Eric Bischoff SHOOTS On Getting FIRED By WCW!

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 พ.ย. 2023
  • Eric Bischoff talked exclusively to Inside The Ropes recently on tour about Hulk Hogan’s failed babyface run, fury with corporate officials during the Time-Warner Merger and how it led to his exit! Subscribe to the channel for more clips of our live shows and interviews, and don't forget to like and comment too!
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ความคิดเห็น • 342

  • @InsideTheRopes
    @InsideTheRopes  6 หลายเดือนก่อน +21

    Who is ultimately responsible for the death of WCW? Let us know in the comments below!

    • @frozyre7854
      @frozyre7854 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      I think we can all agree that it was a conglomerate mesh of factors that really killed WCW. There really is no one single sole entity and I'll never understand why people don't get that.

    • @norbertschnurrbart936
      @norbertschnurrbart936 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Jamie Kellner

    • @RickRudeMark
      @RickRudeMark 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Eric, He spent like a drunken sailor, paid people millions just to sit at home and was the sole reason they got into the hole they did

    • @user-kg6tp9js9p
      @user-kg6tp9js9p 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Jeff Jarrett, Vince Russo, Jamie Kellner & Vince McMahon, The Undertaker, Triple H & Shawn Michaels in the wwf/e

    • @kylecook6365
      @kylecook6365 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      It’s being pretty well researched that Turners mismanagement was the death of WCW.

  • @channeldeleted2946
    @channeldeleted2946 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +98

    Lol, googled worst Media Merger ever, Bischoff was spot on. Every article says the same thing as him. Dang.

    • @deadend1041
      @deadend1041 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

      It was one of the worst things that ever happened in business. It literally destroyed every company involved. The only one that made it out alive was warner brothers and it's not recovered to where it was.

    • @montygrip21
      @montygrip21 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      ​@deadend1041 and now they've done it again with discovery 🤦‍♂️🤣

  • @jonbourgoin182
    @jonbourgoin182 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +167

    Eric wasn't wrong, I did Google it and AOL/Time Warner was in the first result at #1

    • @3one4_Syndicate
      @3one4_Syndicate 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      Me too

    • @jppennypincher9051
      @jppennypincher9051 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      I found multiple sites that all listed it as up there for worst. Damn!

    • @Turk_2023
      @Turk_2023 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +21

      Dude they FIRED Ted Turner. Ted started that company. FFS look what half of the name is "AOL". What happened to them? They just imploded simply because broadband internet came out. They could have been Google today.

    • @Ian-Omega
      @Ian-Omega 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@Turk_2023How could they have been google exactly?

    • @Turk_2023
      @Turk_2023 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Ian-Omega AOL was a huge internet browser in the 90s, the most popular. Had they focused on that instead of tv they would have still been massive.

  • @plumlineltd7585
    @plumlineltd7585 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +34

    It’s crazy that 30 years later time warner is still involved in horrible media mergers

  • @j.d.6915
    @j.d.6915 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +50

    Ironically, the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery might go down as a worse merger than AOL/Time Warner

    • @ExarKun0
      @ExarKun0 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      And now, WB and Paramount

    • @KUT-N-GO
      @KUT-N-GO 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      The Google machine still has AOL and time Warner the worst still. But I trust the Google machine as much as I trust news stations haha

  • @DJBIGCG
    @DJBIGCG 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    Very fun video. Eric Bischoff sounds highly educated

  • @StealthMarmot_
    @StealthMarmot_ 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    I Googled "Worst mergers in history". The first 6 results were lists. AOL/Time Warner was on ALL of them. And was #1 on results 1, 2, 3, and 5.

  • @jasonlee3759
    @jasonlee3759 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +26

    Read this guy’s book whether he’s blowing smoke or not. I don’t think his presence in the wrestling industry has been bad. He’s done more good than bad for it and at least every other word out of his flipping mouth isn’t bro.!!!!!!!

    • @zolofttube4840
      @zolofttube4840 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      "NITRO: The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW" by Guy Evans is a really fascinating read. Highly recommended.

    • @Soon_Solstice
      @Soon_Solstice 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      I think that Bischoff gets a bad wrap. He did well for a while. Yet, corporate suits will be corporate suits, and his only choices were comply or be gone.

  • @andrewdecker616
    @andrewdecker616 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I paused it and immediately googled "worst media merger" and sure enough he's right.

  • @TC-wx3ln
    @TC-wx3ln 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    Where can you find this full interview as a podcast? What’s it called please

  • @EpicNinja187
    @EpicNinja187 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

    I wish someone would of asked him what he would of done to compete with WWE if he got to stay in charge and have all the funds that he had in WCW

    • @jamie.777
      @jamie.777 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      He would jammed 15 different NWO colors down our throats and fail miserably

    • @ShadowAngel18606
      @ShadowAngel18606 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      He would've bankrupted WCW in a matter of 6-12 months if he took over. Look at Bankrupt Bischoff's life: Bankrupted himself twice, bankrupted every business he ever started (Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment, MX Digital, Bischoff Family Brewing) and did a absolute horrendous job in TNA

    • @antology7
      @antology7 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      Not sure storyline-wise but I've heard him express how he started getting limits on how ruthless he was able to make the product. So, I'd imagine he'd want an edgier product to try push the boundaries beyond what WWF was capable of at the time.

