Eric Bischoff says All Elite Wrestling has two unique talents in MJF and Orange Cassidy.
Bischoff recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard and talked about his experience being on-site for the Super Tuesday debate between Orange Cassidy and Chris Jericho. Bischoff said he saw first-hand how talented MJF is, adding that he’s spent 33 years in the wrestling business in one way or another, and now my mind is conditioned to think like a producer so much that it’s hard to watch for entertainment value.
“If there’s entertainment value there it’s got to be really obvious for me because I’m constantly picking apart music, lighting, camera position, story, I really analyze story. Not to be critical of it but I like to pick out something that’s working and really understand why it’s working opposed to just saying ‘That’s really great, I loved that!’ Cool, but why do I love that? What elements in that story or part of that character is resonating with the audience? That’s the movie that’s going on inside of my head while I’m watching wrestling and every once in a while something happens that stops that ‘movie’ because it’s so entertaining to watch on television.”
Bischoff went on to call MJF an ‘amazing, amazing talent’ and said the current World Championship number one contender is impressive in his abilities.
“MJF is that guy, he is that character. There are others, but I’m really just [focusing] on him because I think he’s a special character and they don’t come around very often.”
Bischoff also said Orange Cassidy also has the capacity to be that special character, adding that the ‘Freshly Squeezed’ gimmick is so simple and works without doing much at all.
“Orange Cassidy personifies the saying ‘less is more’ and has applied that to his character in a simple but effective way and the character is getting over. At least that’s my interpretation because it’s ‘different than…’ Everybody else [growls in promos] and screams and yells and they’re angry and this dude comes out with his hands in his pockets and shuffles his feet and acts like he doesn’t really give a damn. That’s a cool character! In my mind, and it’s a saying I’ve used a million times, less is more and I’m excited about him as well.”
Bischoff went on to explain how almost every story has been told before and referred to the Greek idea that there are seven basic plots that have been told by every author. He said nothing is ever new, but added that “it’s what you do and how you represent those characters or stories that makes it feel new. That’s the challenge.”
