Felix Upton on April 16, 2025
AEW is making history tonight—and even Eric Bischoff has to acknowledge it.
From the MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru will mark the company’s 289th episode, officially surpassing WCW Monday Nitro‘s total of 288 episodes. That milestone makes Dynamite the longest-running weekly prime time wrestling show in Turner Sports history.
Despite his well-known criticism of AEW and its president, Tony Khan, the former WCW boss took a moment to give credit—sort of—during the latest episode of 83 Weeks.
“I want to congratulate Tony Khan and his entire staff. This obviously means a lot to them and congratulations,” Bischoff said. “It does say a lot about Tony’s commitment. Tony put his own money into this. You can judge the product, I can judge the product, I often have. I just don’t watch it anymore, but truth is, his vision, his dream, his money, his commitment. So congratulations because what he did isn’t easy, no matter how anybody feels about the product, it wasn’t easy and it still isn’t… it doesn’t bother me a bit, it just doesn’t mean anything to me while it does to Tony and company.”
While the praise might sound polite on the surface, Bischoff made it clear there’s still tension underneath. He also addressed why he’s been so hard on AEW and Khan over the years, admitting that his grudge stems from a remark Khan made about Ted Turner.
Three years ago, Khan stated that if Turner “knew 1% of what I know about wrestling,” WCW would still be alive today. That hit a nerve with Bischoff. “I lost all respect for Tony after those comments,” he admitted, before adding that he’s not proud of the personal hatred that built up afterward.
AEW’s journey to 289 episodes hasn’t been without criticism, but the numbers don’t lie—Khan’s product has outlasted one of the most talked-about shows in wrestling history. And even if Bischoff doesn’t care for it, he knows what it took to get there.
Do you think Eric Bischoff’s backhanded praise was fair, or is it time for him to let the WCW comparisons go? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
April 16, 2025 12:42 pm
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