    • @firstnamelastname1453
      @firstnamelastname1453 17 วันที่ผ่านมา

      No that's a good question

    • @Dmgolfer22
      @Dmgolfer22 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Buy out all of WWF’s talent. Same as he did in mid 90s.

  • @Krillep
    @Krillep 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

    WCW/NWO 4-life. The best time to be a fan. It was all epic and 94-98 WCW was the better product.

    • @gamingwithvulpixanddratini7604
      @gamingwithvulpixanddratini7604 4 วันที่ผ่านมา

      By April 98 with Austin/Mcmahon feud really firing up after the DX/Austin feud with Mike Tyson ended at WM 14 is where imo WCW lost the war, WWF Austin/McMahon was must see tv I never missed a minute of Raw is War; whereas, the year before 1997 up Until Feb/March 98 I was locked in on Sting/NWO feud, and I was even at Thunder in Birmingham on 2/19/98, 13 yr old me made my mom take me lol, but come Wrestlemania 14 and the Austin/McMahon feud I was sold on WWF and all I’d see when I swapped to TNT was Goldberg winning another 1-2 minute match. Then, at Unforgiven in 98 we got that Taker/Kane match with flames around the ring and then in June of 98 we had Taker/Mankind’s iconic HIAC match at KOTR plus by the later half of 98 not only was Austin still feuding with McMahon but at Survivor Series 1998 Austin/Rock Rivalry picked back up, but this time it would morph into a legendary rivalry that would go until 2003 for Austin’s retirement match,
      So, I’d say 1998 was far and away WWE’s year unless your were like a giant Goldberg fan

    • @Krillep
      @Krillep 3 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@gamingwithvulpixanddratini7604 I agree. But WCW was still the show to watch to April 98, and they beat WWE to that point. In April WWE won the first rating in a long time, but it was still close between WWE and WCW under the summer, of 1998 - and WCW also won ratings in all august 98 and half september. WCW got stale under autumn a bit, Hogan retired. The NWO vs Wolfpack feud started to decline. There was only a face NWO and Goldberg and DDP was the only WCW guys left. So the NWO-storyline run out of gas october/november. And in 1999 the WWF was the better product.

  • @Turk_2023
    @Turk_2023 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    A "desperate" WCW gets better ratings than WWE, the NBA, and MLB today lol.

    • @ProWrestlingJoe
      @ProWrestlingJoe 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      Because it isn't 1998 anymore. WWE the NBA and MLB are paid a lot more for their numbers today than WCW was back then for theirs. Times are different, Turk.

    • @rileyk5228
      @rileyk5228 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      You're aware viewing habits and technology have changed over the last 20+ years right?

    • @ferox965
      @ferox965 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Streaming changed the game in an irreparable way.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@ProWrestlingJoe WCW didn't have deals with networks, they *were* the network. WCW wasn't paid by TNT/TBS - they were both part of the same company, Turner. They didn't have that huge source of revenue - TV deals - that other promotions have. Rather than be paid, they were allocated time when Ted or those working for him decided to give it to them or take it away.

    • @OfficerDoofyInTown
      @OfficerDoofyInTown 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      As sad as it is, ratings means nothing today. The money is out there, on the table thanks to the investors and social media.

  • @matthewhutchinson1167
    @matthewhutchinson1167 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +31

    To really understand the downfall of WCW, read Guy Evans Nitro book. It provides so much depth that you wont get from a WWE documentary or dirt sheet writers with an agenda.

  • @HepCatJack
    @HepCatJack 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    What Eric describes sounds a lot like what Enron did and it was not perfectly legal. Enron used a corporate entity to hide losses, it's described in the book "Conspiracy of Fools".

    • @stephkent2736
      @stephkent2736 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      No, it's legal if you can justify the transfers. I used to work in this kinda environment and we did this stuff all the time. I once had to figure out what to charge another department what they had to pay for a switch port per month so we can boost our books by taking money from them. The Enron thing isn't legal because it was cross-company, what we did was net 0 for the company but it made a difference for VPs and such for their bonuses and profitability if we spun them out to their own company

    • @HepCatJack
      @HepCatJack 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@stephkent2736it sounds like what Peter Lynch called pulling out the flowers to water the weeds. The branch that's deploying capital effectively producing a high ROIC ought to get more capital not less. What Turner Broadcasting was doing was akin to an investor selling Amazon to purchase more Sears.

    • @jgosal1981
      @jgosal1981 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      It's legal, because it's all all under the same umbrella. To shareholders and the government it makes no difference because the total profit and loss to the parent company is the same.

    • @scottsetzke7967
      @scottsetzke7967 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      OF "models" and big streamers have started to open LLCs and Corps and "businesses" to "reinvest" (launder) their own incomes from streaming to claim the "losses" at the end of the year in order to pay far less in taxes. 😅.

  • @jonbourgoin182
    @jonbourgoin182 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

    I'm still confused why the new suits didn't want wrestling when it was so successful

    • @simplyhuman2213
      @simplyhuman2213 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +28

      Arrogant rich guys looking down on wrestling

    • @user-kg6tp9js9p
      @user-kg6tp9js9p 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      Because for 2 years WCW lost so much money with their terrible booking and the wrestling bubble was going to burst by 2001. WWF was good enough that the mainstream audience didn't want to spend their time with another company like WCW or ECW. If WCW was still a great company in 2001, they probably would've still been cancelled by TNT. But they could've found another better network. Since in reality WCW's reputation was damaged, other networks didn't want them

    • @TPJH850
      @TPJH850 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

      WCW was losing money and ratings by the time the merger was going to happen

    • @jonathanfenton8695
      @jonathanfenton8695 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Two words: Vince Russo

    • @ArghalladGaming
      @ArghalladGaming 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Basically, back then wrestling had become something of a bad kind of entertainment. Just one or two steps above porn. Henceforth, it was very much frowned upon. Most broadcast companies wanted nothing to do with it. When the merge started to happen and Ted Turner got fired, the new owners, Time Warner and AOL, decided they didn't want to keep WCW at all, because they didn't want that kind of entertainment. They couldn't sell so soon, because the company had large profits, so they decided to use legal ways of making WCW lose rivers of money. That was the only way they could end the company. By either having it's value become so low that someone would end up buying it (which VKM did) or by just having it go completely bankrupt and closing it down, firing everyone in the process. Whoever tells you that WCW fall was on Vince Russo, has only listened to Dave Meltzer and can't get their heads out of the gutter.
      And as for why wrestling as a while was so much frowned upon, we're talking about a time where female wrestlers would have mud fights, cat fights, lingerie or bra and panties fights where the one that ended up baked would lose the match, we would have women straight up being sexuallized on national TV. Remember Sable? Yeah... That was Attitude Era. We don't need to go that far back to still watch a mud fight between divas in WWE. For this reason, most broadcasting companies didn't want to touch wrestling with a 50 feet pole.

  • @omarhasan03
    @omarhasan03 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Hes not wrong about the AoL/Time merger being the worst in history. It actually is considered the literal worst in history. So, he is at least truthful on that fact.

    • @paulmallon9292
      @paulmallon9292 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Hey Omar. Your last comment seemed to be deleted from my original comment. Sorry about that mate. Definitely say something else that TH-cam doesn't delete

  • @MisterRichay
    @MisterRichay 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    How do you get full versions of these interviews? The website only has podcasts and future ones it looks like. Are they paywalled?

  • @dogstar5927
    @dogstar5927 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Eric Bishoff gets a lot of hate, but only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. He accomplished great things with WCW that has since never been replicated. There is no bravado and ego in these interviews now. He's already been there and done that !

  • @cklambo
    @cklambo 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    Hope tony khan is listening. Avoid any old mistakes made by wcw.

    • @TheJosephoenix
      @TheJosephoenix 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@user-pu3ce3jt7hyou have no idea what you are talking about

    • @TheMegamyGamer
      @TheMegamyGamer 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      If this was true he would be world champion by now. Try a new narative buddy@@user-pu3ce3jt7h

    • @six6thdisciple
      @six6thdisciple 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      DIDNT WWE JUST LOSE A TV W DEAL WITH FOX????

    • @gohan7389
      @gohan7389 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      No they got a 30% increase with the USA network so they left fox who wouldn't

  • @Vas1984
    @Vas1984 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    I double checked Sep 9th 1999. Indeed it was a Thursday 😅

  • @ratgenerationx2946
    @ratgenerationx2946 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    I just googled the worst media merger, and Eric was right! ❤❤❤

  • @dhosea101
    @dhosea101 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    WCW wasn't gonna make it anyway. Politics, the attitude era, Vince Russo, wrestlers being me, me, me, not WE, along with higher ups telling Eric how he was gonna run WCW & Jamie Kellner pulling the plug from a TV station standpoint, there was no way Eric was winning this war. Had Eric threatened to leave in 1998, he would've had more leverage & been able to try & win the fight against people above him. Ultimately, Jamie Kellner came in, said you can have everything except TV time, at the time, without TV to air WCW, WCW was done. Jamie Kellner is the man that ultimately gave the death blow to WCW.

  • @jessewallace666
    @jessewallace666 7 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I could be wrong, but this man clearly knew what he was doing.

  • @josesmith1329
    @josesmith1329 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    When Time Warner acquired Turner broadcasting in 1996 corporate executives wanted WCW gone from TNT and TBS sabotaged from within executives of standards and practice slashing WCW budget insisting for family-friendly entertainment eventually Ted Turner no longer had control of his media outlets then in 2000 AOL/Time Warner merger happened came into fruition they wanted WCW gone from cable Television one of the worst mergers in history is AOL/Time Warner

  • @allencollins5666
    @allencollins5666 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    He Was Slowly Gaining Momentum Back For WCW. The Nitro Before He Was Fired Drew A 4.1 Rating To WWE 4.4. Time Warner Hired Vince Russo. Time Warner & Vince McMahon Conspiracy. Had Bischoff Been There September 13, 1999, WCW Ratings Would've Increased & WWE Ratings Would Have Dropped.

  • @TOFTS77
    @TOFTS77 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    You have to be careful when listening to Bischoff. He loves to pepper every story with indisputable facts to set a baseline that he is telling the truth and can be trusted. After that he starts slipping in the BS. The issues that occured between Eric and Time Warner stem from Eric not approaching his peers with proper decorum or respect. Even in his story he talks about showing up at the office wearing jeans and leather jacket and riding his harley. Walking through the halls with his long scraggly hair. He would go to meetings and come off as arrogant and condescending which in a corporate environment is going to piss people off.
    Yes he was correct that they saddled more loses on top WCW but at the time this occurred WCW was already on track to lose millions. The additional loses weren't even 5% of WCW was on track to lose all by itself. As one member of the finance team that was sent in to try to stop WCW hemorrhaging had said the spending was out of control. They were paying for flights to every Nitro and Thunder for the entire roster. The downside guarantees which Eric was famous for using had D list wrestlers sitting at home making 75k to 150k. Not to mention the huge pay out to Kiss for the rights to the Demon and a concert that never happened. The payouts to celebrities like Master P and 10 members of his entourage, Dennis Rodman, and others. They even sunk a good bit of money into Hogans fake presidential run. Perhaps Eric isn't responsible for it all but he doesn't get to say well we were under budget and making money and they saddled us with debt line. As always Eric is full of shit.

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      How do you know? You worked with him back then?

    • @TOFTS77
      @TOFTS77 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@TL2354 No but plenty of people worked for WCW and Time Warner which was the parent company. The spending was rumored till the books were all opened for the AOL Merger which confirmed that Bischoff was throwing out money trying to spark ratings. As for Eric's attitude was shared in interviews as he tended to rub people the wrong way. Harvey Schiller talked about it. If you dig through numerous wrestling books written in the last 28 years they bring it up as well.

  • @CommanderLost
    @CommanderLost 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I would love to hear the advice from those guys maybe you should have listened to them Eric.
    Because in August of '98 you were doing the ultimate warrior angle and the other angle was having hulk Hogan cower in fear of Jay Leno.
    Top quality stuff there buddy

  • @madringking1119
    @madringking1119 หลายเดือนก่อน

    IMO the advent of DSL is what started the nosedive of AOL Time Warner. Because DSL was the start of 24/7 Internet connectivity for EVERYONE. Prior to that only schools and businesses had that.
    So when companies like Verizon started providing DSL, it causes AOL's profits to fall cause there was no need to pay for their Internet service when (local phone company) can provide it for far less and have constant connectivity.

  • @mikejejenich-pb5zx
    @mikejejenich-pb5zx 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    98. Was wcw. Last year of having a good product……. 99 to the end 2001. Was dreadful. 👋

  • @madmarduk1936
    @madmarduk1936 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Living outside Atlanta I loved WCW because I could go to so many matches.

  • @jmua8450
    @jmua8450 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The whole thing was such a disaster. Not only destroyed all the media companies and WCW, but drove the Atlanta Braves into a 20 year hole.

  • @steve_jackson9933
    @steve_jackson9933 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    WCW was a dying breed. The storylines were stale. So much of it felt the same, too much focus on the NWO. Everything with the NWO was the same, you KNEW guys would come from the locker room. they needed to keep the NWO with just Hall/Nash/Hogan/Sixx. they did not do enough with the homegrown talent. so many great wrestlers left, Jerico, Eddie, Perry, and so on. Goldberg was a One-Trick Pony, with his win streak. it had to end. he could not do a medium sized match. It was great watching him the first few times, but then you realized he was going against jobbers.
    The WWE had reinvented itself. Austin, Rock, Jericho, the rest of the Radicals all brought new life to it. It was a vibrant situation while WCW just felt worn and tired.

    • @tris421
      @tris421 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      right but thats the time period he's talking about here? It was doing good until early 98 really.

    • @dangxdc8348
      @dangxdc8348 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      WCW vs nWo was the evolution in storyline needed but to give nWo Nitro for 2-3 hours solo...Eric wasn't capable. WE'RE TAKING OVVVER but once done so ..then what?

    • @ArghalladGaming
      @ArghalladGaming 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Goldberg is still a One Trick Pony and it showed both back when he first got on WWE and later on when he returned.
      As for the nWo, although people can partially blame it on them, it's not entirely their fault. It's not like what happened in TNA also happened in WCW.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Pretty much all of that is wrong. WCW made and pushed far more talent during the late 90s than WWE. Just look at what happened after WCW was sold, it wasn't the mid-carders of the WWE who were the stars, it was pretty much all WCW talent. The Rock and Taker are probably the only notable exceptions to that. Stone Cold? Yes, even Austin had a long stint in WCW while he was at his in-ring peak.
      WCW made legends: Flair, Sting, Luger, Eddie, Rey, Goldberg, Scotty Steiner, Booker T, DDP, Jericho, Giant, and that's just off the top of my head. Before 2007 you could have included Benoit on that list too but as we all know he disqualified himself (to say the very least).

    • @troywright359
      @troywright359 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The fact is, wcw still had a strong loyal following. People who had followed the organisation for 20 years, all the history with the NWA.....
      WWF in 95 and 96 were doing bad. A few bad years isn't the absolute end for these companies. Everyone goes through them, but WCW and WWE were the kind of companies that would bounce back eventually. That's just how wrestling worked.

  • @stevewhitney7037
    @stevewhitney7037 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Vince never shut down wcw. The people who believe it you really should look into it and it won't take long to change your mind.

  • @WolfManStillPlays
    @WolfManStillPlays 25 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I've always wondered how things would've played out if Turner Broadcasting didn't merge with Time Warner

  • @Cruor34
    @Cruor34 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Like Eric or not, I can relate to the last part. Nothing is worse at work when you think someone is your friend, but they aren't and they are telling the people above you everything you say. I've learned the hard way more than once NOBODY at work is your friend. Talk about the weather if you have to leave it at that.

  • @SignalBlue
    @SignalBlue 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +173

    Lol every single one of these interviews - all these guys know how to play innocent and victim. It was never their fault for poor decisions/behavior.

    • @treetrunk05
      @treetrunk05 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

      Narcissistic traits. Its either that or because none of them can admit their own mistakes. If any one of them pointed the finger at themselves, the first one who does it will get piled on by everyone. So they all rather gather sympathy.

    • @hiddensword9387
      @hiddensword9387 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +35

      That's not true at all, He's been quite humble. Sure he doesn't own up to everything as most business people won't. But in this regard he's speaking facts, try doing a bit of research into it.

    • @hiddensword9387
      @hiddensword9387 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      @@treetrunk05 But he probably knows more about the inner workings of such a high ranking organisation than you do. Sure you aren't being narcissistic by not doing your research into it?

    • @Bah2345
      @Bah2345 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

      Wcw was killed by multiple people and factors. The excuses he gave on this video are valid, after the merger the board wanted wcw gone and they did anything and everything to kill it. Sure eric had some part in the death of wcw but nowhere near aol/time warner.

    • @Ycjedi
      @Ycjedi 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

      Oh shut up, he's never said he didn't make mistakes. 🙄

  • @woody5581
    @woody5581 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    These stories are incredible

  • @AWF1000
    @AWF1000 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Looking at it now. I wish Bischoff bought WCW.. back then I was a WWE kid and I was too happy to defeat them

  • @101cintron
    @101cintron 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I googled it. And it says American online and time Warner 😮

  • @hardysa5257
    @hardysa5257 15 วันที่ผ่านมา

    The last nitro before Bischoff was fired in Sept 99, he was drawing 4.1 in the ratings while Raw was drawing 4.4. it wasnt that far off.. When Raw was drawing 1.8 in the ratings in 96-97 and getting trashed by wcw, Vince was untouchable. What they did by firing Bischoff, the man that brought them to the dance and bringing in Vince Russo is the equivalent of USA network 'firing' Vince and bringing in Kevin Sullivan to wwf as the boss.

  • @frozyre7854
    @frozyre7854 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    Damn, Bischoff is showing his age.

    • @bryanmack4054
      @bryanmack4054 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      What did you expect him to look like?

    • @cheapskategamer8562
      @cheapskategamer8562 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Umm he looks pretty good for almost 70

    • @frozyre7854
      @frozyre7854 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@bryanmack4054 Hulk Hogan

    • @nunyabidness3429
      @nunyabidness3429 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@frozyre7854 so a dehydrated nutsack?

    • @jamie.777
      @jamie.777 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      😅😅I love it. "Bitchoff" ain't young no more. 😊😊😊😊 I am sure it's eating him up

  • @michaelsmiley15
    @michaelsmiley15 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    He's a little behind the times
    Structuring and interdepartmental allocation are illegal now because when public companies merge regulators typically will Flagg that as potential violations
    They got away with it at the time

    • @OliveMule
      @OliveMule 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Best comment

  • @jethro1260
    @jethro1260 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    People can say whatever they want about Eric but the one thing that he definitely is, smart, very smart. He knows business and especially a wrestling business like mo one else, well almost like no one else, i think Vince is out of everyone's league..

  • @johnyagelka4509
    @johnyagelka4509 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    So basically Harvey did right by Eric and got him paid

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeah, there is actually a pretty big difference between being "sent home" as Eric was and being fired. Being sent home means getting paid to do nothing until you're either needed again or until your contract expires.

  • @CarNNNN
    @CarNNNN 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Nitro still did good ratings up to 2001
    How crazy to think that in 2023 but nitro was never going to get to the top again because it’s talent disappeared every month from 1999 Jan to 2001 April

    • @floggyWM1
      @floggyWM1 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      WCW was on its last breath with NWO, they did not know how to develop talent. Look at all the WCW talent that went to WWF at that time, they all became main eventers. WCW/Hogan didnt let anyone shine.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Nitro in 2001 was getting 2+ ratings. For comparison, Raw gets around 1.5s in 2023. So WCW still had a very large audience.
      WCW was actually on the way up at the end in 2001. In the last couple of months they even signed AJ Styles, who made his mainstream debut with them. Had WCW continued, TNA would never have existed and AJ would've spent all that time in WCW instead.

    • @allencollins5666
      @allencollins5666 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​​​​@@namikstudios & Most CarNNNN,
      And There Were Future Stars/Main Eventers In Sean O'Haire, Mark Jindak, Shawn Stasiak, Chuck Palumbo, Mike Awesome, Rob Van Dam(Bischoff Was Going To Sign Him) & Batista(Trained At WCW). All Heavyweights. Those Vanilla Midgets Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko & Saturn, When They Left WCW, Nothing Of Value Was Lost. AJ Styles Would've Probably Been A Top Cruiserweight. The Magnificent Seven Storyline Was Going To Continue. Everyone Scott Steiner Hurt Was Going To Return To Feud With The Magnificent Seven-Sting, DDP, Goldberg, Kevin Nash & Hulk Hogan Was Going To Return. Also Randy Savage, Scott Hall & Roddy Piper. Savage, Hall & Piper Could've Been Putting Over New Talent And One Of Them Join Magnificent Seven Maybe Hall.
      Eric Bischoff Was Going To Come Back And Put The WWE Out Of Business. Too The WWE Were In Need Of New Stars. It's Why They Rushed Invasion & Brought In The NWO. The Only Guys They Had To Make New Stars Of Out Were Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho. The WWE Would've Pushed Them.
      Before Eric Bischoff Was Fired, He Was Just Starting To Gain Momentum For WCW. Time Warner & Vince McMahon Conspiracy. Time Warner Brought/Vince McMahon Sent Vince Russo To WCW To Destroy The Company. The Ratings For August 30, 1999 Were-Nitro 4.0. Raw 4.4 And
      September 6, 1999-Nitro 4.1. Raw 4.4. Raw Now Ratings Now Are About 1.0 Or Less. WCW Final Months Viewership Was 3,000,000-4,000,000 Viewers.

    • @alphanerd7221
      @alphanerd7221 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@namikstudios WCW probably would have had Styles jobbing out to Buff Bagwell.

  • @gambitvegeta
    @gambitvegeta 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    That was LITERALLY the first thing that popped up as "Worst Company Merger in History" for me. LMAO

  • @TheIrishSicilian
    @TheIrishSicilian 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    So politics sunk WCW. Sad.

  • @chrislenze3304
    @chrislenze3304 26 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Everytime I hear something about the end of wcw, it sounds like Marvel comics at the high of the extreme age.

  • @danielhaas9612
    @danielhaas9612 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    The Merger was a bunch of Secretaries trying to run a Construction Company.

  • @krectus
    @krectus 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    So Eric talk about the Hogan red and yellow and---so the AOL Time Warner merger really screwed us. Ok but your breakfast this morning, was it----the AOL Time Warner merger really screwed us.

    • @THE_bchat
      @THE_bchat 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      He answered the question: it was a desperation move. How much more info do you want about it?

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      You’re either joking or the dumbest person on Earth.

  • @shawnhoman4867
    @shawnhoman4867 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Someone ask him about the show "The Devil's Ride" he and Jason Harvey produced for the Discovery channel..

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Why don’t you?

  • @shellbacksclub
    @shellbacksclub 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    How many more times can he answer these same questions! Enough already!!!

    • @crylittlesister6377
      @crylittlesister6377 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Wrestling interviews in a nutshell 😂

    • @2HitWonder
      @2HitWonder 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      As long as people keep paying him, and more importantly, as long as YOU and I still watch.

  • @bicpapermate
    @bicpapermate 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    What a surprise. Eric Bischoff assumes no personal responsibility for the decline and fall of WCW. Bischoff is as believable as Hulk Hogan.

    • @user-ym9ry6ip5k
      @user-ym9ry6ip5k 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Why do people suck up to him

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      So what did he say that was a lie? You worked with him back then?

    • @waffleironcheesecake
      @waffleironcheesecake 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Like he said, didnt matter who owned WCW, they didnt want the company regardless.

  • @timklein2254
    @timklein2254 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    December 2, 2023. Just checked and as of November 2022...Aol Time Warner is the worst Merger by approx $150 Million over 2nd worst.

  • @BrianWelskopp-iw1sw
    @BrianWelskopp-iw1sw 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    It's not Bischoff's fault Time Warner corporate big shots didn't want to be in the wrestling business.

  • @moobutt
    @moobutt 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    No matter the haters, at that time when NWO started on WCW, it was better than WWF. I watched Nitro on Mondays. And after the decline of WCW, I was done with wrestling.

  • @donholmes1988
    @donholmes1988 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    "CNN is a metaphor. CNN was "the worldwide leader in news." Not anymore". Love him or hate him, Eric Bischoff was spot on when he said that.

    • @absurdist5134
      @absurdist5134 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I mean part of that is the quality and part of that is stupid politics needing baddies. So, partially right.

    • @alphanerd7221
      @alphanerd7221 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      No. It's asinine.

  • @dbreiden83080
    @dbreiden83080 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    Eric once things really got rolling spent more time being Hogan's buddy than actually running a wrestling company..

    • @BronzeBullBalls
      @BronzeBullBalls 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      He was overspending and WCW never made a profit... the Bret Hart contract was ridiculous and Vince knew it.

    • @dbreiden83080
      @dbreiden83080 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@BronzeBullBalls
      Bret while I was a big fan does make a lot of excuses and comes off really bitter. He is partially to blame about his WCW run. He was emotionally scarred from the screw job and I really think after Owen died his love of wrestling was gone.. So many matches he had in WCW you could see him phoning it in..

  • @TLoaf
    @TLoaf 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    It's true. I looked it up and it is the worst merger 😂

  • @timothycurrier2523
    @timothycurrier2523 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Then went and killed tna after wcw good job👍👍

  • @seanstone9556
    @seanstone9556 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    That’s infuriating. How did Cocking get away with that and how could his wife stand by him?

  • @j2248
    @j2248 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Does every single person on this channel SHOOT? 😂

  • @mindmesh7566
    @mindmesh7566 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    No........I’d say the merger of WCCW and USWA was worse.

    • @FIXTREME
      @FIXTREME 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      He's talking big business, not wrestling

    • @mindmesh7566
      @mindmesh7566 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@FIXTREME ………Exactly!! Cuz he knows crap about the latter.🤣😂✌️🤘🔥😎

  • @attitudeerafan927
    @attitudeerafan927 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    you guys keeping changing title names lol

  • @fonosayno
    @fonosayno 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Eric, did the merger tell you to book every show so that the final match would result in an interference by one or more of the 140 NWO members?
    The invasion angle that you lifted from Japan ran out of steam and you ignored fans with your shitty booking. Anytime you feign to take any responsibility, you always throw someone else under the bus

  • @medalwelder
    @medalwelder 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    This is probably the 1000th time this story has been told.grill him on why he let Hogan run the company

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      He didn't. Hogan only had creative control over things involving his own character, not the entire company.

  • @realtalunkarku
    @realtalunkarku 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    id be like just fire me now so i can turn around and head home

  • @MrVein1983
    @MrVein1983 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    How’s bishoff looking more like Buff bagwells biological father the older he gets? Like they look more alike every day.

  • @yugiblox3274
    @yugiblox3274 10 วันที่ผ่านมา

    It’s silly. It’s like if someone fired Vince when WCW took over in the ratings. Never gave Eric much of a chance to come back in the ratings.

  • @Norg1
    @Norg1 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    He was fired but didnt he come back in 2000 or 01 ????

    • @Eddie-lm3jf
      @Eddie-lm3jf 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It was around April 2000.

    • @curthennig9448
      @curthennig9448 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Eddie-lm3jf A shade earlier than that. Somewhere in Feb. 2000 but most didn't know until a few weeks later.

  • @johntreherne4611
    @johntreherne4611 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Bischoff made a lot of mistakes but trashing wcw budget and providing utterly useless advice to make themselves look useful and forcing those ideas upon wcw was utterly unacceptable.

  • @tinocarbajal4445
    @tinocarbajal4445 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    damn that's messed up what to wcw

  • @engineertime8942
    @engineertime8942 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    From those interview I started like Eric before I hated him because of Bret effects.

  • @user-qv3dj1pl4f
    @user-qv3dj1pl4f 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Wcw went out of business because they didn't have tv time the network was going in another direction

  • @rigsby1454
    @rigsby1454 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The merger didn’t have any impact. Would not have impacted WCW if the product was good

    • @TL2354
      @TL2354 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      What else can you tell us about your time working for them back then? We’re all waiting. Thanks!

