Eric Bischoff on being included in Netflix’s ‘Mr. McMahon’ series: ‘I didn’t know. Isn’t that crazy?’
Eric Bischoff on being included in Netflix’s ‘Mr. McMahon’ series: ‘I didn’t know. Isn’t that crazy?’
“I’m not angry about it,” said Bischoff. “I’m grateful.”
The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
Eric Bischoff discusses the Mr. McMahon series, Vince McMahon’s newest endeavor, and his upcoming appearance for MLW
When Eric Bischoff watched the Mr. McMahon docuseries on Netflix, he recognized a familiar face.
His own.
Bischoff appeared in five episodes throughout the six-part series, offering his own unique perspective of Vince McMahon. That is a subject Bischoff knows extensively, not to mention differently from anyone else–while McMahon largely stomped out his competition, it was the Bischoff-led WCW in the 1990’s that temporarily turned McMahon’s WWE into a second-tier product.
So it made complete sense that the Mr. McMahon producers would want Bischoff in the series. They just never notified Bischoff that was the case.
“I didn’t know,” said Bischoff. “Isn’t that crazy?”
Bischoff never met with anyone from the Mr. McMahon team, nor did he ever sit down for any sort of interview. Plus, no one from the series alerted him to the possibility that older interviews of his would be included–which all led to his genuine surprise when watching the show.
“They never asked me to be part of that Netflix production,” explained Bischoff. “They never called and asked. Within their original agreement with WWE, Netflix had access to all kinds of other footage. Some of that was access to footage I did from other products. What we saw on that Vince series was from an interview I did on the NWO, which was content that dovetailed right into the content they wanted to create.
“I didn’t get paid a dime, no one called to say, ‘Do you mind if we do this?’, and no one ever called to say thanks. But I’m not angry about it. I’m grateful, and I’m really happy they did it. A lot of good has come out of it. They must have felt like what they had fit perfectly. So I’m not bitching. Like I said, I’m grateful for it.”
Bischoff came off exceptionally well, particularly when the docuseries detailed the rise of WCW. It would have been fascinating had McMahon provided more of his perspective on WCW throughout the documentary, especially considering how McMahon–who liked to highlight how he won every battle–met a fierce challenger in Bischoff and WCW.
The wrestling world turned upside down when Bischoff joined WWE in the summer of 2002. He spent many years working beside McMahon, even recently in an executive role in part of 2019 and 2020.
Knowing him as a competitor, on-screen colleague, and boss all helped Bischoff form a distinctly unique opinion on McMahon. When Bischoff learned last week that McMahon is in the early stages of running his own entertainment group, the news didn’t exactly shock him.
“Vince is wired differently,” said Bischoff. “This new project, it’s pride, it’s ego, which is completely out of control, and we’re seeing remnants of Vince exerting control. He’s a control freak, and he now found himself in a situation where he’s not necessarily in control. I think he’s a little desperate.
“He has more money than he can spend in the next three lifetimes. Why not buy a yacht and float around the Caribbean, help some charities, and work on your tan? But that’s not Vince.”
As for the Mr. McMahon series, Bischoff thought the project did what it was designed to do.
“On a scale of 1-10, I gave it a seven-plus, maybe an eight,” said Bischoff. “I understand the process they were up against. This began as a Vince McMahon initiative, and all the interviews were recorded before sh-- hit the fan. Everything Vince said was what he wanted you to hear. He wanted to pull the curtains back a bit. It’s hard to understand Vince’s motivation, but he wanted to reveal some of the more interesting parts of his personality. In his mind, it was a branding opportunity–he wanted to brand himself as this outside-the-box renegade who defied all odds, took on all comers, and eventually prevailed. That’s my opinion. And then sh-- hit the fan. So as a producer, whatever the original finish that was planned was gone, and you needed a new ending. Plus, you wouldn’t have your top talent–Vince didn’t sit for another interview.
“And it was intentionally produced for the non-wrestling audience. They wanted to make it especially fascinating for that audience. If you’re a wrestling fan like you or me or Conrad Thompson, or any number of these dedicated fans, you probably feel like you’d heard most of it.”
Speaking of Conrad Thompson, he and Bischoff combine to make a phenomenally compelling 83 Weeks podcast. The chance to dive deep into behind-the-scenes topics of WCW has invigorated Bischoff about pro wrestling in a way he never envisioned.
“When Conrad and I first had a discussion about doing a podcast together, I wasn’t particularly interested,” said Bischoff. “I had tried it and it didn’t work–so I had soured on the idea. In the back of my mind, I was thinking, ‘This whole ‘Monday Night Wars’ thing has been talked to death–it’s time to move on.’ Then I had a conversation with Conrad, and he was passionate about doing a nostalgia-based Monday Night Wars era podcast.
“Conrad really believed he could make it successful. I knew the success he’d had with Bruce Prichard, so I decided I’d let Conrad guide the ship. Right from the start, we decided that if it ever stopped being fun, we’d gracefully put an end to it. It’s funny–I was wrapping up a podcast last week and I said to my wife that after six years of doing this, I’m still having a blast.”
In an age where misinformation can flow rapidly on social media, Bischoff adds a whole new dimension to the wrestling ecosystem.
