Eric Bischoff completely snapped during the latest episode of 83 Weeks after a discussion about the origins of the nWo turned into a debate over Japanese wrestling history.
The argument started while Bischoff and Conrad Thompson were celebrating the 30-year anniversary of Scott Hall’s iconic Nitro debut. During the conversation, Pro Wrestling Torch contributor Todd Martin joined the show to discuss New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s recent sale before comparing the nWo angle to Ricky Choshu jumping promotions in Japan during the 1980s. Martin described it as a precursor to the outsider invasion concept that later became the nWo storyline, and Bischoff instantly shut the idea down.
“You’re high as f*ck]. You just said—I can’t take you anymore. You are just—You’re done. We’re wrapping this segment.”
Martin tried clarifying that he wasn’t directly saying Ricky Choshu inspired the nWo, but Bischoff continued unloading and made it clear he believes wrestling fans and writers have misunderstood the origins of the storyline for decades.
“It was, and it had nothing to do with Ricky Chosu, you knucklehead.”
As the exchange continued, Bischoff became even more irritated and directly attacked the long-running narrative that Japanese wrestling angles inspired the nWo concept.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
After Martin left the segment, Bischoff blamed Dave Meltzer for helping spread the comparison over the years and argued that the success of the nWo had nothing to do with recreating an older storyline. According to Bischoff, the real magic came from timing, realism, and the unique state of wrestling fans in 1996.
“That’s exactly where that sh*t started right there. That’s exactly where it started and it’s been repeated. That Dave Meltzer narrative—that’s where the inspiration came from from Dave’s perspective.”
Bischoff explained that fans at the time genuinely believed Scott Hall could still be connected to WWF because social media didn’t exist the way it does now, and most viewers had no access to backstage information. He admitted WCW intentionally leaned into that confusion instead of trying to explain it away.
“That audience was generally confused. They’d never heard that it could happen.”
He then openly acknowledged that WCW understood exactly what kind of reaction they were creating by having Hall walk through the crowd without introducing him as a completely new character.
“I can’t deny that I helped create that confusion.”
Bischoff’s frustration clearly came from the idea that people still reduce the nWo’s success to another wrestling angle instead of recognizing how different the wrestling landscape was in 1996. In his mind, the storyline worked because fans truly believed something unexpected and dangerous was happening in real time.
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Do you agree with Eric Bischoff that the n Wo storyline had nothing to do with older Japanese wrestling angles, or do you think there were similarities? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
