In a recent “Where Are They Now?” feature on WWE.com, wrestling legend J.J. Dillon had some unflattering things to say about Eric Bischoff’s management of WCW during its waning years. In fact, he suggested that Eric Bischoff knew absolutely nothing about the wrestling business. Here is some selected text from the “Where Are They Now?” article:
In 1997, World Championship Wrestling was the hottest promotion in the country and J.J. Dillon was holding a very visible role as the company’s onscreen commissioner. Business was great, payouts were high and Dillon was miserable.
“[Eric] Bischoff had his agenda and I wasn’t necessarily in sync with what he was doing,” Dillon said of WCW’s former President. “I was the one person who could expose him for somebody who knew absolutely nothing about the wrestling business. Instead of tapping into me as a resource, he went around me.”
Although WCW had some profitable years in the late ’90s, the longtime veteran could see issues with management that would present serious problems in the future.
“It’s like I’m sitting on the Titanic and boy, what a beautiful ship this is, but I’m seeing that iceberg ahead,” Dillon said. “I knew what was going to happen, but nobody wanted to listen. They looked at me like I was crazy.”
Ultimately, the ship did hit an iceberg when WCW lost nearly $80 million in 2000. The following year, their parent company, AOL/Time Warner, sold the troubled promotion to Mr. McMahon, bringing an end to one of the most significant eras in wrestling history.