with debt line. As always Eric is full of shit.

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 Před 3 měsíci

      How do you know? You worked with him back then?

    • @TOFTS77
      @TOFTS77 Před 3 měsíci +1

      @@TL2354 No but plenty of people worked for WCW and Time Warner which was the parent company. The spending was rumored till the books were all opened for the AOL Merger which confirmed that Bischoff was throwing out money trying to spark ratings. As for Eric's attitude was shared in interviews as he tended to rub people the wrong way. Harvey Schiller talked about it. If you dig through numerous wrestling books written in the last 28 years they bring it up as well.

  • @stevewhitney7037
    @stevewhitney7037 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Vince never shut down wcw. The people who believe it you really should look into it and it won't take long to change your mind.

  • @michaelsmiley15
    @michaelsmiley15 Před 7 měsíci +2

    He's a little behind the times
    Structuring and interdepartmental allocation are illegal now because when public companies merge regulators typically will Flagg that as potential violations
    They got away with it at the time

  • @steve_jackson9933
    @steve_jackson9933 Před 7 měsíci +7

    WCW was a dying breed. The storylines were stale. So much of it felt the same, too much focus on the NWO. Everything with the NWO was the same, you KNEW guys would come from the locker room. they needed to keep the NWO with just Hall/Nash/Hogan/Sixx. they did not do enough with the homegrown talent. so many great wrestlers left, Jerico, Eddie, Perry, and so on. Goldberg was a One-Trick Pony, with his win streak. it had to end. he could not do a medium sized match. It was great watching him the first few times, but then you realized he was going against jobbers.
    The WWE had reinvented itself. Austin, Rock, Jericho, the rest of the Radicals all brought new life to it. It was a vibrant situation while WCW just felt worn and tired.

    • @tris421
      @tris421 Před 7 měsíci +5

      right but thats the time period he's talking about here? It was doing good until early 98 really.

    • @dangxdc8348
      @dangxdc8348 Před 7 měsíci +1

      WCW vs nWo was the evolution in storyline needed but to give nWo Nitro for 2-3 hours solo...Eric wasn't capable. WE'RE TAKING OVVVER but once done so ..then what?

    • @ArghalladGaming
      @ArghalladGaming Před 7 měsíci +1

      Goldberg is still a One Trick Pony and it showed both back when he first got on WWE and later on when he returned.
      As for the nWo, although people can partially blame it on them, it's not entirely their fault. It's not like what happened in TNA also happened in WCW.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios Před 6 měsíci

      Pretty much all of that is wrong. WCW made and pushed far more talent during the late 90s than WWE. Just look at what happened after WCW was sold, it wasn't the mid-carders of the WWE who were the stars, it was pretty much all WCW talent. The Rock and Taker are probably the only notable exceptions to that. Stone Cold? Yes, even Austin had a long stint in WCW while he was at his in-ring peak.
      WCW made legends: Flair, Sting, Luger, Eddie, Rey, Goldberg, Scotty Steiner, Booker T, DDP, Jericho, Giant, and that's just off the top of my head. Before 2007 you could have included Benoit on that list too but as we all know he disqualified himself (to say the very least).

    • @troywright359
      @troywright359 Před 6 měsíci +1

      The fact is, wcw still had a strong loyal following. People who had followed the organisation for 20 years, all the history with the NWA.....
      WWF in 95 and 96 were doing bad. A few bad years isn't the absolute end for these companies. Everyone goes through them, but WCW and WWE were the kind of companies that would bounce back eventually. That's just how wrestling worked.

  • @hardysa5257
    @hardysa5257 Před měsícem

    The last nitro before Bischoff was fired in Sept 99, he was drawing 4.1 in the ratings while Raw was drawing 4.4. it wasnt that far off.. When Raw was drawing 1.8 in the ratings in 96-97 and getting trashed by wcw, Vince was untouchable. What they did by firing Bischoff, the man that brought them to the dance and bringing in Vince Russo is the equivalent of USA network 'firing' Vince and bringing in Kevin Sullivan to wwf as the boss.

  • @jethro1260
    @jethro1260 Před 6 měsíci +1

    People can say whatever they want about Eric but the one thing that he definitely is, smart, very smart. He knows business and especially a wrestling business like mo one else, well almost like no one else, i think Vince is out of everyone's league..

  • @AWF1000
    @AWF1000 Před 3 měsíci +1

    Looking at it now. I wish Bischoff bought WCW.. back then I was a WWE kid and I was too happy to defeat them

  • @timklein2254
    @timklein2254 Před 6 měsíci

    December 2, 2023. Just checked and as of November 2022...Aol Time Warner is the worst Merger by approx $150 Million over 2nd worst.