Unless McMahon or Paul Heyman ever started their own podcast, there are very few that can match Bischoff’s direct knowledge of the industry. His wrestling portfolio includes syndication, post-production, how to operate a camera, and how to perform in front of one. Decades ago, Bischoff received his first big break in the business by promoting shows for wrestling legend Verne Gagne, and Gagne’s faith in Bischoff was rewarded when he landed corporate sponsors previously unknown to the AWA.
Of course, he ran WCW during its boom period, then later experienced the decline from its peak. Bischoff has remarkable experience in pro wrestling, and he relishes the chance to share it–and correct some mistruths along the way–on social media.
“I’ve been blessed,” said Bischoff, who also shares his insight on his Wise Choices show. “My fingerprints are on every aspect of the wrestling business except for being a wrestler. I don’t consider getting my butt kicked by a multitude of babyfaces as actually being a wrestler, even if it was fun. Whether I’m right or wrong, or someone agrees with me or doesn’t, my perspective isn’t theoretical. It’s hands-on.”
In addition to his work as a mortgage loan officer, Bischoff is occasionally tempted into live appearances. His next will be on December 5 at MLW’s One-Shot event in New York City, where he will have total control of the promotion for the night.
“This opportunity with MLW came together really spontaneously,” said Bischoff. “The cool thing is [MLW CEO] Court Bauer and his really talented team didn’t want me to come in and do some dastardly General Manager stuff, and I didn’t either. We’ve seen that before, so we’re going a different route.”
MLW One-Shot will air live on YouTube, and Bischoff is eager to return home to a wrestling ring–and a production truck–and create some new moments.
“My fingerprints are going to be all over the production, and you’ll see that in how we build anticipation before the main event, especially with the backstage interviews,” said Bischoff. “I’m really excited. The appearance and finding a really unique way of presenting their product, that’s nothing but fun.”
This past week…
… The Bloodline saga reintroduced Sami Zayn, but there is dissension among him, The Usos, and Roman Reigns. In order to get this group prepared for WarGames at Survivor Series, they’ll need to call on a Wise Man for guidance.
… WWE released Baron Corbin, Tegan Nox, and Indi Hartwell. All three are talented, and it will be worth watching to see if they make the most of their post-WWE endeavors.
… Bobby Lashley is All Elite.
… Kenny Omega returned to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, hinting at a match at the Tokyo Dome on January 5 at the joint AEW/NJPW Wrestle Dynasty show–and brawling backstage with Gabe Kidd.
… The Young Bucks dropped the AEW tag titles last week to Private Party. It was a well-built feud, and the decision to have the title change on a Dynamite instead of in the midst of a pay-per-view felt like a much better way to highlight Private Party’s victory.
… Ricochet also appeared in New Japan, attacking Zack Sabre Jr. and demanding a title shot at Wrestle Dynasty on January 5. It was a more confident, bold version of Ricochet, and maybe a heel turn is exactly what he needs.
… Damian Priest is the next in line to challenge Gunther.
… Rhea Ripley was attacked and injured last week by Raquel Rodriguez in NXT. WWE has done a solid job of incorporating main roster talent into NXT lately, which is no surprise considering it runs head-to-head later tonight against Dynamite.
WWE ID set to generate all kinds of energy across the indies
WWE is coming to the indies.
Announced last week, the company introduced the outline of its newest developmental program, which will be known as WWE ID–shorthand for WWE Independent Development.
In recent years, WWE has moved away from plucking talent on the indies. But the rise in power of Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who wrestled across the indies during the early stages of his career, has provided a chance for WWE to have a new reach to wrestling’s grassroots.
WWE ID is designed to support independent wrestlers and wrestling schools. The partner schools are Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling, Cody Rhodes’ Nightmare Factory, and Seth Rollins’ Black and Brave Academy–with more sure to follow.
There is already a tremendous buzz about WWE coming to the indies. The newest indie talent to sign with WWE will be “ID’d” this Sunday at Reality of Wrestling, and multiple sources confirmed that will also happen at a variety of indies across the United States. WWE is putting a lot of thought and effort into this program, which should benefit a lot of indies–and NXT.
NXT is currently using talent from TNA, especially on the men’s side. With the expansion of the indie program, perhaps a move like that will no longer be necessary. Signing more independent talent helps strengthen the indies, as well as cultivate the scene.
As of now, there are no restrictions on what signed talent can or cannot do on the indies. WWE ID wrestlers will receive a weekly stipend, Undisputed has learned, and have the chance to train at schools teaching the WWE system. The new talent will also provide a boost to the competition at the Performance Center, especially for those who came from entertainment or professional sports.
WWE ID is also a missed opportunity for AEW. This would have been a wonderful infrastructure for their future. Even though WWE was first, it would still be a positive for AEW to develop and unveil their own version. If the two most powerful companies in the world are investing in the indies, that directly impacts the future of pro wrestling.
In terms of cost, this is an investment with an extraordinarily high return for WWE. Many wrestlers on the indies are so hungry for a chance with WWE that they would have done this for free. With the new program, it opens up endless possibilities for WWE–and the indies.
Tweet of the Week
Congratulations to Harry Smith, who has the honor of representing All Japan Pro-Wrestling as their Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion.