WWE Hall of Famer and former WCW President Eric Bischoff appeared on an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, where he discussed various topics and shared his unique perspective.
Bischoff said, “It’s not a blind spot for me. I just have a different perspective on life and the way it really works than perhaps Matt Morgan does. And I like Matt. You know, we’re friends. But you know, he wrote it so f**k it, here you go. Name me, Matt, one top star in the last 20 years in either WCW or WWE, who doesn’t get to voice an opinion about who they work with and the storyline.”
On who had creative control:
“People like to often talk about ‘guaranteed contracts’ and ‘creative control.’ One person had creative control, Hulk Hogan. A couple of guys had the right to meaningful consultation, which in the real world doesn’t mean anything. In a court of law, for me to be able to satisfy a meaningful consultation claim is pretty freaking easy. Doesn’t mean we have a meaningful conversation and I have to agree with you, right? There was only one person who had creative control, and he only used it one time. But, effectually? Rock, John Cena, Steve Austin. Oh, he didn’t like it? He walked away. Literally walked away, left Vince McMahon holding the bag. Name any other world champion at the — you think The Undertaker hasn’t had conversations? Brock Lesnar? MJF? Name anybody in AEW who doesn’t get to vote on who they work with?”
On what he agrees with:
“Let’s be really honest about it. Creative control and people… just because John Cena — and I’m not defending John Cena. I wasn’t in those agent meetings, and I agree with Matt to the extent that if you’re an agent, you’re not going to pull talent aside and share management’s perspective that isn’t meant to be shared with the talent. You’re not going to do that, because you would be fired the next day. And by the way, you should be fired the next day. Because now you’re playing politics, now you’re trying to grease your own skids. Now you’re trying to put yourself in a favorable position with the talent and fade to heat to somebody else, because you’re chickens**t. There’s no chickens**t agents in WWE. That I can assure you. And I’m not even there, but I know how it works.”
On the perks of John Cena being a top star:
“But to suggest from Matt’s perspective — at least the way I interpreted that, what you read to me? That John Cena was some kind of control freak and had power over people, and exercised it? Sure he did, just like anybody else that’s ever been in his position. You’re the top star. You get to vote, whether your contract says so or not. And guess what? You vote by having a conversation.
I’m sure Vince McMahon and John Cena had many conversations about finishes and opponents. And if John felt like he could get somebody over. It was from a business perspective, added value for WWE going forward? That would be one conversation. But if he didn’t feel it, didn’t see it, didn’t think he could make it work? That’s a different conversation. Doesn’t mean that he was imposing his will and forcing his way of life and his way of doing business on everybody else around him, like he’s some kind of evil character. John was doing what anybody in the business before him and since then has been doing, which is voicing his opinion and getting a vote whether he had a contract that says he could or not.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
