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WWEHall of Famer and WCW figureheadEric Bischoffhas a calling that anyone in the business would beg to have , either on or offscreen . The longevity he ’s had across multiple companies is well-nigh unrivaled . Not a pot of mass can say their career outlast that of WCW after the company went under , but lo and behold , Bischoff is still last strong on TV screens today .
In November 2024 the former WCW booker made his WWE return with an coming into court on NXT programing . It ’s wholly impressive to recall that at age 69 with a career spanning 38 class , Bischoff still manages to be relevant . possibly it should n’t be surprising recognize everything the man has accomplished over the years .
His book enunciate it well by its title -Controversy create Cash- and Eric Bischoff ’s calling is fill up with perfectly controversial moments that amounted to dollar signs and entertainment .
11Signing Hulk Hogan
The Business Move That Changed Everything
Eric Bischoff managed to help WCW beat WWE in theMonday Night Wars for 83 calendar week flat . It ’s a massive achievement for any company that has not and maybe will never be duplicated by another . That form of success can be trace back tothe daytime that Bischoff was able to batten down Hulk Hogan to a WCW contract .
After being hired as executive manufacturer in 1993 , Bischoff worked tirelessly to build WCW to greatness . One of his first mission statements was to contract Hulk Hogan , convince it would create a game - commute domino effect for their company ( which it did ) . He make a motion WCW ’s production to Disney - MGM Studios in Florida , where Hulk Hogan was take Thunder in Paradise , a show that was supposed to kickstart his post - WWE passage into acting . Bischoff and Ric Flair would call in Hogan on the set to talk over potentially coming to WCW , and the rest is history .
10Feud With Stone Cold Steve Austin
Highlighted by Their Match at No Way Out 2003
One of the more infamous blunders of Eric Bischoff ’s career was open fire " Stunning " Steve Austin from WCW via voice mail while the Hollywood Blond was rehabbing a tricep injury . This put a chip on the Bionic Redneck ’s shoulder , setting the microscope stage for the character and mental attitude he ’d wreak to the Attitude Era . Still , he never leave what Bischoff did to him , and when they later were under the same ceiling , that made for arrant storyline potential drop .
Eric Bischoff has expressed in interview thatworking with Austin is among the most fun he ’s ever had onscreen , with a personal highlight for him being when he wrestled Austin on earnings - per - view at No mode Out . Austin was refreshful from having " take his ballock and go home " ( this was WWE ’s story in 2002 ) , and after failing to sign Austin to Raw , Vince McMahon book Austin vs. Bischoff . The two continued feuding afterwards , respectively , as Sheriff and GM of Raw .
9Signing Bret Hart after the Montreal Screwjob
A Statement to Fans
Whenever WWE wrestlers jumped ship to WCW and frailty versa , it feel like a statement during the Monday Night Wars . To fans , it take asa wrestler declaring that their previous company was n’t cool anymore , while their novel situation is the place to be and watch . That instruction translate louder than ever in the viewing of the Montreal Screwjob .
Bret Hart is a standout in Netflix ’s Mr. McMahon documentary , but his view on an notorious WWE here and now begs for discussion .
Bret " The Hitman " Hart already made his intentions of going to WCW known before he left the party , hence Vince ’s paranoia that he ’d leave with the WWE Championship which head to the Screwjob . Still , though , get wind the debacle that was the Screwjob live and watching Hart drop a line the letter " W C W " in what was nearly his final WWE appearing gave the impression that WWE was really in shambles . Neither Vince nor WWE take care flattering in this scenario for screwing Bret , and so for many rooter , it was time to exchange the channel .
8TNA Farewell Party
Impact Wrestling, April 26, 2012
Eric Bischoff ’s wrestling career is championed by highlights in WWE and WCW , buthis time in TNA should not be overtop so well , even though his run is vilify by hard-core rooter . His and Hogan ’s arrival is cited as a catalyst for the company ’s downturn . Still , though , this sole minute is a quality instance of how confide to reference work Eric Bischoff has been , no topic in which company . He ’s never been afraid to appear silly or goosy , and it ’s made for some iconic moments in every caller he ’s worked for .
Vince Russo is one of the most controversial figures in pro wrestling , mostly because of some of his creative ideas when work for WCW .
Here , he endures verbal and physical ridicule , namely by style of the Shed of Shame , where he ’s dumped inwardly by his son Garrett . Some will call it a stinky way for a caption to go out , and in a genuine good sense , it is , but more than anything , it’sBischoff understanding the grandness of fans attend a nefarious heel get their just deserts .
