It's hilarious that he references the band "Kiss" that is on a never ending farewell tour and here 18 years after this interview they are STILL on a farewell tour.
I feel the exact same way. I started watching in the summer of ‘03 right before summerslam and I was 9 years old too. I stopped for good around ‘07, it seemed like everything was so different in such a short amount of time. But about a year ago I found jim Ross’s podcast and listening to that has me going back and rewatching a lot of the stuff they talk about. It’s a fun time going back and watching this stuff through my adult perspective. Crazy to think back then we didn’t have UA-cam or wwe network lol
zachos2 The thing is Vince knew that..He never wanted to brankcupt WCW...But AOL didn't want to be in the wrestling business...Eric Bichoff tried to buy WCW, but it felt through. WCW was the best thing to happen to WWF/E...İt changed the business. It made it evolve. I miss the competition.
Tyler Brown WWE though was still good after Wcw went out of bussiness in 2001 WWE was good in 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 it started slowly going down around 2008 /2009
It’s what happens when you get a businessman involved in wrestling as opposed to a wrestling guy. Exactly why WCW was able to prosper is because he was able to think outside the wrestling bubble
He isn't always consistent, he says here that Hogan never exercised creative control. But in a recent documentary he said Hogan nixed the Starrcade 1997 ending because he didn't 100% want to put Sting over clean.
totally understand that, honestly, it was HIM that created the attitude era with controversy = cash cuz he turned hogan heel and forced WWF to get attitude.
The only man in the history of the wrestling business to beat Vince McMahon 83 weeks Vince was getting his ass handed to him at that time his name will immortalized in the wrestling business there's only one Eric Bischoff
@@georgemunro9640 Vince basically beat himself.. He was just off his game for a few years.. Once he got it back together, it was game over for WCW.. Sad honestly because competition is good.. The business was Def at an all time high in the late 90's..
Bischoff is a businessman, he is never out of a job. During his 4 years or so with the WWE he was working on other projects. Even now with him working behind the scenes with TNA he still has other TV projects he and Jason Hervey work on, all of which have been largely successful. I am confident if he purchased WCW, he would have turned the company around and made positive changes.
Only if he would have been able to show it on a non-Turner network. That was the problem, he couldn't compete with WWF on USA network where they would essentially have a pornstar character (Val Venis), the crotch chopping, the cussing by Austin etc. WCW simply couldn't do any of that on a Turner network so it is very, very interesting to see how WCW would have competed if he was allowed to go 'all the way' like WWF could on USA network.
Lol this is hilarious. After one commercial break they're laughing and having a good time. Next commercial break Eric is pissed off looking at him with a death stare.
i love bischoff's interviews because we listen to an actual wrestling/entertainment-executive (intellectual person) and not another wrestler or some old school writers.
Eric really failed to capitalize on Bret Hart. No matter how he spins it, he is the same guy who always had the mind of "go with the flow" so to speak. Look at Vince what he did after Montreal Screwjob, he made Mr. McMahon the biggest heal in the history of this business and made Austin arguably (one of ) the biggest stars. Eric on the other hand, completely wasted Bret Hart and saying it was because Hart didn't have the passion anymore and kinda putting the whole blame on Hart is just plain wrong. Whatever "plans" Eric had for Bret Hart when he came, he SHOULD have changed and fully capitalize on what was at that time the biggest and hottest news in wrestling and Eric had the biggest piece of that story with him.
Not capitalizing on Sting was a far bigger mistake. He allowed Hulk Hogan to influence Starcade 1997 to such a degree that it turned into a disaster. Eric should have told Hulk to put Sting over, but he let Hulk have his way. Also he allowed the "bad guys" NWO to take over.... It was like Harry Potter vs. Voldemort - it began with Hulk, Nash & Hall, and it got bigger and bigger... Eventually everyone became a member. The good guys (Sting, Goldberg, Flair, Benoit, Booker T, Jericho, Mysterio, Giant, maybe Bret Hart too) were supposed to beat the bad guys in the end.... But instead Nash beat Goldberg.... The whole show went nowhere. Sting became a member of the incredibly moronic idea that was the Wolfpac and essentially a bad guy too. The correct idea would have been to have the loners Goldberg and Sting work together, become the leaders of the good guys and finish the NWO once and for all. Then Sting and Goldberg would clash and have their big match and Sting would be the guy to finally hand Goldberg his first defeat. The moment Eric Bischof fired Steve Austin was basically the beginning of the end years earlier. To fire the most talented guy (in terms of personality) and have instead former WWE guys run the show was the dumbest decision in rasslin history.
Bret Hart is one of only nine WCW Triple Crown Champions. He had a great run with the company. Suggestions to the contrary are myths fostered by WWE and their fans to distract from the fact that they screwed Bret over terribly in Montreal.
@@Tourist-Q firing Austin was the right call. Steve no-showed events and thus wasn't actually doing his job. When you're managing a company as Eric was you can't just let employees show up when they want to. Austin was a great wrestler but had a dud personality in WCW. He developed his "Stone Cold" gimmick later in ECW. WCW wasn't really going too well while Austin was there. The WWF wasn't really going too well either during the early 90s either, it was a bad time until WCW changed things in 96 with the nWo. And sorry but your idea of having a face vs face match to end Goldberg's streak is just madness, it would have zero heat whatsoever. Goldberg vs Nash had an awesome buildup and great heat. Nash going over was the right call. Where it went wrong was what happened AFTER that with the Finger Poke of Doom when Nash laid down for Hogan, because there was also huge heat around that potential match too.
@@namikstudios Bischoff put belt on HIMSELF and on an actor (David Arquette), who by the way is a huge fan of Wrestling and have said multiple times how idiotic it was. 😑😑 My point is, just having belts means nothing when booking is horrible and Eric totally missed that opportunity most likely because he was riding the cool aid of NWO and brothers! 😎😎
@@Dizzy1980he’s the worst at it. He never lets his guests finish a sentence. The key to being a good interviewer is to ask your question and then shut the fuck up.
Aww, hell yeah. I didn't know Eric Bischoff was on OTR. I remember looking for it on youtube, but not being able to find it. Thanks for posting all these great OTR interviews.
Eric really did have a great crusierweight division in WCW if you think about everything he did with Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman, Psycosis, Chavo Guerrero, Shane Helms and Shannon Moore, etc...he had a ton of talented wrestlers there and he was really changing wrestling as whole with more of a high flying, high impact, fast luchadore type of style...he made a big influence on TNA and ROH in that respect but not really WWE because Vince will never put smaller guys over sadly..
@@matthew986 83 weeks in a row. some say wrestling wouldnt exist without eric bischoff, because before bischoff it was Shower-Man vs The Russian Pirate
I agree with Bischoff when he says too much of the business has been revealed. Bobby Heenan said the same thing around the time he first got sick. He said wrestling will never be as big as it was again because we have the let the audience in on everything. We know how they do all their tricks.
+Razor Smith It's a great "what if", isn't it? I don't really think WCW, even if they hadn't let Austin go, would have been able to capitalize on the lightning-in-a-bottle McMahon did. What I mean by that is WCW didn't create stars; they utilized pre-made stars. Jericho/Benoit/Guerrero/Mysterio were mid-card acts in WCW who all went onto huge success in the WWF/E. Austin probably would have fit that mould; hardly anyone in WCW broke the glass ceiling (Goldberg is probably exempt from that statement). Make no mistake about it, Bischoff fired the (at worst) third-biggest star in the history of wrestling, but I don't think Austin would have hit such heights were the history books erased and re-started.
Steve was going over anywhere, Vince didn’t do it nor did Eric this was an Austin thing he made it happen, he became stone cold unofficially of course in ECW and he was a CANT MISS talent.
People love to trash Bischoff but this guy knows how to generate heat and how to do things in the wrestling business. There is a reason why Vince snagged him off the Market after the the WCW acquisition..
Despite how anyone might feel about him personally, Eric Bischoff is insanely charismatic and well spoken. In an off the cuff in environment he doesn't miss a fucking beat and has a nice vocabulary.
Lol I'm watching the video and thinking to myself what does he think he's Razor Ramon with that piece of hair and then I read your comment and as soon as I read your comment Eric says ( No I wasn't trying to be one of the boys). I just thought that was funny.
Jim T. Yeah your mom and dad are going to have a wonderful time in Florida but it's nice to have a very Merry Christmas Everyone okay Ye Call me when you get a chance ok wwe Friday night snack Down Yes ok Eric Bischoff Kurt Angle ok Yes TONIGHT WWE Network okay Yes Family Email address ok Yes okay WWE Network Christmas party is going to be tomorrow morning to get Outlook for Android developer
Are you kidding me WCW was not a failure WCW was beating WWE in the rankings for over a year straight they acquired many talented wrestlers from the WWE Eric Bischoff made that show number 1 on cable television. He made millions of dollars doing this. If you ask me just because it ended its not a failure this was a success
He told Lansburg on his own show he doesn't pay attention to anybody but himself. Loved that. While I enjoyed the platform he gave wrestling I think he is one of the worst interviewers I have ever heard. Cuts EVERYBODY off
Eric Bischoff is one of the most controversial personalities in professional wrestling, but the simple fact is... ..he's good at what he does. Everyone accredits Bischoff for WCW's downfall, but it was more than just Bischoff who lead to the demise of WCW. He worked with WWE after WCW closed up until like.. 2005? and WWE is still on the air today, so it's not like he is the soul destroyer of pro wrestling. But the simple fact does remain, Bischoff is damn good at what he does.
Jamar Rippy it was going to happen the deal came so close too be official. Time Warner were such scumbags they killed the offer. Whether it had too do with ratings or just because the no love of wrestling. Turner was out of power. Bischoff had no power, by 2001 WCW was just a dead deal, and the company was destroyed. Sad to see since it was a very nice product, they slipped with power, but the lesson was taught.
eric bischoff and a group of investors couldnt buy wcw because they didnt have a network for the show. and AOL didnt want wrestling on their network. so the idiots sold a huge amount of content for pennies and wwe makes tons of money for it forever.
@@qweasdzxcname In a interview with stone cold, bischoff said that the company fusient media would have bought wcw with an upside being distribution. Had it happened man it would be awesome but if you guys wanna blame someone blame jamie kelner/kilner. He said that he does not want wrestling on the air and killed the deal few weeks later vince bought it for pennies on the dollar.
He was going 2 buy it but he back out because he couldn't get any TV time slots.. so he was screwed out of it that's why he left before the business closed
The difference is the McMahons lived the wrestling life. They didn't know any different. WCW was a venture to re-brand itself. Those guys the WCW coveted, were guys Vince let go because he wanted WWE to grow & expand. Not become stagnant & beholden to the past. Vince saw the writing on the walls, he knew had WCW acquired those guys (Hogan Macho, Razor, etc..) he would have to eat it for a while. But vince was always a big picture guy. He knew WWE was the bigger & better platform. He knew WCW garnered towards more the southern states & that WWE was much more bi-coastal & global for that matter. The WCW was always a ticking time bomb. It wasn't a matter of how, it was a matter of when. WWE was giving the reigns to the younger talent, the talent that had longevity. While WCW was clinging on to the past... a past that was still very popular... but a past that would fizzle over time, & time in which these older guys didn't have much left. Vince gambled on his guys, his stars & won. Period.
chris joseph that's the entire point - new guys. new talent. so yes, the rock & austin were hugely instrumental in the success of the WWE at the time. successful talent + vince mcmahon go hand in hand.
I don't really agree. There were a lot of things that WCW did better. The WCW undercard blew WWF's out of the fuckin water. I remember the cruiserweights like Guerrero, Malenko, Jericho and even guys like Kidman and Juventud putting on amazing matches every week. Guys like Fit Finlay, Arn Anderson, and Booker T made the tv title mean something. Benoit and Booker T had a best of 7 series of matches that were great. And even though WCW guys hammer for featuring main event guys that couldn't work, they did have a few that knew how to put on a good match....guys like Savage, Hall, DDP, Flair, and DDP. The problem wasn't when, because WCW had all the tools they needed to keep their success going for a long time. If Sting and Hogan hadn't had such a dud of a match at Starrcade, they could've rode on the coat tails of that feud for another year...easy. And around that time was the emergence of Goldberg. If they had been patient with Goldberg and gave him feuds, the fans wouldn't have burnt out on him so quickly and it would've meant more when he beat someone...instead of just random Nitro squashes. They had a ton of star power and they had all the young talent they ever needed. You're right in that they clung to the past. But had WCW played their cards right, and if they didn't have Turner people telling them how to run wrestling, they had the tools to be successful and they could still be around today. WWE today isn't doing any better numbers than WCW was when they were at their worst.
StuUngar no doubt those guys were great... but *MOST* people don't go to shows for 'middle of the card' performers. much like a NBA team, the product really only goes as far as the top 3-4 performers go. but u can say that for almost any industry.
StuUngar You made a lot of good points, almost all of them. The storylines SHOULD of went a little longer than expected. Can you clarify the remark when you said Gold and random Nitro "squashes"??? Can you elaborate specifically, thanks!
Had McMahon kept a closed leash with The Rock and Stone Cold, it would of gave WCW the edge and WWF going down. I agree with McMahon calling the shots back then and letting The Rock and Stone Cold characters develop making them excitable dimensional wrestlers inside and oustide of the ring. Today there are weak storylines in WWE, letting Triple H running the company down the drain and rubbish of a $10 a month WWE 247 channel. This company is looking out for their venture capital interest(s) and not for the fans anymore. A public trading company, board of directors/trustees, corporate sponsors, there bigger vision is to be global and market to "little kids" now. The acting is so bad its obvious. Back then, you couldnt really tell "most" of the time... One more note, there is not much emphasis on technical wrestling in WWE/TNA stage, it seeks out the "athleticism" type of characters now, do you disagree or am i lost??
Weather you love Bischoff or you hate him you know for a fact he is responsible for the WWE stepping up its game and evolving into the Attitude Era Tell me otherwise I dare ya !!!!
WCW was definitely improving by January 2001. The roster was pared down greatly, with lots of dead weight gone (though it left the roster rather thin). They were getting back to focusing on the wrestling, with somewhat boring but sensible booking. They were focusing on some new stars and new angles, and bringing in some fresh blood off the indies (Chris Daniels, Mike Modest, AJ Styles) or free agency (like RVD). I thought they could have done OK if the sale to Fusient went through.
Brett went from being the champion to being back where belonged ... In the mid card... He should've known what he was going to into, he knew where he was back in the WWF when the other guys were there, he wasn't the biggest star, he had very little charisma, very little global demand or value, he compared himself to hulk Hogan when the reality was hulk was a global phenomenon, a massive attention grabber, he sold so much merch globally, he was a hero to an entire generation of kids who at this point had grown into the people who remember him being a tag guy, they could be not and would not ever see him as a big star attraction he thought he was.
Bischoff is not as terrible as some claim-but he's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is either; remember that he was using stars who were already established and well past their prime, turned up a chance at new stars who became some of the highest grossing wrestlers of all time, and he had the unlimited financial resources and guaranteed television deals that came from being part of the Turner empire.
Secular Scot I think it was one of those things that wcw wanted to win right away so they signed all those older wrestlers but that was a two way street since his younger guys sometimes never got big on wcw.
i loved Bischoff as a heel in the original nWo. i loved Bischoff as a Hollywood Hogan escort/cheerleader. i loved his antics. i loved his ideas. i still love him now. i am and always was a huge Bischoff mark and im proud of it
I used to hate Eric back in the WCW days but I've really come to like and respect him after seeing more candid interviews with him out of character. Very smart guy
Eric Bischoff revolutionized Monday Nights for Wrestling and brought Wrestling more into Pop Culture this guy is a mother F'n Genius #EricBischoffGuyForever.
This is something that doesn't seem to exsist anymore...now people just yell and insult each other but never actually have an interview? Smh Michael used the tactic to draw out info and personality from his guests and although it could be aggressive at times the man got results. Very interesting to watch, even now years later 😎👌👏 great interview.
he's grown on me. he can be a bit childish and embarrassingly has no sense of humour but hes a great interviewer with great questions and a genuine passion for wrestling.
I really would like to know more about what it was like for Bischoff to work at TNT/Time Warner. He was able to speak to Turner in a meeting to get Nitro, but never was able to meet him again in person? And was he really pressurized from TNT executives?
Going back and watching these interviews you know Landsberg isn't a bad interviewer at all is he agressive in his interview style for sure he is and yeah maybe he does interrupt his guests a lot but he also seems to like to have a bit of fun and joke a little with his guests if anything it makes him relatable almost letting people know that yes this is my career and I am working right now but I'm just a regular guy that likes to joke instead of being uptight like other interviewers it would be flat out ignorant to say he's terrible at his job if he really was as bad as people say he is. he would've never had that show and it definitely wouldn't have done as good as it did so if you don't like him you don't like him but does that make him a terrible interviewer absolutely not intact he's dam good just because you don't like someone doesn't mean they're terrible at their job
NO matter what anyone says WCW being shut down RUINED wrestling , with out the Competition VInce no longer gave us real edgey angles and allowed outsiders ,TV Show Drama writers and so on to kill pro wrestling .
If nothing else, credit Bischoff for what he talks about at around the 17 minute mark. If WCW hadn't pushed the WWF to improve itself and discard its old ways, there would ne nothing to stop Vince from continuing with the same "The Wrestling Clown" or "The Wrestling Garbage Man" vs. jobber squashes on a Raw that was taped 4 weeks earlier. Look at how stagnant WWE has been for about the last 7 years. VKM is very VERY content to go thru the motions, with flatlining yet steady profits today.
I went to The Keg steakhouse and bar. I got diarrhea. I was shitting all over my car on the drive home. I went on to shit like there was no tomorrow for 3 more days. Then, for some reason, I went back there--just for some beer and curly fries this time. Sure enough, more diarrhea. Enough to fill a milk carton before I even got home. Then that night I shit all over my sheets and covers. Just shit everywhere. I do keep going back, however. The place really isn't that bad.
Bischoff explained it himself early on. He's not a social guy, and he believes in keeping a certain level of mystique with his real personality and his character. Combination of the two.
Because people like myself are fascinated as to why the business fell. It's an interesting story. This is a company that was neck and neck with a competing company, and even beat it out 86 weeks (or some approximate number) in a row, and then fell on almost out of nowhere and instantaneously. It's the most interesting story in wrestling, next to the establishment/start of WCW in 1988.
![Shawn.Michaels - Off The Record [03.24.03] FULL](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5GuUQGeJ6LA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Shawn.Michaels - Off The Record [03.24.03] FULL](/img/tr.png)
It's hilarious that he references the band "Kiss" that is on a never ending farewell tour and here 18 years after this interview they are STILL on a farewell tour.
Lol yeah! Kiss and Cher keep doing that bullshit.
Farewell Tour = Money Grabs. Idky why ppl still fall for it
Thier farewell tour has lasted longer than most bands careers lol
most people usually use the stones in that example
🤣
I’ve watched nearly every interview he’s done with wrestlers…and damn am I now craving The Keg Steakhouse and Bar!
steekhouse and berrr
Seeyah teenight
Seriously! We had The Keg in Washington and I think they're all gone now unfortunately. Loved that place.
For great steaks, good friends!
😂
For some reason I love these interviews. I was 9 in 03' so this makes me feel like I'm a kid again watching TV.
I feel the exact same way. I started watching in the summer of ‘03 right before summerslam and I was 9 years old too. I stopped for good around ‘07, it seemed like everything was so different in such a short amount of time. But about a year ago I found jim Ross’s podcast and listening to that has me going back and rewatching a lot of the stuff they talk about. It’s a fun time going back and watching this stuff through my adult perspective. Crazy to think back then we didn’t have UA-cam or wwe network lol
Sorry for the essay…
The production value of this talk show was fantastic
I was 12 in 03 wanna be friends 😂
I really enjoy watching these older shows on wrestling; it makes me miss the early 2000's and, of course, the 90's.
Giga Force I absolutely agree with you!
me to...i only watch 1997 till 2001 wrestling period
I was born in 1997!
@@Allen7 that's attitude era, xdxd
@@GuestUA-camUser you missed out
"It's the same reason why Kiss has been on a farewell tour for the last 4 years"
Eric Bischoff - 2003 (17 years ago)
My thought 😂😂
"The industry will get smaller" boy was he right.
Lack of competition ultimately is not good.
zachos2 The thing is Vince knew that..He never wanted to brankcupt WCW...But AOL didn't want to be in the wrestling business...Eric Bichoff tried to buy WCW, but it felt through. WCW was the best thing to happen to WWF/E...İt changed the business. It made it evolve. I miss the competition.
Tyler Brown WWE though was still good after Wcw went out of bussiness in 2001 WWE was good in 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 it started slowly going down around 2008 /2009
@@adampruitt9211 I think you're being way too kind in regards to WWE...
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT CRUISERWEIGHTS, NOT THE BUSINESS.
It's awesome being an 83 Weeks listener and seeing how he's had the same continuity on all his opinions # respect
True. He's very consistent and well spoken. Really enjoy listening to him
It’s what happens when you get a businessman involved in wrestling as opposed to a wrestling guy.
Exactly why WCW was able to prosper is because he was able to think outside the wrestling bubble
@@MrPerfect2000Z then he got overpowered by WCW execs who killed the company by firing Eric and hiring the greatest mind in the business, Mr Russo.
He isn't always consistent, he says here that Hogan never exercised creative control. But in a recent documentary he said Hogan nixed the Starrcade 1997 ending because he didn't 100% want to put Sting over clean.
Bischoff "whoever i had make the phone call could here steve in the back saying tell them sons a bitchs im not here" lmao!!!!
Sounds like Steve Austin.
Everytime I watch OTR I feel the urge to have a keg steak and beer.
Does the keg steak and beer still exist in canada.
Fuckin See Ya Tonight!!!
See ya tonight
Seeya tonight!
I'm still a fan of bischoff. At times he was a really comedic interesting character in my opinion.
totally understand that, honestly, it was HIM that created the attitude era with controversy = cash cuz he turned hogan heel and forced WWF to get attitude.
bischoff is a wrestling legend period.
Undeniable
The only man in the history of the wrestling business to beat Vince McMahon 83 weeks Vince was getting his ass handed to him at that time his name will immortalized in the wrestling business there's only one Eric Bischoff
He was, no fucking doubt he was!! but he fell off HARD. He couldn't adapt with the times. Not a one hit wonder but his time was very short
@@georgemunro9640
Vince basically beat himself.. He was just off his game for a few years.. Once he got it back together, it was game over for WCW.. Sad honestly because competition is good.. The business was Def at an all time high in the late 90's..
Could someone please post the interview they flashbacked too of bischoff bragging bout winning the war
Eric never gets enough credit for what he has done in my opinion..
Oh he gets plenty of credit - its just not positive
Tell me that ain't Bischoff in a shit color leather jacket! Heels are cool BLACK LEATHER CLADDED bad guys!
He forced the WWF at the time to change there ways. He’s a legend, deserves to be respected.
