Full Transcript of Eric Bischoff's Answers to Questions Posted on Facebook – Tons of Information!

Source: Facebook
The following questions with Eric Bischoff’s answers were posted on Vince Russo’s Facebook page. Enjoy!
Vince Russo: A month ago, fan questions were answered here but that has been put on indefinite hiatus due to the negativity. However, Eric Bischoff has now started a Facebook Fan Page as well and you can go to it here: http://bit.ly/ericbischoff. He has answered many fan questions from Wednesday February 17, 2010 to Friday February 19, 2010 (latest replies to earliest replies).
Erm… WTF happened to my post!? Two people replied and now its gone!?
Eric Bischoff: I delete posts that contain profanity..not that I dont use an occasional F bomb in my daily conversations, but prefer not to have them posted here. Thanks for your post here though (WTF is acceptable).
I hope to see a 2 hour show filled with exciting wrestling and compelling storylines. WWE can’t compete with TNA’s in-ring product. Also, the TNA debut of Rob Van Dam would be really awesome!
Eric Bischoff: Not sure what Rob’s plans are…love to have him. He’s a great guy and an awesome talent!
Please dont allow Vince Russo to come back. Thanks. I HATE the four sided ring still but Im still an Impact fan
Eric Bischoff: He never went anywhere! Enjoy working with the team. How can you “hate” a wrestling ring?
Eric, we met years ago, albeit briefly, and I’ve always been admirer of your work. I think a major storyline still needs to be “who makes the cut” i.e. we have 30 guys and 15 “guaranteed” (what “guaranteed” means you decide) but keep the sense of “proving yourself” pressure on. Regards SteveV
Eric Bischoff: Thats a whole lot of TV time!
Hey Eric, I watched Impact for the first time in a while last night, and you guys have truly done an outstanding job so far! I have one simple question regarding the move to Monday nights: why start just as WWE is building toward Wrestlemania? That tends to be when they bring out their best anyway, and I found the timing of Impact’s Monday night debut very interesting.
Keep up the great work, and here’s hoping TNA makes Vince shake in his boots!
Eric Bischoff: I responded to that question earlier today. All things considered, this IS the best time in my opinion. EB
Eric, one issue I had with iMPACT was with AJ. While I think much of the stuff he is doing with Flair/Pope is fantastic, I am just hoping TNA does not cross the fine line between mentorship and just plain Charles Robinson Ric Flair Copy-cat. Many people have been saying that and are concerned that AJ will be turned into a copy of Flair, when really, he is a completely different person in real life, thus, he will be acting out a character rather than playing an amped up version of himself. I just fear it will be taken too far to the point where AJ is little natch and not AJ Styles.
Eric Bischoff: Interesting point. Thanks. EB
Hey Eric,hope all is well.I was wondering is Abyss(Chris Park)going to be unmasked soon?if so,what does Hulk Hogan have in store for him?seems hes trying what Flair is doing with AJ…best wishes.Peter R.
Eric Bischoff: If I told you it wouldnt be any fun to watch! Thanks for the post! EB
Thanks for coming back, I hope to see you guys push the x-division.
Eric Bischoff: You won’t be disappointed! I’ve loved that style of wrestling for a long time (cruiser weights).
Mr. Bischoff, I was wondering what your thought was regarding the rumor of Cheech and Chong hosting WWE Raw. It seems very hypocritical of them, with their stance on marajuana, to have two well known pot smokers hosting their flagship show. Is this something that you guys would take a fun little pot shot at come Monday night? I love when you attack that stale Raw show. I will bw watching TNA on Mondays!!!
Eric Bischoff: Actually I was thinking of rolling a fatty and opening the show with a bag of Doritos that night.
Eric, recently in an interview I read, you said one of your goals in TNA is to push and showcase younger talent. In the last few years, The Motor City Machine Guns have been completely underutilized and thrown on the backburner for months at a time. What do you think of the MCMGs and are they going to get a chance to step up to that next level and compete for the TNA tag titles?
Eric Bischoff: All in due time!
