Eric Bischoff has heard the claim that he and Hulk Hogan destroyed TNA countless times over the years—and he’s done pretending there’s any truth to it.
With his name and Hulk Hogan’s being dragged back into the conversation thanks to Dark Side of the Ring and Vince Russo’s new book, Bischoff fired back on 83 Weeks and said the entire narrative falls apart for one simple reason: neither of them actually ran the company.
“Let me make one thing really clear. I had zero operational control of TNA. I couldn’t hire anybody. I couldn’t fire anybody. I couldn’t give anybody a raise. I couldn’t fine anybody, nor did I freaking want to. I wanted nothing to do with the operation of TNA… I made it clear in my agreement that I’m not going to be involved in anything other than the creative I had agreed to do and oversee.”
Bischoff said that’s why he finds the accusations so ridiculous. In his eyes, blaming him—or Hogan—for TNA’s collapse ignores how the company was actually run behind the scenes.
“Wheen we talk about the decisions Eric made, or in this case, which is really chicken s*** by the way, to all of a sudden be putting heat on Hulk Hogan when he’s not here to defend himself, come on, guys. But to suggest that either Hulk or I had the ability to kill that company is hilarious. I’d like to know the basis for that.”
He also revealed that joining TNA was never part of some grand wrestling comeback. By that point, Bischoff said he was perfectly happy away from the business and had no interest in signing with the promotion. The only reason he got involved was because Hogan, a longtime friend, asked him to help keep an eye on creative while Vince Russo was part of the team.
“I didn’t need the money. I didn’t want to be involved with wrestling. I clearly did not want to be involved with TNA… So I went there because of Hulk, because he asked me as a friend to come in and kind of keep an eye on his creative because Vince Russo was involved and we all know what happened the last time those two were together.”
Looking back, Bischoff admitted there are things he would handle differently, but accepting Hogan’s request isn’t one of them. He said he’d likely make the same decision again, especially because it gave him the chance to work alongside his son and help someone he considered a close friend.
“If the situation was exactly the same today, I would probably make a very similar choice… My relationship with Hulk was important to me… I also got to work with my son… I’ll always be grateful for that.”
If there was one person Bischoff wasn’t willing to give the benefit of the doubt, it was Russo. He accused the former WWE and WCW writer of rewriting history to fit his own narrative and dismissed the idea that Russo’s version of events should be taken seriously.
“”But I do want to make something clear because, you know, I know there were quotes around the whole ‘I killed TNA.’ But it’s very easy for guys like Vince Russo… We know his track record. If his mouth is moving, he’s lying. What makes a guy like Russo dangerous is he believes his own lies. He believes his own s***. Facts, information doesn’t matter to a guy like Russo.”
Years after TNA’s struggles became one of wrestling’s most controversial stories, Bischoff is making his position crystal clear: he says criticism is fair, but blaming him and Hogan for killing the company ignores who was actually making the decisions.
Do you agree with Eric Bischoff that he and Hulk Hogan have unfairly become the face of TNA’s downfall, or do you think they deserve some of the blame? Let us know in the comments below.
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