  • @yeahyousaidit
    @yeahyousaidit 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Killing the NWO was the worst move ever for WCW

    • @chadjustice8560
      @chadjustice8560 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Nwo was dead, shit everyone was tired of it by the time Bret got there in lol to many people, to many factions and just over done and dead. It helped lead to the downfall of wcw. You can thank the hulkster for that brother.

    • @yeahyousaidit
      @yeahyousaidit 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@chadjustice8560 so you are saying the people who saved WCW are the same people who killed WCW? It was the writers fault. Here we are almost 30 years later and I still see NWO shirts at wresting events 🤷‍♂️

  • @Mcmastergirththesplitter
    @Mcmastergirththesplitter 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Bischoff should take the blame for this one

    • @FIXTREME
      @FIXTREME 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      He did. "I told him I was done"

  • @s.a.f8794
    @s.a.f8794 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Eric they knew what they were doing when they brought in the new brass they wanted wcw gone like you said they didn’t want wcw in the first place so they planned to sabotage you guys from the inside out and get rid of wcw and they did inner company allocation aka we’re gonna legally fck you🤷🏾‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

  • @lloyd9710
    @lloyd9710 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    And with that he had to deal with Vince Russo

  • @ricardosd12
    @ricardosd12 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Vince created the GAP, not Ted. Lmao

  • @shoresy6927
    @shoresy6927 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Does the interviewer have a speech impediment? Hes so hard to understand. He should get a new career.

    • @namikstudios
      @namikstudios 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It's called being Scottish. Not everyone in the world speaks with an American accent...

  • @andrewkruzienski770
    @andrewkruzienski770 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Wait you mean Turner didn't fire him because of the finger poke of doom or because he didn't push the Cruiserweights to the World Title picture? Fucking marks.

  • @michaelmilnermixing
    @michaelmilnermixing 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Sounds like Tony khan future.

  • @martinoregan3028
    @martinoregan3028 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Hope aew kicks WWE ass in the Future

  • @darnelldarden9429
    @darnelldarden9429 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    That merger did do a lot of damage but it was a perfect storm of terrible decisions. Eric fumbled the Hogan vs Sting feud, then he fumbled the Hogan vs Goldberg match. Also he fumbled the Nash vs Hogan match. Everyone deserves some blame especially Bischoff

    • @troywright359
      @troywright359 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The merger did the MOST damage. A few mundane years of bad storylines doesn't kill WCW (it didn't kill WWE when it was doing even worse)

  • @bobsucks9647
    @bobsucks9647 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    He wasn’t wrong aol time Warner comes up when you google worst merger in history lol

  • @biggamerjh1
    @biggamerjh1 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    You mean acting like a douchebag will make you unpopular on the office and that has consequences… shocking.

  • @rodmoore_
    @rodmoore_ 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    😮😮

  • @Ryan-hl4ur
    @Ryan-hl4ur 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Come on, take ownership. When you have a multi-billon $ media conglomerate funding all the talent he stole, then he was genius?

  • @shellbacksclub
    @shellbacksclub 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Imagine buying a ticket to listen to this? Marks are nuts.

  • @dangxdc8348
    @dangxdc8348 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    WCW 24/7 LVN with MGM GRAND as it's home base.
    WCW 24/7 CHAMPIONSHIP to coincide with the Las Vegas lifestyle
    Forget about competing with WWF/E. Some people will NEVVVER BE WWE no matter the SMACKDOWN.
    WCW FX
    Be interesting...
    WCW
    24/7
    LVN

  • @TheHannibalTV
    @TheHannibalTV 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    😮

  • @jonbarbour6771
    @jonbarbour6771 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Booking expenses against WCW's books was not "screwing over" WCW. WCW's budget comes from the parent and WCW's revenue goes to the parent. This would fool no one if the topic of selling WCW ever came up, which is obviously did later...

  • @Ryan-hl4ur
    @Ryan-hl4ur 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Not anymore!😂

  • @user-qv3dj1pl4f
    @user-qv3dj1pl4f 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Eric dont know how to be a boss just a friend and let the wrestlers walk all over him

  • @GregLionProductions
    @GregLionProductions 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    He tells the same story slightly differently for several decades. This lets you know he was nowhere near as creative as he claims to be. Weve already experienced every story, every revelation he has to offer. He was put into a position he didnt really earn , and he was arounnd guys that knew what was "cool". He didnt create shit

    • @JAw1729
      @JAw1729 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      NWO was his idea and that was peak WCW

  • @jamesgardner7062
    @jamesgardner7062 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Aol

  • @mikem10481
    @mikem10481 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    That's what you get for listening to Hogan for years.

  • @jstinson7072
    @jstinson7072 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    WCW fell off like a rocket a month or 2 after WWE's SuperBowl Commercial.