The latest episode of former WCW President Eric Bischoff’s podcast Bischoff on Wrestling is now available and features an appearance from former WCW Superstar Al Snow!
You can find some of Eric’s comments from the top of the show regarding WWE’s newly announced UK Championship and international expansion ambitions transcribed below.
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EB: The UK is an exceptionally hot territory. There’s two ways I think to look at that. One is that the WWE is taking advantage of their global footprint and expanding. Trying to maximize their presence in that market. Which is obvious and a smart thing for them to do. The other angle is and I don’t want to say this falls in the conspiracy theory category but if you look at the history of the WWE. It’s history of expansion and their business model. They gobbled up a lot of territories. They put a lot of independent promoters out of business. If you go back in history and you look at some of the comments that Vince McMahon made about the, “little wrestling chiefdoms.” How he had no loyalty to them and his vision for WWE was, quite honestly then, not global. My concern is, well not my concern because I’m not doing business in the UK, is that I look at it two ways. One, “Great! WWE is bringing their power and expansion and their visibility to the UK!” Which can be a good thing. The other way to look at it is that, you know, they’re going to gobble up another territory and the UK could potentially lose it’s unique position in the market place. There is a lot of great talent in the UK but if it becomes an offshoot of the WWE and a UK version of NXT then… eh… I’m not sure in the long run that will be a great thing.
This week’s episode of Bischoff on Wrestling starts with a surprise appearance from Eric’s son and pro wrestler Garrett Bischoff! Nick & Garrett kick off his surprise appearance by discussing what it was like to be a middle schooler and high schooler as Eric Bischoff’s son. They also discuss what Garrett’s initial introduction to the TNA locker room was like.
Eric then opens up the discussion to talk about Garrett’s current occupation working in firearms technology at the Sonoran Desert Institute. You can find out more about SDI by visiting SDI.edu/bischoff
Nick then introduces the new Bischoff on Wrestling pro wrestling business “topic of the week”. In light of WWE’s newly announced UK championship and tournament Eric breaks down how he could see WWE’s international expansion rolling out. Including his worry for the international independent pro wrestling scene and the idea of holding an eventual “World Cup of Wrestling”.
Eric then welcomes his guest for the week former WWE Superstar Al Snow. Al chats with Eric about:
- Breaking in to the business and why Al didn’t want to work with Sailor White
- Ole Anderson’s notoriously stiff style and Eric’s memories of Blackjack Mulligan knocking Ole out
- Al’s earliest memories of the Undertaker and why he thought he would succeed
- The transition Al made from the “old school style” to the “WWE style”
- Marty Jannetty’s desire to respect The Rockers’ legacy while Al was working with him as part of The New Rockers
- The origins of “Head”
- Eric’s respect for Al’s ring psychology
- What heat is
- More…
Once Al’s interview wraps up Eric moves on to his new segment “Playing In The Dirt” where he takes a look back at headlines from pro wrestling dirt sheets from different points in his career. This week Eric comments on headlines from April 1994 pertaining to Hulk Hogan’s speculated contract signing and whether or not Eric was trying to sign Brian Pillman and Steve Austin
Eric then closes the show by answering some fan questions from the #BischoffOnWrestling mailbag.
You can listen to the full archives from Bischoff on Wrestling in the embedded audio player below:
