This week’s episode of Grilling JR features the subject of Eric Bischoff’s initial run in 2002 with WWE as an on-air persona. Jim Ross and Conrad Thompson break down Bischoff’s start in the wrestling business beginning with his AWA days. During those early stages, however, Eric had a brief audition with the WWF and Vince McMahon in 1990. This moment was captured on video which had Eric “selling a broom” to the audience. Conrad asked JR if this was a customary tactic in McMahon’s audition arsenal and one of Oklahoma’s favorite sons shared some details.
“Oh yeah. He did things like that all the time,” JR said. “He wasn’t just picking on Eric because at that time I don’t think that Vince had any animosity toward Eric or any feelings toward Eric one way or the other. Other than he was a fresh face off of Verne [Gagne]’s television and let’s be honest about it: Vince did real well taking people off Verne’s television and making money with them including [Hulk] Hogan and “Mean” Gene and Bobby Heenan so forth and so on. On and on so that wasn’t unusual.”
JR brings up a very old name out of the past as someone who had a rough go during his audition process.
“He did something to a kid named Charlie Minn. I didn’t work with Charlie Minn much, if I did it was just a very short crossover, a few days seemingly, but Charlie thought he was really, really good back in that era and he really, really wasn’t and so Charlie got his balls busted a lot, but I think in his audition they were a little bit rugged on him for some reason and a lot of times you just bring it on yourself but Eric, I think I saw that cut, he did alright. There was nothing wrong with his audition.”
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone)
This moment is just barely scratching the surface of the episode. You can listen to Conrad & JR’s entire discourse below:
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