  • @shawnhoman4867
    @shawnhoman4867 Před 5 měsíci

    Someone ask him about the show "The Devil's Ride" he and Jason Harvey produced for the Discovery channel..

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 Před 3 měsíci

      Why don’t you?

  • @frozyre7854
    @frozyre7854 Před 7 měsíci +7

    Damn, Bischoff is showing his age.

    • @bryanmack4054
      @bryanmack4054 Před 7 měsíci +6

      What did you expect him to look like?

    • @cheapskategamer8562
      @cheapskategamer8562 Před 7 měsíci +7

      Umm he looks pretty good for almost 70

    • @frozyre7854
      @frozyre7854 Před 7 měsíci

      @@bryanmack4054 Hulk Hogan

    • @nunyabidness3429
      @nunyabidness3429 Před 7 měsíci

      @@frozyre7854 so a dehydrated nutsack?

    • @jamie.777
      @jamie.777 Před 7 měsíci

      😅😅I love it. "Bitchoff" ain't young no more. 😊😊😊😊 I am sure it's eating him up

  • @jmua8450
    @jmua8450 Před 2 měsíci +1

    The whole thing was such a disaster. Not only destroyed all the media companies and WCW, but drove the Atlanta Braves into a 20 year hole.

  • @chrislenze3304
    @chrislenze3304 Před měsícem

    Everytime I hear something about the end of wcw, it sounds like Marvel comics at the high of the extreme age.

  • @CarNNNN
    @CarNNNN Před 7 měsíci +3

    Nitro still did good ratings up to 2001
    How crazy to think that in 2023 but nitro was never going to get to the top again because it’s talent disappeared every month from 1999 Jan to 2001 April

    • @floggyWM1
      @floggyWM1 Před 7 měsíci

      WCW was on its last breath with NWO, they did not know how to develop talent. Look at all the WCW talent that went to WWF at that time, they all became main eventers. WCW/Hogan didnt let anyone shine.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios Před 6 měsíci +1

      Nitro in 2001 was getting 2+ ratings. For comparison, Raw gets around 1.5s in 2023. So WCW still had a very large audience.
      WCW was actually on the way up at the end in 2001. In the last couple of months they even signed AJ Styles, who made his mainstream debut with them. Had WCW continued, TNA would never have existed and AJ would've spent all that time in WCW instead.

    • @allencollins5666
      @allencollins5666 Před 5 měsíci

      ​​​​@@namikstudios & Most CarNNNN,
      And There Were Future Stars/Main Eventers In Sean O'Haire, Mark Jindak, Shawn Stasiak, Chuck Palumbo, Mike Awesome, Rob Van Dam(Bischoff Was Going To Sign Him) & Batista(Trained At WCW). All Heavyweights. Those Vanilla Midgets Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko & Saturn, When They Left WCW, Nothing Of Value Was Lost. AJ Styles Would've Probably Been A Top Cruiserweight. The Magnificent Seven Storyline Was Going To Continue. Everyone Scott Steiner Hurt Was Going To Return To Feud With The Magnificent Seven-Sting, DDP, Goldberg, Kevin Nash & Hulk Hogan Was Going To Return. Also Randy Savage, Scott Hall & Roddy Piper. Savage, Hall & Piper Could've Been Putting Over New Talent And One Of Them Join Magnificent Seven Maybe Hall.
      Eric Bischoff Was Going To Come Back And Put The WWE Out Of Business. Too The WWE Were In Need Of New Stars. It's Why They Rushed Invasion & Brought In The NWO. The Only Guys They Had To Make New Stars Of Out Were Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho. The WWE Would've Pushed Them.
      Before Eric Bischoff Was Fired, He Was Just Starting To Gain Momentum For WCW. Time Warner & Vince McMahon Conspiracy. Time Warner Brought/Vince McMahon Sent Vince Russo To WCW To Destroy The Company. The Ratings For August 30, 1999 Were-Nitro 4.0. Raw 4.4 And
      September 6, 1999-Nitro 4.1. Raw 4.4. Raw Now Ratings Now Are About 1.0 Or Less. WCW Final Months Viewership Was 3,000,000-4,000,000 Viewers.

    • @alphanerd7221
      @alphanerd7221 Před 5 měsíci

      @@namikstudios WCW probably would have had Styles jobbing out to Buff Bagwell.

  • @shellbacksclub
    @shellbacksclub Před 7 měsíci +1

    How many more times can he answer these same questions! Enough already!!!