Hey Eric, here is some honest feedback of TNA; The wrestling quality is good, and I love how you push the younger guys, but the stories are pretty lame. Also, why get rid of the 6-sided ring?! It added a whole new dynamic!
Eric Bischoff: In my opinion it really didnt. It was a gimmick. The wrestlers didnt work any differently in the six sided ring than they did in a traditional ring. It also ate up too much of the screen and took the depth out of the venue. Thanks for the feedback though!
Hi Eric- got a few mates out here in Melbourne Australia and we have really got back into wrestling with you guys coming to TNA! The program is fantastic now and I look forward to it everyweek- thanks from all your Aussie fans
Eric Bischoff: Thanks Nathan!!! Look forward to coming back to Australia soon. EB
Please push the younger guys, they’ll never get over if you don’t use them…..
Eric Bischoff: Lets see, its been about six weeks…..AJ, Pope, Abyss, Mr. Anderson.
I’ve read you guys aren’t a big fan of Jay Lethal Current gimmick on various websites. Don’t know if it’s true or not. But i’m Sadden if its true, I would love to see some Comedy Skits with Lethal (The Macho Man wanna Be) and the Hulkster. With Russo in creative i’m sure you guys could come up with some great ones.
Eric Bischoff: You shouldn’t believe anything you read on a website…Jay is GREAT!
Fan “Dee West” vs Eric Bischoff:
Dee West: First of all let me start off by saying I’m a die hard wrestling fan, BUT I don’t agree with nor do I like Hulk Hogan and his goons (including you) in TNA. Don’t get me wrong I was a Hulk Hogan fan like millions of people are, but I don’t fall in line and think that he is gods gift to wrestling. Unlike most people (Yourself, Dixie Carter) I recognize what Hulk Hogan has done wrong in wrestling. I’m not afraid to call him on his bullshit. Hogan is there to quote take TNA to the top of the industry that we all love by pushing the younger guys. First off that is a crock of shit.
How do make room to push the younger talent in TNA past the veterans that are already there when you bring in useless talent like The Nasty Boys, who haven’t done anything in memory since 1994. Then you bring in Scott Hall and Sean Waltman, two guys who can’t even put the Vodka and the Valium down long enough for one t.v. taping. If you think that Hulk Hogan is in TNA to help TNA grow then you my friend are sadly mistaken. Hogan has done great things in the past granted, but lets not overlook all that he has done that has been horrible. I heard Ric Flair say that everything Hogan touches turns to gold. I beg the differ. All that glitters isn’t gold. Take a look at this.
Hulk Hogan’s failures
1.WCW
2.XWF
3.American Gladiators
4.Brooke Hogans singing career
5.His marriage to Linda
If Hulk Hogan cared so much about the well being of TNA then where was he in 2002 when Jeff Jarrett smashed a guitar over his head? That left an opening for Hogan to jump to TNA, did he? No. Why because TNA at the time didn’t have the financial backing that they do now so that Hogan could use it for his personal playground and not take a financial loss himself if TNA happened to fail. He did it in WCW he is doing it now. How in the hell are you helping someone by being paid to call the shots? Being paid to make yourself look better, being paid to have another shot at the lime light because you can’t realize that time has passed you by. Hulk Hogan I thank you for all that you have done in the past, but your damn near 60 years old. Step down save us and yourself from the disaster that was, The Finger Poke of Doom, That was The Giant Falling off the top of the arena and coming back to defeat you for the tittle later that night, That was the Yetti,Zodiac,Shark Man and everything else you came up with. I mean this is your last chance to dance. I mean unless your going to go on national tv again and cry about how you were on the verge of committing suicide just to gain sympathy. I don’t expect you to respond to this because I personally don’t think that you have the guts to do so. You will probably sweep it under the rug like you have done with the rest of your failures.
Sorry if I offened people, but I’m on here to speak the truth. I’m not a kiss and a Hogan Mark like most of you are. I keep it 100. If Eric Bischoff has the guts he will want to read what I have to say. You can get at my personal email address
wrestlingfanatic85@hotmail.com
I’m calling Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s bluff. I will personally fly myself down to Orlando to have a meeting with Hogan face to face.
