Vaughn Evelyn Levesque’s SummerSlam debut was supposed to be a proud family moment. Instead, it turned into another online pile-on, but Eric Bischoff had no patience for that.
After Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s daughter performed “God Bless America” to open Night One of SummerSlam, some fans criticized WWE for putting her in the limelight, with accusations of nepotism quickly spreading across social media.
Eric Bischoff caught wind of the backlash—and he couldn’t understand why anyone was turning a teenager’s performance into a controversy. Speaking on 83 Weeks, Bischoff said the first thing that crossed his mind wasn’t who Vaughn’s parents are. It was the amount of pressure she had to be under.
“I saw it and… I’m proud of her. I can’t imagine doing that. That takes some real guts, especially because Paul and Stephanie are your parents. Think about that. Put yourself in those shoes. That’s a lot of pressure. And you’re going to stand there and sing in front of thirty, thirty-five thousand people? No, you’ve got to give her credit.”
Eric Bischoff also made it clear he didn’t think the performance deserved the criticism it received whatsoever.
“I caught it on social media early this morning and I think she did a great job. What are people b****** about?”
When Conrad Thompson told him the biggest complaint was nepotism, Bischoff didn’t hesitate. Then he took things a step further. For Bischoff, this wasn’t even about WWE anymore. It was about grown adults directing that kind of negativity toward a teenager
“I think it’s just standard WWE hater stuff. I understand if you’re going to pick apart anything. Have at it. Have fun. If you want to do your trolling or whatnot…But the idea that you’re picking on a minor… I mean, a child who’s singing ‘God Bless America.’ What are we doing?”
Whether fans liked the performance or not, Vaughn’s appearance marked the first time one of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s daughters has stepped into a WWE ring in any public capacity. For Bischoff, though, that wasn’t the story. The story was how quickly some people decided to tear the moment apart.
What did you think of Eric Bischoff’s defense of Vaughn Evelyn Levesque? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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