7Signing Lex Luger
Eric Bischoff’s Favorite WCW-Centric Moment
Was WCW crazier than WWE at its peak ? It ’s operose to say but it ’s undeniable that some WCW storylines are still remember today for their weirdness .
WWE could n’t keep their fully grown champion or their next prominent affair away from WCW , not to remark that , because Raw was taped , Luger come along on the same nighttime on both shows . This can be cited asthe official first shot at WWE in the Monday Night Wars . The unexpected signing of their top talent was WCW and Eric Bischoff ’s declaration of warfare , one that WWE struggled to retaliate against .
6Getting Attacked by Hall and Nash
WCW Great American Bash 1996
By the meter WCW aired The Great American Bash 1996 , the program was weeks removed from the former Razor Ramon invading a WCW ring . Momentarily , the former Diesel would do the same . The wrestling world was glue to their seats to see the latest developments , which would come on the PPV as onscreen interviewer , Eric Bischoff , tried to get to the bottom of why the Outsiders were in WCW . For his trouble , Kevin Nash would collar Bischoff with a Jackknife Powerbombas Scott Hall cheered it on .
As say earlier , Eric Bischoff was always attached to anything he did onscreen , and even before he became an onscreen authority figure , he was quick to take a Brobdingnagian bump like this . Bischoff is no train wrestler , but when it came to making Hall and Nash look like an immediate danger to everyone in WCW , he had no problem experience a Jackknife . As violence against an interviewer was basically unheard of , it truly underscored how grievous and irregular this duet was .
5The Trial of Eric Bischoff
Monday Night Raw, December 12, 2005
This works for the same intellect that his TNA farewell party works , in thatEric Bischoff is volitionally falling on his swordto ensure his villain reference gets his comeuppance on his way out the room access . After year of being the bad hombre , the Raw General Manager is put to undertaking for his criminal offense and , before he is kick out for those crimes , he is penalize for them too . In this case , he is dumped in a dumpster hand truck , literally get hold of out with the trash .
Like with the TNA segment that would come after , Bischoff was made to look jerky , but oftentimes in storytelling , the scoundrel ’s defeat at the end of their story should add up with being humiliated . No one understands that better than vocation spoiled guy cable , Eric Bischoff .
4Wrestling Ric Flair for Control of WCW
WCW Monday Nitro, December 28, 1998
Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff ’s constant jabs at each other would at long last come to a point on the final Nitro episode of 1998 . Earlier in the nighttime , Flair delivered one of thebest promos in WCW historyand at the end of the show , he defeated Eric Bischoff for full control of WCW . Even well , the intact locker elbow room played a part in ensure that Bischoff would partake in in the match , drag in him to the ring and celebrating with The Nature Boy to finish the year on a high note .
Classic match featuring all - time greats from the chronicle of WCW .
WCW often received flak from lover for never letting anyone get the jump on the nWo , butthat ’s why this mo felt up so especial at the time . In WCW , villain seldom ( if ever ) lost , so when the babyfaces in conclusion get one over on ole Eric when it mattered most , it was worth triumph .
3WWE Debut as Raw GM
Monday Night Raw, July 15, 2002
If a grapple sports fan can employ any WWE instant to describe the idiomatic expression " when hell freezes over , " it ’s when Eric Bischoff appear on WWE television . When WWE instituted the first brand split up , recognize Raw and SmackDown as separate shows with separate roll , the former show demand a General Manager to keep things in orderliness . One nighttime , Booker T ’s signature " evidence me I did n’t just see that " catchphrase speak moments before " I ’m back ! " recall through the arena speakers signal the arriver of Eric Bischoff .
It was one affair for the man who assay ( and almost succeeded ) to put WWE out of line to be signed by the company . It was another tosee him and the WWE Chairman hug at the ramp . No devotee who followed the Wars could believe their eyes , making for an unbelievably shameful head start to Bischoff ’s WWE career .
2Exposed by Piper to Be in the nWo
WCW Monday Nitro, November 18, 1996
When the nWo was still a fresh idea in WCW , Eric Bischoff was still a mild - mannered interviewer , as far as the WCW interview was concerned . " Rowdy " Roddy Piper - a month before he was congeal to wrestle nWo loss leader Hulk Hogan in the chief event of Starrcade - was n’t grease one’s palms it , and confront Bischoff about it . As Piper express in his promo , something was n’t adding up with Bischoff . The only logical explanation in Piper ’s principal was thatBischoff was in cahoot with the nWo . Bischoff denied the allegement for as long as he could , until he donned what would become his signature crow - eating grinning as the nWo flooded the ring .
It was a wildly entertaining swerve thatchanged Eric Bischoff ’s career for the better . Had he not joined the nWo as its manager and observer , he may have never become the in - ring personality he is today .