I totally agree that he doesn't get enough credit for all the things he contributed to the wrestling industry.
He forced the WWF to change their ways because he was kicking their ass in ratings for like 70 straight weeks. That’s a fact!!
Bischoff is a businessman, he is never out of a job. During his 4 years or so with the WWE he was working on other projects. Even now with him working behind the scenes with TNA he still has other TV projects he and Jason Hervey work on, all of which have been largely successful. I am confident if he purchased WCW, he would have turned the company around and made positive changes.
Only if he would have been able to show it on a non-Turner network. That was the problem, he couldn't compete with WWF on USA network where they would essentially have a pornstar character (Val Venis), the crotch chopping, the cussing by Austin etc.
WCW simply couldn't do any of that on a Turner network so it is very, very interesting to see how WCW would have competed if he was allowed to go 'all the way' like WWF could on USA network.
Lol this is hilarious. After one commercial break they're laughing and having a good time. Next commercial break Eric is pissed off looking at him with a death stare.
Lol
Because Michael is a total goof that never shuts his ugly mouth
At least this guy isn't afraid to interview Wrestlers, some sports journalists think it''s beneath them to interview wrestlers.
or you just get fanboys. Always loved landsberg smugness
In my opinion, bischoff is the man
Bischoff is a great talker. Seems to be genuine and straight forward
This should have been a hour long episode! Would like to heard more from eric
I am not here to support this man but 100% consistent with what he says today, rare in wrestling
Just commented the same thing. He says the exact same things on his podcast today.
i love bischoff's interviews because we listen to an actual wrestling/entertainment-executive (intellectual person) and not another wrestler or some old school writers.
Bischoff was a genius, he is so so so underrated
Agree----most people would not know what to do or would shit their pants if they had all his pressure and responsibilities.
"I'm back and I'm better than ever" very catchy entrance theme
Eric really failed to capitalize on Bret Hart. No matter how he spins it, he is the same guy who always had the mind of "go with the flow" so to speak. Look at Vince what he did after Montreal Screwjob, he made Mr. McMahon the biggest heal in the history of this business and made Austin arguably (one of ) the biggest stars. Eric on the other hand, completely wasted Bret Hart and saying it was because Hart didn't have the passion anymore and kinda putting the whole blame on Hart is just plain wrong.
Whatever "plans" Eric had for Bret Hart when he came, he SHOULD have changed and fully capitalize on what was at that time the biggest and hottest news in wrestling and Eric had the biggest piece of that story with him.
honestly VInce, needed the screwjob to make an awesome heel character, otherwise people would have thought he was just copying Bischoff.
Not capitalizing on Sting was a far bigger mistake. He allowed Hulk Hogan to influence Starcade 1997 to such a degree that it turned into a disaster.
Eric should have told Hulk to put Sting over, but he let Hulk have his way.
Also he allowed the "bad guys" NWO to take over.... It was like Harry Potter vs. Voldemort - it began with Hulk, Nash & Hall, and it got bigger and bigger... Eventually everyone became a member.
The good guys (Sting, Goldberg, Flair, Benoit, Booker T, Jericho, Mysterio, Giant, maybe Bret Hart too) were supposed to beat the bad guys in the end.... But instead Nash beat Goldberg.... The whole show went nowhere.
Sting became a member of the incredibly moronic idea that was the Wolfpac and essentially a bad guy too.
The correct idea would have been to have the loners Goldberg and Sting work together, become the leaders of the good guys and finish the NWO once and for all.
Then Sting and Goldberg would clash and have their big match and Sting would be the guy to finally hand Goldberg his first defeat.
The moment Eric Bischof fired Steve Austin was basically the beginning of the end years earlier.
To fire the most talented guy (in terms of personality) and have instead former WWE guys run the show was the dumbest decision in rasslin history.
Bret Hart is one of only nine WCW Triple Crown Champions. He had a great run with the company. Suggestions to the contrary are myths fostered by WWE and their fans to distract from the fact that they screwed Bret over terribly in Montreal.
@@Tourist-Q firing Austin was the right call. Steve no-showed events and thus wasn't actually doing his job. When you're managing a company as Eric was you can't just let employees show up when they want to. Austin was a great wrestler but had a dud personality in WCW. He developed his "Stone Cold" gimmick later in ECW. WCW wasn't really going too well while Austin was there. The WWF wasn't really going too well either during the early 90s either, it was a bad time until WCW changed things in 96 with the nWo.
And sorry but your idea of having a face vs face match to end Goldberg's streak is just madness, it would have zero heat whatsoever. Goldberg vs Nash had an awesome buildup and great heat. Nash going over was the right call. Where it went wrong was what happened AFTER that with the Finger Poke of Doom when Nash laid down for Hogan, because there was also huge heat around that potential match too.
@@namikstudios Bischoff put belt on HIMSELF and on an actor (David Arquette), who by the way is a huge fan of Wrestling and have said multiple times how idiotic it was. 😑😑
My point is, just having belts means nothing when booking is horrible and Eric totally missed that opportunity most likely because he was riding the cool aid of NWO and brothers! 😎😎
Poor Landsberg. I don't even think he realizes how condescending he comes off.
He's got great questions, but he needs to quit interrupting people. It's irritating.
i think he DEFINITELY realises lmfaoooo
@@Dizzy1980he’s the worst at it. He never lets his guests finish a sentence. The key to being a good interviewer is to ask your question and then shut the fuck up.
@@diabloturco8849yep he plays into it 😂 I can’t stand him/but he makes it entertaining
He’s great at getting what he wants from his guests and he’s not afraid to challenge them on hard questions
Landsberg only likes listening to himself lol. Bisshoff rules
Yes, that was a good one. Bisshoff is a smart dude.
it's 2022 and I still luv watching this interviews-------all because of youtube
Eric, Paul heyman and Vince are three of the greatest wrestling minds of all time.
Aww, hell yeah. I didn't know Eric Bischoff was on OTR. I remember looking for it on youtube, but not being able to find it. Thanks for posting all these great OTR interviews.
Eric really did have a great crusierweight division in WCW if you think about everything he did with Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman, Psycosis, Chavo Guerrero, Shane Helms and Shannon Moore, etc...he had a ton of talented wrestlers there and he was really changing wrestling as whole with more of a high flying, high impact, fast luchadore type of style...he made a big influence on TNA and ROH in that respect but not really WWE because Vince will never put smaller guys over sadly..
Accountants telling what to write, thats hilarious shit lol
for great steaks, good friends see you tonight!
Smart guy!!! Made mistakes...but he's clever as fuck
+Antonia Cortez He beat Vince McMahon. 'Nuff said.
@@travismcdonald6576 When he beat Vince?
@@matthew986 83 weeks in a row.
some say wrestling wouldnt exist without eric bischoff, because before bischoff it was Shower-Man vs The Russian Pirate
McMahon created the platform but Eric created the template of the Monday night era. Monthly ppv’s, going live, etc
Do you watch 83 Weeks on here?
Need the 98 interview on here
ever find it?
@@BossChronicles
She must be still lookin for it.
Found it ?
Found it yet?
@@freddymyers943 the Slamboree interview?
That Wrestlemaina in Seattle was the best I ever seen to this day.
For me the greatest wrestlemania ever
I agree with Bischoff when he says too much of the business has been revealed. Bobby Heenan said the same thing around the time he first got sick. He said wrestling will never be as big as it was again because we have the let the audience in on everything. We know how they do all their tricks.
" I GOT NOTHING BUT LOVEE FOR YOU PEOPLE !!!" ( BISCHOFF'S VOICE)
I respect bishoff he was right about Austin he did get injured a lot in wcw and wwf
+Razor Smith It's a great "what if", isn't it? I don't really think WCW, even if they hadn't let Austin go, would have been able to capitalize on the lightning-in-a-bottle McMahon did.
What I mean by that is WCW didn't create stars; they utilized pre-made stars. Jericho/Benoit/Guerrero/Mysterio were mid-card acts in WCW who all went onto huge success in the WWF/E. Austin probably would have fit that mould; hardly anyone in WCW broke the glass ceiling (Goldberg is probably exempt from that statement). Make no mistake about it, Bischoff fired the (at worst) third-biggest star in the history of wrestling, but I don't think Austin would have hit such heights were the history books erased and re-started.
You're an idiot
Steve was going over anywhere, Vince didn’t do it nor did Eric this was an Austin thing he made it happen, he became stone cold unofficially of course in ECW and he was a CANT MISS talent.
2020 and Kiss is still on a farewell tour!!!
People love to trash Bischoff but this guy knows how to generate heat and how to do things in the wrestling business. There is a reason why Vince snagged him off the Market after the the WCW acquisition..
That ladies and gentlemen is what intelligence, confidence, and ambition looks like.
ERIC BISCHOFF FIRED AUSTIN FROM WCW AND AUSTIN BURIED WCW FOREVER......🤣🤣🤣
Despite how anyone might feel about him personally, Eric Bischoff is insanely charismatic and well spoken. In an off the cuff in environment he doesn't miss a fucking beat and has a nice vocabulary.
Is Bischoff little piece of hair driving anyone else bananas?
+gostate 2014 haha yeah man. I couldn't stop staring at it.
gostate 2014 he kinda had the Razor Roman/Scott Hall going on with the little bit hair hanging on his forhead lol
Lol I'm watching the video and thinking to myself what does he think he's Razor Ramon with that piece of hair and then I read your comment and as soon as I read your comment Eric says ( No I wasn't trying to be one of the boys).
I just thought that was funny.
STAHP LOOKIN AT IT.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Brutus the barber Beefcake
I watched Eric Bischoff's DVD and it was great!!
Which DVD would that be?
Jim T. Yeah your mom and dad are going to have a wonderful time in Florida but it's nice to have a very Merry Christmas Everyone okay Ye Call me when you get a chance ok wwe Friday night snack Down Yes ok Eric Bischoff Kurt Angle ok Yes TONIGHT WWE Network okay Yes Family Email address ok Yes okay WWE Network Christmas party is going to be tomorrow morning to get Outlook for Android developer
@@Keranu Eric Bischoff: Sports Entertainments most controversial figure
Eric Bischoff changed wrestling
Are you kidding me WCW was not a failure WCW was beating WWE in the rankings for over a year straight they acquired many talented wrestlers from the WWE Eric Bischoff made that show number 1 on cable television. He made millions of dollars doing this. If you ask me just because it ended its not a failure this was a success
He told Lansburg on his own show he doesn't pay attention to anybody but himself. Loved that. While I enjoyed the platform he gave wrestling I think he is one of the worst interviewers I have ever heard. Cuts EVERYBODY off
He presses buttons. As much as I want to smash his face in, he gives a damn good interview.
@@shootboxpodcast he asks the right questions, but doesn't let them finish the response
He honestly gives the best interviews though. He doesn’t hold back and isn’t afraid to get personal.
it's been more than 10 years since this interview a lot of things happened/changed time for a 2014 Interview!
It’s been ten years since this comment, that’s wild 😬
Eric Bischoff is one of the most controversial personalities in professional wrestling, but the simple fact is... ..he's good at what he does. Everyone accredits Bischoff for WCW's downfall, but it was more than just Bischoff who lead to the demise of WCW. He worked with WWE after WCW closed up until like.. 2005? and WWE is still on the air today, so it's not like he is the soul destroyer of pro wrestling. But the simple fact does remain, Bischoff is damn good at what he does.
WCW should have sold to Eric Bischoff!