Kevin Chuff: I agree with DEE west on Everything he said and i will go to flordia with him and call out hogan and Bischoff. Push the younger talent!
Dee West: Thank you Kevin someone had to say something, I just wasn’t afraid to. I say whats real and I will continue to say whats real until Bischoff takes notice and acknowledges what I have to say. If he really cares about what the fans think then he will.
Eric Bischoff: Dee, you are typical of the type of internet wrestling fan that gives internet wrestling fans a bad name. You don’t speak for the majority of wrestling fans, in fact the millions of people watching at home have decidedly different opinions than you based on ratings and research. You have a right to your opinion, but seriously, don’t flatter yourself by thinking that anyone other than yourself and a few other internet geeks care about your opinion!
Dee West: Oh joy Eric Bischoff is online. Now what I said is going to be not an opinion but a fact that Erich Bischoff isn’t going to acknowledge what I have to say.
Eric Bischoff: Thats because your a douche bag!
Dee West: If Eric Bischoff is such a geunius then why is he noted as the moron that said Austin wasn’t marketable? Oh please don’t fire me over the phone
Brandon Michael Surdock: At the timing he was right. Lets be honest. The Pope Sucked when he worked for WWE. Now with a new gimmick he’s a rising star. Timing/creative is everything. You think the undertaker started out as the undertaker. No it took him years to find the best gimmick that fitted him. Almost all your top guys today/in the past have been in different promotions under different gimmicks. If the company doesn’t have anything for them at that moment then that wrestler isn’t marketable for them. If Eric didn’t let Austin go u would never had a Stone Cold Steve Austin. If Vince didn’t let Razor Ramon and Diesel go you would never had a NWO
Eric Bischoff: Brandon, the same could be said for many of the top stars. It took Steve Austin 10+ years to find his “character” and much had to do with timing and circumstances. The Rock didn’t hit right away and neither do most characters. Try and name 5 top stars over the last 15 years who hit it big (consistent PPV main eventers) who were in the business for less than 10 years and who ended up in the characters they started out in. Good comments and thanks for the post. EB
Any chance of a royal rumble like concept appearing in TNA?
Eric Bischoff: Perhaps..discussing many ideas!
How about not pissing all over the TNA fans in the Impact Zone and actually listening to them. When I say fans I don’t mean the DAMN Bubba Army or your plants. The fans are pretty much telling you what we all think. Orlando Jordan still sucks. Most of what people have written on here is what we think. It doesn’t mean we’re smarks, or geeks who don’t matter. The majority really think this, so stop giving us what you force fed us 10 years ago. Controversy does not create cash in 2010. It pisses us off! Get your egos out of the equation. You are on TV too much! The smirk, evil laugh and bad acting was tiring 7 years ago, as were Nash, Hall et al (Nash truly is the smartest man in wrestling…getting paid ‘lots’ of money for doing absolutely nothing…genius)
Eric Bischoff: Actually, if you read the posts, you will find the majority of them to be very positive and constructive and quite contrary to your opinion. That and the fact that the ratings have been consistently higher for the show suggests that your opinion, while perfectly valid for yourself, is not shared by the 2 million fans outside the Impact Zone. Thanks for the comments though!!!
Ok moron, you want feedback? Here it is, YOU, that steroid freak Hogan, that waste of human flesh Bubba, those garbage men The Nasty Girls and the rest of your crew need to GO AWAY. NOONE WANTS TO SEE YOU. You are ONCE AGAIN ruining a perfectly good company with your self serving crap.
Want to make TNA better? LEAVE OR KILL YOURSELF
Eric Bischoff: Joe, clearly there is something missing in your life, that has manifested itself in the form of hatred, inferiority and frustration. Perhaps you should try some Extenze?
My question is on the move on March 8th. It seems like instead of getting off to the fast start you’ve rather shot yourself in the foot. I must say I don’t want TNA very much, not because it’s a bad show, but because I really don’t have the time. I’ve been very unimpressed with WWE over the last 3 years and while I’m all for the idea of the two shows going head to head, why now? Don’t you feel like it would be smarter to wait until after WWE’s Backlash rather than try to go head to head with them in the two months of the year where they actually try put on halfway decent (and that’s being generous) television? Did that ever come up in conversation and is there a reason you guys chose to do it in WWE’s peak rather than a couple months later?
Eric Bischoff: The television audience drops significantly during the spring/summer months. Fall brings Monday Night Football. There is never an easy answer, but I think that all things considered, this is the best time to pull this trigger. EB
Whose decision was it to abandon the six sided ring? It was one of the key things that made TNA unique..”Four Sides of Steel” just doesn’t have the same ring to it..it gave guys with quickness and speed, such as the X Division guys, room to create some excellent matches..the current ring looks really small, and somebody is going get hurt at ringside..
I DVR TNA Impact and watch it during the weekend..and I enjoy the Flair/AJ angle..Flair is finally being used to full effect..wondering why Jeff Hardy is not on TV..that signing was absolutely critical to the future of the company..having him avaliable at tapings is essential..
Eric Bischoff: Not everyone agrees with the move to a traditional wrestling ring, but I must say that the vast majority of the response we have received has been positive. I hope there are enough other “positives” about TNA to keep you watching! EB
You guys NEED another TV show. There’s far too much talent in TNA (and probably more coming in) to fit on just 2 hours every week. I’m not suggesting a complete roster split, but just another two hour show so you can showcase some of the guys who we don’t get to see very often. What would be awesome is if you kept your Thursday night slot, even when you go live on Mondays. Then, you could do a live Impact every week, and the following day you could tape a Thursday night show. The schedule wouldn’t be drastically different from how it is now. Plus, you could slow the pace of the show down a little bit as you wouldn’t need to cram so much in. Overall though, I have enjoyed Impact more than ever since you and Hogan came in, so for that I thank you.
Eric Bischoff: Easy to go from the “perception” of having too much talent and the problem of effectively splitting a roster. Thanks for the comments. EB
Hey Eric? How do you feel about the iMPACT! Zone regulars? We love you- do you hear us singing your name?
Eric Bischoff: I do…and I love you too!! Having the show live in front of “regulars” is a double edged sword. But I am grateful to all of you that come out and support the product. EB
What happened to my wall post on here yesterday, Eric? I posted it yesterday and it looks like it got deleted for no reason at all.
I read your book when it came out years ago and I have to say it was the best book I have ever read. So much information that I sunk my teeth into. I know so much more about the wrestling business now than I new before. I didn’t know much about the inside of WCW, but now I do. Got to say, love the Sarsa elements. How did you think of that…and you planning on using that method in TNA?
Eric Bischoff: I haven’t deleted any comments. I am just setting this up and getting used to it. Perhaps by accident? Feel free to repost. I am only going to delete those posts that are offensive just for the sake of being offensive…or just flat out stupid.
Oh ok, that is very weird then. Can you answer my question about the Sarsa elements in your book…you going to use that method in TNA?
Eric Bischoff: Have already started. Its a process.
ERIC,please read this.I got so much respect for you.And I wanted to know if you have an official Myspace page?Because I have seen alot of people claiming to be you on there
Eric Bischoff: I do NOT have a MySpace account.
I got what The Pope’s new catch phrase should be… “Can you congerate what the pope is pimpin!”
Eric Bischoff: I like it too!!!
Eric have you ever listened to some of the podcasts on whosslammingwho.podomatic.com? I know Hulk & BTLS have from comments Jim Cornette made about the Jan 4th show but have you personally ever listened to any of the shows? There was an invitation from Kenny Bolin & his son for you or Dixie to go onto there show.
Eric Bischoff: I have not. May check it out in the future.
Eric Bischoff: Love to hear what fans think have been the most controversial moments on any wrestling show.
THE FINGERPOKE OF DOOM ON NITRO! CLASSIC!!!
Eric Bischoff: Smart ass! 🙂
Will you or Hogan talk to Goldberg about a deal in the future?
