Eric Bischoff isn’t buying AEW’s heavy investment in tag team wrestling. After watching the company load up its tag team division during AEW All In 2026, the former WCW boss argued that tag matches cost too much and make it harder to tell good stories.
The discussion came up on 83 Weeks following Adam Copeland and Christian Cage’s match against The Young Bucks. The Motor City Machine Guns, FTR and New Level all appeared afterward, putting a major spotlight on AEW’s tag team roster.
Conrad Thompson pointed out that WWE appears to be placing less emphasis on tag teams while AEW is moving in the opposite direction. He asked Bischoff whether tag team wrestling could become a valuable lane for AEW to control. Bischoff didn’t hesitate. He said his opinion hasn’t changed since he ran WCW in 1994: tag team wrestling is expensive, inefficient and more difficult to book effectively.
“It’s the same as it was in 1994. It’s inefficient. It’s, for the most part, ineffective. It’s very, very expensive. It’s twice as expensive to put on a tag team match as it is a singles match, and then it makes it even harder to tell a really good story.”
Bischoff acknowledged that AEW can build a deep tag team roster if Tony Khan believes it will create more interest. However, he warned that plenty of teams will be available because WWE appears to be cutting back on that part of its product.
“Good for AEW if they think that loading up the tag teams is going to create more interest for them. Good for them, because there are going to be a lot of them available.”
Bischoff then explained why he believes WWE is deemphasizing tag team wrestling. From his perspective, it is the same financial decision he made more than 30 years ago in WCW.
“The reason WWE is deemphasizing tag teams is the same reason that I publicly stated I was doing it in 1994. It doesn’t make financial sense.”
The math behind Bischoff’s argument is simple. A singles match requires paying and building two wrestlers, while a standard tag team match doubles that number. He believes the additional cost isn’t worth it when the larger number of wrestlers can make focused storytelling more difficult. Bischoff admitted that a deep tag team division can help fill television time if the company isn’t worried about the money involved. That still didn’t change his opinion on whether it makes sense as a business strategy.
“Now, if you don’t care that it doesn’t make financial sense, then it’s nice to have a deep tag team roster because you can fill a lot of time with it.”
AEW now has Copeland and Christian, The Young Bucks, FTR, Motor City Machine Guns and New Level in the same crowded division. Bischoff believes that may give the company plenty of matches, but he isn’t convinced it will give AEW enough financial return or compelling stories to justify the cost.
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Do you agree with Eric Bischoff that tag team wrestling doesn’t make financial sense? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
