Eric Bischoff believes there is some truth behind MJF’s claim that veteran wrestlers often protect their own positions when giving advice to younger talent, although he strongly disagrees with MJF’s suggestion that it applies to 99% of them.
Ahead of AEW All In: London, MJF told Bleacher Report that younger wrestlers make a mistake by seeking advice from veterans in the locker room. The former AEW World Champion argued that many established performers don’t want younger talent becoming better than them on the microphone or in the ring because it could ultimately affect their own earning potential.
MJF estimated that attitude applied to 99% of veterans and suggested the only person a wrestler can truly trust is themselves.
Conrad Thompson brought up the comments during 83 Weeks, noting that it was a sentiment sometimes expressed privately by younger wrestlers but rarely said publicly.
Bischoff acknowledged that MJF’s underlying argument has merit, but believes the percentage is considerably lower.
“I understand it. I think it’s probably true in some, maybe even most cases, but I don’t think it’s a general rule. I’ve seen and listened to veterans really try to help younger talent, especially younger talent that has potential. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it,” Bischoff said. “So I don’t think what MJF is saying is totally wrong, but it’s not correct 100% of the time. And he said 99% of them. I think it’s fewer than that. I think there’s probably 50, 60% of the wrestlers that would rather not be bothered necessarily, or if you’re going to bother them, they probably don’t have your best interest in mind. They have theirs.”
Bischoff then pointed to Goldberg’s rapid rise in WCW as an example of how established wrestlers can have their own interests in mind when attempting to advise an emerging star.
According to Bischoff, veterans quickly began surrounding Goldberg once it became apparent that he was becoming one of WCW’s biggest attractions.
“When Bill Goldberg came along, immediately talent started flocking to him, surrounding him, because they knew at some point, or hoped, they were going to end up working with Bill. So they wanted to establish their relationship with Bill,” Bischoff said. “I’ve never talked to Bill about this, and he may disagree with me, just an observation from a distance, but I think in the very beginning it was very confusing for Bill because he was being pulled in a lot of different directions.”
Bischoff explained that the advice Goldberg received wasn’t necessarily bad, but suggested that some veterans may have viewed helping Goldberg through the lens of how working with him could also benefit their own careers.
“I’m not even saying that he was being pulled in wrong directions, but you’ve got wrestler A, who’s a veteran, who’s making seven figures, is going to come in and he’s going to tell you what he thinks is best for your character. Now, maybe what he thinks is best for your character is also pretty good for him. And then another one’s going to come from over here. He’s going to see it an hour later, and this person’s also a veteran, also at the top of the food chain. He’s going to give you his perspective of what you should do to improve your position, especially if it improves his,” he said.
However, the former WCW President stopped short of suggesting that such behavior was always deliberately manipulative.
“So there is that. I don’t want to call it manipulation, but manipulation in some cases with some people. But I’ve also sat and listened to guys spend a lot of time trying to help younger wrestlers who have the potential. So I don’t think there’s a flat answer across the board on that,” Bischoff said.
Bischoff was running WCW during Goldberg’s meteoric rise in 1998, when Goldberg developed into one of the promotion’s biggest attractions while working alongside a locker room filled with established veterans.
MJF’s comments also come from someone who has spent much of his own AEW career working opposite veteran talent. Since joining AEW as one of the company’s original roster members in 2019, MJF has become AEW World Champion and has been involved in major programs with several established names.
At All In: London, MJF entered the Casino Gauntlet match in the number two position but was unable to secure another opportunity at the AEW World Championship. Andrade El Idolo ultimately won the match by pinning Nick Wayne, earning himself a future shot at the title.