    • @crylittlesister6377
      @crylittlesister6377 Před 7 měsíci +1

      Wrestling interviews in a nutshell 😂

    • @2HitWonder
      @2HitWonder Před 2 měsíci

      As long as people keep paying him, and more importantly, as long as YOU and I still watch.

  • @johnyagelka4509
    @johnyagelka4509 Před 7 měsíci +4

    So basically Harvey did right by Eric and got him paid

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios Před 6 měsíci

      Yeah, there is actually a pretty big difference between being "sent home" as Eric was and being fired. Being sent home means getting paid to do nothing until you're either needed again or until your contract expires.

  • @krectus
    @krectus Před 7 měsíci +2

    So Eric talk about the Hogan red and yellow and---so the AOL Time Warner merger really screwed us. Ok but your breakfast this morning, was it----the AOL Time Warner merger really screwed us.

    • @THE_bchat
      @THE_bchat Před 7 měsíci

      He answered the question: it was a desperation move. How much more info do you want about it?

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 Před 3 měsíci

      You’re either joking or the dumbest person on Earth.

  • @attitudeerafan927
    @attitudeerafan927 Před 7 měsíci

    you guys keeping changing title names lol

  • @BrianWelskopp-iw1sw
    @BrianWelskopp-iw1sw Před 6 měsíci

    It's not Bischoff's fault Time Warner corporate big shots didn't want to be in the wrestling business.

  • @danielhaas9612
    @danielhaas9612 Před 5 měsíci +1

    The Merger was a bunch of Secretaries trying to run a Construction Company.

  • @SignalBlue
    @SignalBlue Před 7 měsíci +173

    Lol every single one of these interviews - all these guys know how to play innocent and victim. It was never their fault for poor decisions/behavior.

    • @treetrunk05
      @treetrunk05 Před 7 měsíci +13

      Narcissistic traits. Its either that or because none of them can admit their own mistakes. If any one of them pointed the finger at themselves, the first one who does it will get piled on by everyone. So they all rather gather sympathy.

    • @hiddensword9387
      @hiddensword9387 Před 7 měsíci +35

      That's not true at all, He's been quite humble. Sure he doesn't own up to everything as most business people won't. But in this regard he's speaking facts, try doing a bit of research into it.

    • @hiddensword9387
      @hiddensword9387 Před 7 měsíci +12

      @@treetrunk05 But he probably knows more about the inner workings of such a high ranking organisation than you do. Sure you aren't being narcissistic by not doing your research into it?

    • @Bah2345
      @Bah2345 Před 7 měsíci +22

      Wcw was killed by multiple people and factors. The excuses he gave on this video are valid, after the merger the board wanted wcw gone and they did anything and everything to kill it. Sure eric had some part in the death of wcw but nowhere near aol/time warner.

    • @Ycjedi
      @Ycjedi Před 7 měsíci +13

      Oh shut up, he's never said he didn't make mistakes. 🙄

  • @realtalunkarku
    @realtalunkarku Před 7 měsíci

    id be like just fire me now so i can turn around and head home

  • @TLoaf
    @TLoaf Před 5 měsíci

    It's true. I looked it up and it is the worst merger 😂

  • @Norg1
    @Norg1 Před 7 měsíci

    He was fired but didnt he come back in 2000 or 01 ????

    • @Eddie-lm3jf
      @Eddie-lm3jf Před 7 měsíci

      It was around April 2000.

    • @curthennig9448
      @curthennig9448 Před 7 měsíci

      @@Eddie-lm3jf A shade earlier than that. Somewhere in Feb. 2000 but most didn't know until a few weeks later.

  • @gambitvegeta
    @gambitvegeta Před 6 měsíci +2

    That was LITERALLY the first thing that popped up as "Worst Company Merger in History" for me. LMAO

  • @bicpapermate
    @bicpapermate Před 6 měsíci +3

    What a surprise. Eric Bischoff assumes no personal responsibility for the decline and fall of WCW. Bischoff is as believable as Hulk Hogan.

    • @user-ym9ry6ip5k
      @user-ym9ry6ip5k Před 5 měsíci +1

      Why do people suck up to him

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 Před 3 měsíci

      So what did he say that was a lie? You worked with him back then?

    • @waffleironcheesecake
      @waffleironcheesecake Před 2 měsíci

      Like he said, didnt matter who owned WCW, they didnt want the company regardless.

  • @TheIrishSicilian
    @TheIrishSicilian Před 7 měsíci +4

    So politics sunk WCW. Sad.

  • @seanstone9556
    @seanstone9556 Před 3 měsíci

    That’s infuriating. How did Cocking get away with that and how could his wife stand by him?

