Subhojeet Mukherjee on January 17, 2024
WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff has been vocal about his disapproval of AEW, expressing the belief that the promotion isn’t making a significant contribution to the world of professional wrestling. He isn’t the biggest fan of Tony Khan either and now he clarified the incident which altered his perspective on Khan.
While speaking on his Strictly Business podcast, Easy E discussed his strained relationship with AEW President Tony Khan. Bischoff explained that he lost respect for Khan when he made what Bischoff deemed a fundamentally ignorant statement about Ted Turner and WCW’s downfall.
“I think there’s a lot of great things about Tony. But I lost respect for him. And I’ve talked about this before, I don’t want to spend a great deal of time on it. It’s old stuff, right? But I’m a ridiculously loyal person, almost to my detriment sometimes. Oftentimes, to be honest. And I don’t mind if someone wants to take a shot at me. I’m kind of used to it. Like you know, a bit on the spot for, whatever in, terms of getting hate from those that don’t think I’m qualified for the job or should have the job or did a great enough job, or whatever, right? ‘Fingerpoint of doom.’ [laughs] I don’t mind that, because I actually have fun with it now vis a vis the podcast and doing things with you.
It doesn’t bother me. But when someone who I have a ton of respect for, that deserves even more than I can give? When that person is disrespected by somebody, it bothers me more. And when Tony Khan came out and said, ‘If Ted Turner knew 1% about wrestling as I do, WCW would still be around.’ It was such a fundamentally ignorant statement — and by that I mean no knowledge, no experience. That’s the definition of ignorance, right? I’m not using it derisively.”
According to Bischoff, the comment, in which Khan claimed WCW would still be around if Turner knew as much about wrestling as he did, showed a lack of knowledge and experience.
“But at that very moment, I went, ‘You’re just another guy. Your show is on the Turner Broadcasting Network and Turner Network television, and you’re criticizing and disrespecting — not criticizing, disrespecting from a position of absolute ignorance, a guy who built the empire you’re trying to survive on. And it’s so disrespectful to me, that I can like somebody? But if I don’t have respect for them, there just another person. I don’t make any exceptions for people like that, in terms of reacting to them and having fun with them on social media, things like that. That’s fun for me, right? I get a kick out of it, some of the stuff just makes me laugh, it’s so funny. But when Tony came out and made that statement, it’s like, ‘No, he’s just another Dave Meltzer dirt sheet wannabe.’ With a lot of money granted, but that the fact that he was born into a fortune doesn’t necessarily make him any different than anybody else.”
Bischoff expressed his loyalty to those he respects and criticized Khan for disrespecting the person (Ted Turner) who built the empire AEW is trying to survive on. He concluded by expressing gratitude for not being associated with AEW and reiterated that his perspective changed due to Khan’s comment.
”And anybody else that was walking the street that came out and made a stupid comment like that, an ignorant comment like that about Ted Turner, I would treat them the same way. But it’s not because I don’t like him. It’s certainly not because I’m jealous. I think about this three or four times a week. What if I had been working for AEW? All this would have been because of me, you know what I mean? It just — and it comes with the territory. But I am so grateful that I’m not there, that I’m not anywhere near it. Actually, I’m sitting in this chair talking about it objectively because I can, because I don’t depend on them for an income. And thank goodness for that.”
”But man, thank God I’m not there. And it’s really not anything other than just a lack of respect because of Tony’s stupid, ignorant comment that he said about Ted Turner. That changed my perspective from, ‘I like this guy. Don’t know him very well. Probably a total of 40 minutes face-to-face, don’t know him. But I generally liked him.’ And because I had respect for him, and I could put myself in his shoes when he was launching his company.”
Eric Bischoff also set the record straight when it came to claims that he was mad Tony Khan never offered him job in AEW. Bischoff has made no secret about the fact that he lost all respect for Tony Khan and he doubled down on that this time around as well. Nonetheless, Bischoff is happy with his life right now and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
What do you think of what Eric Bischoff said? Do you feel he is correct in this case? Let us know in the comments section below!
January 17, 2024 8:12 am
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