Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and former owner of World Championship Wrestling, has passed away at the age of 87, according to a report from CNN.com.
Following the news, former WCW President Eric Bischoff reflected on Turner’s impact during an appearance with Ariel Helwani, speaking emotionally about the opportunities Turner provided not only to him, but to countless others throughout the media industry.
“He was indeed a great guy. And I don’t want to make it sound—because I didn’t know him that closely. Ted and I weren’t going out and having steak dinners together or anything like that.
But I did have a chance, through working with him, to get to know who he was and to watch how he operated. And when you think about it, he changed my life. He changed the lives of my children. None of us would be where we are today if not for the opportunities Ted Turner provided me.
I would not be involved with Real American Freestyle were it not for the opportunities that Ted Turner gave me. And I’m just one guy.
Think about all of the people who worked at Turner Broadcasting—the thousands of people who, just like me, got opportunities, got to grow, and got to pursue their careers because of the entrepreneurial, groundbreaking vision that Ted Turner had when it came to the media landscape.
He was the media version of Elon Musk in his time.”
Turner was one of the most influential media figures of the modern era, launching CNN in 1980 as the world’s first 24-hour cable news network while also playing a transformative role in professional wrestling through WCW during the 1990s wrestling boom.
His support of WCW helped fuel one of the most competitive periods in wrestling history during the Monday Night Wars against WWE.
Our thoughts are with Ted Turner’s family, friends, and all those impacted by his life and legacy.
Eric Bischoff reflects on the legacy of Ted Turner and the massive impact he had on the wrestling business and beyond:
“He changed my life, he changed the lives of my children. None of us would be where we are today.
And I’m just one guy.
Think about all of the people who… pic.twitter.com/qMk6DVGryV
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 6, 2026