  • @MrVein1983
    @MrVein1983 Před 6 měsíci

    How’s bishoff looking more like Buff bagwells biological father the older he gets? Like they look more alike every day.

  • @moobutt
    @moobutt Před 5 měsíci +1

    No matter the haters, at that time when NWO started on WCW, it was better than WWF. I watched Nitro on Mondays. And after the decline of WCW, I was done with wrestling.

  • @tinocarbajal4445
    @tinocarbajal4445 Před 7 měsíci

    damn that's messed up what to wcw

  • @mindmesh7566
    @mindmesh7566 Před 7 měsíci +1

    No........I’d say the merger of WCCW and USWA was worse.

    • @FIXTREME
      @FIXTREME Před 7 měsíci +3

      He's talking big business, not wrestling

    • @mindmesh7566
      @mindmesh7566 Před 7 měsíci

      @@FIXTREME ………Exactly!! Cuz he knows crap about the latter.🤣😂✌️🤘🔥😎

  • @donholmes1988
    @donholmes1988 Před 7 měsíci +3

    "CNN is a metaphor. CNN was "the worldwide leader in news." Not anymore". Love him or hate him, Eric Bischoff was spot on when he said that.

    • @absurdist5134
      @absurdist5134 Před 5 měsíci

      I mean part of that is the quality and part of that is stupid politics needing baddies. So, partially right.

    • @alphanerd7221
      @alphanerd7221 Před 5 měsíci

      No. It's asinine.

  • @timothycurrier2523
    @timothycurrier2523 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Then went and killed tna after wcw good job👍👍

  • @michaelmilnermixing
    @michaelmilnermixing Před 7 měsíci

    Sounds like Tony khan future.

  • @user-qv3dj1pl4f
    @user-qv3dj1pl4f Před 7 měsíci

    Wcw went out of business because they didn't have tv time the network was going in another direction

  • @dbreiden83080
    @dbreiden83080 Před 7 měsíci +13

    Eric once things really got rolling spent more time being Hogan's buddy than actually running a wrestling company..

    • @BronzeBullBalls
      @BronzeBullBalls Před 7 měsíci +3

      He was overspending and WCW never made a profit... the Bret Hart contract was ridiculous and Vince knew it.

    • @dbreiden83080
      @dbreiden83080 Před 7 měsíci +1

      @@BronzeBullBalls
      Bret while I was a big fan does make a lot of excuses and comes off really bitter. He is partially to blame about his WCW run. He was emotionally scarred from the screw job and I really think after Owen died his love of wrestling was gone.. So many matches he had in WCW you could see him phoning it in..

  • @lloyd9710
    @lloyd9710 Před 4 měsíci

    And with that he had to deal with Vince Russo

  • @j2248
    @j2248 Před 4 měsíci

    Does every single person on this channel SHOOT? 😂

  • @s.a.f8794
    @s.a.f8794 Před 6 měsíci

    Eric they knew what they were doing when they brought in the new brass they wanted wcw gone like you said they didn’t want wcw in the first place so they planned to sabotage you guys from the inside out and get rid of wcw and they did inner company allocation aka we’re gonna legally fck you🤷🏾‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

  • @yeahyousaidit
    @yeahyousaidit Před 4 měsíci

    Killing the NWO was the worst move ever for WCW

    • @chadjustice8560
      @chadjustice8560 Před 3 měsíci

      Nwo was dead, shit everyone was tired of it by the time Bret got there in lol to many people, to many factions and just over done and dead. It helped lead to the downfall of wcw. You can thank the hulkster for that brother.

    • @yeahyousaidit
      @yeahyousaidit Před 3 měsíci

      @@chadjustice8560 so you are saying the people who saved WCW are the same people who killed WCW? It was the writers fault. Here we are almost 30 years later and I still see NWO shirts at wresting events 🤷‍♂️

  • @rigsby1454
    @rigsby1454 Před 5 měsíci

    The merger didn’t have any impact. Would not have impacted WCW if the product was good

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 Před 3 měsíci +1

      What else can you tell us about your time working for them back then? We’re all waiting. Thanks!

  • @TheHannibalTV
    @TheHannibalTV Před 7 měsíci

    😮

  • @Ryan-hl4ur
    @Ryan-hl4ur Před 7 měsíci

    Not anymore!😂

  • @engineertime8942
    @engineertime8942 Před 4 měsíci

    From those interview I started like Eric before I hated him because of Bret effects.