I agree he would have made a monster again
Jamar Rippy it was going to happen the deal came so close too be official. Time Warner were such scumbags they killed the offer. Whether it had too do with ratings or just because the no love of wrestling. Turner was out of power. Bischoff had no power, by 2001 WCW was just a dead deal, and the company was destroyed. Sad to see since it was a very nice product, they slipped with power, but the lesson was taught.
eric bischoff and a group of investors couldnt buy wcw because they didnt have a network for the show. and AOL didnt want wrestling on their network. so the idiots sold a huge amount of content for pennies and wwe makes tons of money for it forever.
@@qweasdzxcname
In a interview with stone cold, bischoff said that the company fusient media would have bought wcw with an upside being distribution. Had it happened man it would be awesome but if you guys wanna blame someone blame jamie kelner/kilner. He said that he does not want wrestling on the air and killed the deal few weeks later vince bought it for pennies on the dollar.
He was going 2 buy it but he back out because he couldn't get any TV time slots.. so he was screwed out of it that's why he left before the business closed
The difference is the McMahons lived the wrestling life. They didn't know any different. WCW was a venture to re-brand itself. Those guys the WCW coveted, were guys Vince let go because he wanted WWE to grow & expand. Not become stagnant & beholden to the past. Vince saw the writing on the walls, he knew had WCW acquired those guys (Hogan Macho, Razor, etc..) he would have to eat it for a while. But vince was always a big picture guy. He knew WWE was the bigger & better platform. He knew WCW garnered towards more the southern states & that WWE was much more bi-coastal & global for that matter.
The WCW was always a ticking time bomb. It wasn't a matter of how, it was a matter of when. WWE was giving the reigns to the younger talent, the talent that had longevity. While WCW was clinging on to the past... a past that was still very popular... but a past that would fizzle over time, & time in which these older guys didn't have much left. Vince gambled on his guys, his stars & won. Period.
chris joseph that's the entire point - new guys. new talent. so yes, the rock & austin were hugely instrumental in the success of the WWE at the time.
successful talent + vince mcmahon go hand in hand.
I don't really agree. There were a lot of things that WCW did better. The WCW undercard blew WWF's out of the fuckin water. I remember the cruiserweights like Guerrero, Malenko, Jericho and even guys like Kidman and Juventud putting on amazing matches every week. Guys like Fit Finlay, Arn Anderson, and Booker T made the tv title mean something. Benoit and Booker T had a best of 7 series of matches that were great.
And even though WCW guys hammer for featuring main event guys that couldn't work, they did have a few that knew how to put on a good match....guys like Savage, Hall, DDP, Flair, and DDP.
The problem wasn't when, because WCW had all the tools they needed to keep their success going for a long time. If Sting and Hogan hadn't had such a dud of a match at Starrcade, they could've rode on the coat tails of that feud for another year...easy. And around that time was the emergence of Goldberg.
If they had been patient with Goldberg and gave him feuds, the fans wouldn't have burnt out on him so quickly and it would've meant more when he beat someone...instead of just random Nitro squashes.
They had a ton of star power and they had all the young talent they ever needed. You're right in that they clung to the past. But had WCW played their cards right, and if they didn't have Turner people telling them how to run wrestling, they had the tools to be successful and they could still be around today. WWE today isn't doing any better numbers than WCW was when they were at their worst.
StuUngar no doubt those guys were great... but *MOST* people don't go to shows for 'middle of the card' performers. much like a NBA team, the product really only goes as far as the top 3-4 performers go. but u can say that for almost any industry.
StuUngar You made a lot of good points, almost all of them. The storylines SHOULD of went a little longer than expected. Can you clarify the remark when you said Gold and random Nitro "squashes"??? Can you elaborate specifically, thanks!
Had McMahon kept a closed leash with The Rock and Stone Cold, it would of gave WCW the edge and WWF going down. I agree with McMahon calling the shots back then and letting The Rock and Stone Cold characters develop making them excitable dimensional wrestlers inside and oustide of the ring. Today there are weak storylines in WWE, letting Triple H running the company down the drain and rubbish of a $10 a month WWE 247 channel. This company is looking out for their venture capital interest(s) and not for the fans anymore. A public trading company, board of directors/trustees, corporate sponsors, there bigger vision is to be global and market to "little kids" now. The acting is so bad its obvious. Back then, you couldnt really tell "most" of the time... One more note, there is not much emphasis on technical wrestling in WWE/TNA stage, it seeks out the "athleticism" type of characters now, do you disagree or am i lost??
Weather you love Bischoff or you hate him you know for a fact he is responsible for the WWE stepping up its game and evolving into the Attitude Era Tell me otherwise I dare ya !!!!
Great interview and Eric was up against it with the restrictions
WCW was definitely improving by January 2001. The roster was pared down greatly, with lots of dead weight gone (though it left the roster rather thin). They were getting back to focusing on the wrestling, with somewhat boring but sensible booking. They were focusing on some new stars and new angles, and bringing in some fresh blood off the indies (Chris Daniels, Mike Modest, AJ Styles) or free agency (like RVD). I thought they could have done OK if the sale to Fusient went through.
Brett went from being the champion to being back where belonged ... In the mid card... He should've known what he was going to into, he knew where he was back in the WWF when the other guys were there, he wasn't the biggest star, he had very little charisma, very little global demand or value, he compared himself to hulk Hogan when the reality was hulk was a global phenomenon, a massive attention grabber, he sold so much merch globally, he was a hero to an entire generation of kids who at this point had grown into the people who remember him being a tag guy, they could be not and would not ever see him as a big star attraction he thought he was.
Sure would love to see that 1998 Interview with Bischoff
The industry is getting smaller. BRILLIANT. Two cruiserweights won at wrestlemania the next year
I love Eric Bischoff.
Bischoff is not as terrible as some claim-but he's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is either; remember that he was using stars who were already established and well past their prime, turned up a chance at new stars who became some of the highest grossing wrestlers of all time, and he had the unlimited financial resources and guaranteed television deals that came from being part of the Turner empire.
Daniel Ryan Hogan, at least, clearly wasn't past being able to draw. Even if he did overuse them.
Secular Scot I think it was one of those things that wcw wanted to win right away so they signed all those older wrestlers but that was a two way street since his younger guys sometimes never got big on wcw.
y he gotta keep cutting eric off that bum
Vince owns Eric
Wow 18 years today since this is interview time flys!!!! NWO 4 LIFE!
i loved Bischoff as a heel in the original nWo. i loved Bischoff as a Hollywood Hogan escort/cheerleader. i loved his antics. i loved his ideas. i still love him now. i am and always was a huge Bischoff mark and im proud of it
I used to hate Eric back in the WCW days but I've really come to like and respect him after seeing more candid interviews with him out of character. Very smart guy
there was a light heaveyweight champ in the WWWF waaaayyyy back in the 70s
bishoff wasone of the guys i looked up to back in the 4th grade !! haha
always been a heel supporter !
Bischoff is so underrated for what he has accomplished in wrestling.
Eric Bischoff revolutionized Monday Nights for Wrestling and brought Wrestling more into Pop Culture this guy is a mother F'n Genius #EricBischoffGuyForever.
This is something that doesn't seem to exsist anymore...now people just yell and insult each other but never actually have an interview? Smh Michael used the tactic to draw out info and personality from his guests and although it could be aggressive at times the man got results. Very interesting to watch, even now years later 😎👌👏 great interview.
That interviewer must have had a sprinkle of cocaine in his coffee, there is not a moment of silence after Eric finishes what he is saying.
I agree with you that's what I do not like about him is he cuts off his guests before they try to finish what they are saying.
NO........he's just Canadian 😭
the show is only 20 minutes long so he needs to ask all the questions within that time period
What ! . . . Wow ! . . . Cocaine !
Landsberg smokes a half gram of meth a day and only sleeps on Sundays.
Hahah kiss are still on that farewell tour, hes a bloody visionary 😂
I would love to see his 1998 interview.
17:26 Cruiserweight division as Eric stated did not start In WCW it was popularized in Early days of ECW with mysterio and others.
he's grown on me. he can be a bit childish and embarrassingly has no sense of humour but hes a great interviewer with great questions and a genuine passion for wrestling.
how do you challenge the nitro girls....they were awesome
It was certainly one of the worst days in history for wrestling. The lack of real competition even to this day is hurting the industry.
I really would like to know more about what it was like for Bischoff to work at TNT/Time Warner. He was able to speak to Turner in a meeting to get Nitro, but never was able to meet him again in person? And was he really pressurized from TNT executives?
Glad to see they sorted that bit of Eric's hair out during the break near the end. Well done guys!
Awesome interview
Why does everyone in the comments keep complaining about the host interrupting? He is conducting a interview that’s what they do.
still protecting Hogan, good thing he did cause he brought him to TNA
Eric seems way less greasy in this episode. So much more laid back and natural. Love that.
Going back and watching these interviews you know Landsberg isn't a bad interviewer at all is he agressive in his interview style for sure he is and yeah maybe he does interrupt his guests a lot but he also seems to like to have a bit of fun and joke a little with his guests if anything it makes him relatable almost letting people know that yes this is my career and I am working right now but I'm just a regular guy that likes to joke instead of being uptight like other interviewers it would be flat out ignorant to say he's terrible at his job if he really was as bad as people say he is. he would've never had that show and it definitely wouldn't have done as good as it did so if you don't like him you don't like him but does that make him a terrible interviewer absolutely not intact he's dam good just because you don't like someone doesn't mean they're terrible at their job
Bischoff seem like a nice person on this interview.... I would like to meet him someday
Very good interview fire
It royally sucks they ended this show - i was legitimately bummed for quite a while
Eric Bischoff is a true genius of wrestling!
NO matter what anyone says WCW being shut down RUINED wrestling , with out the Competition VInce no longer gave us real edgey angles and allowed outsiders ,TV Show Drama writers and so on to kill pro wrestling .
Wow good interveiw
If nothing else, credit Bischoff for what he talks about at around the 17 minute mark. If WCW hadn't pushed the WWF to improve itself and discard its old ways, there would ne nothing to stop Vince from continuing with the same "The Wrestling Clown" or "The Wrestling Garbage Man" vs. jobber squashes on a Raw that was taped 4 weeks earlier. Look at how stagnant WWE has been for about the last 7 years. VKM is very VERY content to go thru the motions, with flatlining yet steady profits today.
I love Off the Record! lol
I went to The Keg steakhouse and bar. I got diarrhea. I was shitting all over my car on the drive home. I went on to shit like there was no tomorrow for 3 more days. Then, for some reason, I went back there--just for some beer and curly fries this time. Sure enough, more diarrhea. Enough to fill a milk carton before I even got home. Then that night I shit all over my sheets and covers. Just shit everywhere.
I do keep going back, however. The place really isn't that bad.
+Glorified Truth Lol
+Glorified Truth Lol
+Glorified Truth you should of used their bathroom, and blast the walls, teach them a lesson for putting laxative in your food, make them pay
Well, I live in the States now so I'll just do it at Perkins.
LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Listening to this sounds like Bischoff on his podcast today. You can say a lot of things about him, but you can't say he's not consistent.
Bischoff explained it himself early on. He's not a social guy, and he believes in keeping a certain level of mystique with his real personality and his character.
Combination of the two.
Watching this in 2024 …KISS finally retired a few months back. lol
Because people like myself are fascinated as to why the business fell. It's an interesting story. This is a company that was neck and neck with a competing company, and even beat it out 86 weeks (or some approximate number) in a row, and then fell on almost out of nowhere and instantaneously. It's the most interesting story in wrestling, next to the establishment/start of WCW in 1988.
It was ecw first in the us to have cruiserweights they got them from aaa wrestling in mexico
If time Warner never came in and WCW got some sense and just moved to Tuesday night we would have watched both
Bischoff rocks
The Keg steakhouse must really like this fool.