Eric Bischoff: I don’t expect Bill to be interested in returning to wrestling…but never say never!
What do you think the chances are of seeing Diamond Dallas Page in TNA?
Eric Bischoff: None
Eric – I was reading an interview with Vince, and he said his goal was to write a show that appeals to the mainstream as opposed to just wrestling fans, as just wrestling fans is a small/limited market. My feeling is that those not interested in wrestling are not going to watch a show that prominently features a wrestling ring no matter how much it is geared to appeal to non-wrestling fans, and in the end that focus will drive away the core audience you guys build from, which is wrestling fans/fans who stopped watching after WCW folded/fans sick of the stagnant WWE. The philosophy strikes me as well intentioned, but in execution creates a show not wrestling-centric enough for wrestling fans, but still too wrestling centric for mainstream non-wrestling fans. What are your thoughts?
Eric Bischoff: Very astute perspective. As always, things can be written in a certain way, or interpreted by the reader to mean something other than what was intended in the writers mind. I certainly don’t know what Russo was thinking and I didn’t read the comments, but generally there is a balance between satisfying the wrestling fan (both “hard core” and passive) and adding enough other elements to help broaden the audience. I’ve said before that professional wrestling is a bit like a buffet. You have to have a little bit of everything because not everyone in our audience likes the exact same thing, although the most vocal minority (internet fans) would lead you to believe otherwise.
Hey Eric, hows it going? TNA need to leave Orlando. Its hard to tell if they are actually wrestling fans. It comes across really bad. Its stale. The only way to increase the ratings is to move into new markets. Take iMPACT on the road, the WWE wont have no chance in hell.
Eric Bischoff: Your point is well taken and an important one. All things in good time!
Hi Eric!…You’ve said in the past that before Nitro began you made a list of ways that it needed to be different from Raw in order to compete. Have you taken the same approach with TNA Impact?…All the best, can’t wait for March 8th! 🙂
Eric Bischoff: We are indeed…work in progress! Stay tuned.
What’s up with that ramp to the ring? I mean, I know why it’s there to make the wrestlers seem more predominant walking above the crowd to the ring, but it cuts away from a lot of fan interaction down on the walkway and also cuts back on a lot of out of ring fighting as well.
Eric Bischoff: Good point. There are always certain compromises one has to make in production situations. We are hoping the “overall” look and feel of the show benefits from the ramp. Thanks for your comment!
EZE, if Scott Hall behaves. Please give him a run at the TNA title. He’s messed up, yeah. However Scott Hall has done so much for the business. He deserves it, no matter how much heat he gets these days.
Eric Bischoff: Its not about what people “deserve” based on past contributions or efforts, its about what any performer/athlete can deliver today! Its true in any sport/entertainment property and all walks of life (except those run by unions).
stopped watching wrestling until your return. got me attached again! TNA needs Goldberg!
Eric Bischoff: I spoke briefly to Bill a week ago, and while the subject of TNA did not come up, I sincerely doubt that Bill has any interest in getting back into the wrestling business. EB
Ok well I think my first question would be despite the fact we know there are more changes in store from You & Hulk, on a scale of 1-10 (10 being good & 1 being bad) how satisfied are you personally with TNA at the stage you are currently at?
Eric Bischoff: I’d say we are at about a 7 right now. Lots of work to do, but all is progressing well!
Am i the only one that finds Eric bischoff to be the sexiest man alive?
Eric Bischoff: I hope not!!! Haven’t seen my wife in a week…hopefully she’s at the top of the list!
Thanks for bringing wrestling back!
Eric Bischoff: Its been a lot of fun so far!
great to see you’ve finally come to facebook, been a fan of yours for quite sometime
Eric Bischoff: Thanks James! I will be trying to add some interesting options/features over the next couple of weeks!
Eric will you at any point be taking questions from us like Vince Russo did?
Eric Bischoff: Sure…post a few and I will do my best to answer them!
Eric i miss you in the WWE. Some of the best moments ever were your roulette skits.
Eric Bischoff: Well then check out TNA Impact on Spike! Having much more fun there!
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