  • @rodmoore_
    @rodmoore_ Před 3 měsíci

    😮😮

  • @ricardosd12
    @ricardosd12 Před 5 měsíci

    Vince created the GAP, not Ted. Lmao

  • @awoll714
    @awoll714 Před 7 dny

    dead right comes up as the worst merger ever.

  • @yugiblox3274
    @yugiblox3274 Před 29 dny

    It’s silly. It’s like if someone fired Vince when WCW took over in the ratings. Never gave Eric much of a chance to come back in the ratings.

  • @Solairethedarksoul
    @Solairethedarksoul Před 7 měsíci +3

    Bischoff should take the blame for this one

    • @FIXTREME
      @FIXTREME Před 7 měsíci +2

      He did. "I told him I was done"

  • @andrewkruzienski770
    @andrewkruzienski770 Před 5 měsíci

    Wait you mean Turner didn't fire him because of the finger poke of doom or because he didn't push the Cruiserweights to the World Title picture? Fucking marks.

  • @bobsucks9647
    @bobsucks9647 Před 7 měsíci

    He wasn’t wrong aol time Warner comes up when you google worst merger in history lol

  • @darnelldarden9429
    @darnelldarden9429 Před 6 měsíci +2

    That merger did do a lot of damage but it was a perfect storm of terrible decisions. Eric fumbled the Hogan vs Sting feud, then he fumbled the Hogan vs Goldberg match. Also he fumbled the Nash vs Hogan match. Everyone deserves some blame especially Bischoff

    • @troywright359
      @troywright359 Před 6 měsíci

      The merger did the MOST damage. A few mundane years of bad storylines doesn't kill WCW (it didn't kill WWE when it was doing even worse)

  • @martinoregan3028
    @martinoregan3028 Před 7 měsíci

    Hope aew kicks WWE ass in the Future

  • @medalwelder
    @medalwelder Před 7 měsíci +9

    This is probably the 1000th time this story has been told.grill him on why he let Hogan run the company

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios Před 6 měsíci +2

      He didn't. Hogan only had creative control over things involving his own character, not the entire company.

  • @Ryan-hl4ur
    @Ryan-hl4ur Před 7 měsíci

    Come on, take ownership. When you have a multi-billon $ media conglomerate funding all the talent he stole, then he was genius?

  • @johntreherne4611
    @johntreherne4611 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Bischoff made a lot of mistakes but trashing wcw budget and providing utterly useless advice to make themselves look useful and forcing those ideas upon wcw was utterly unacceptable.

  • @jamesgardner7062
    @jamesgardner7062 Před 7 měsíci

    Aol

  • @jonbarbour6771
    @jonbarbour6771 Před 6 měsíci

    Booking expenses against WCW's books was not "screwing over" WCW. WCW's budget comes from the parent and WCW's revenue goes to the parent. This would fool no one if the topic of selling WCW ever came up, which is obviously did later...

  • @shoresy6927
    @shoresy6927 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Does the interviewer have a speech impediment? Hes so hard to understand. He should get a new career.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios Před 6 měsíci

      It's called being Scottish. Not everyone in the world speaks with an American accent...

  • @user-qv3dj1pl4f
    @user-qv3dj1pl4f Před 7 měsíci

    Eric dont know how to be a boss just a friend and let the wrestlers walk all over him

  • @dangxdc8348
    @dangxdc8348 Před 7 měsíci +1

    WCW 24/7 LVN with MGM GRAND as it's home base.
    WCW 24/7 CHAMPIONSHIP to coincide with the Las Vegas lifestyle
    Forget about competing with WWF/E. Some people will NEVVVER BE WWE no matter the SMACKDOWN.
    WCW FX
    Be interesting...
    WCW
    24/7
    LVN

  • @francissobotka8725
    @francissobotka8725 Před 6 měsíci

    He ran his mouth about the bosses and got himself fired.

  • @mikem10481
    @mikem10481 Před 7 měsíci +1

    That's what you get for listening to Hogan for years.

  • @DimJongUn
    @DimJongUn Před 7 měsíci

    Count how many times in this video he makes comparisons of himself to Jesus. I count at minimum 4.

  • @GregLionProductions
    @GregLionProductions Před 7 měsíci

    He tells the same story slightly differently for several decades. This lets you know he was nowhere near as creative as he claims to be. Weve already experienced every story, every revelation he has to offer. He was put into a position he didnt really earn , and he was arounnd guys that knew what was "cool". He didnt create shit

    • @JAw1729
      @JAw1729 Před 6 měsíci

      NWO was his idea and that was peak WCW

  • @Trapper177
    @Trapper177 Před 7 měsíci

    Ironically, VKM killed wcw