Tag: eric bischoff

Eric Bischoff dismisses nWo 2020 reboot rumors as ‘silly internet stupid sh*t’

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recently discussed the rumors that there would be an nWo reboot in WWE around 2020 and the pandemic era.

Chris Dunn, who was previously a writer with WWE during that time, claimed that there was a plan to do an nWo reboot in the Thunderdome during an appearance on the Public Enemies Podcast:

“Do you guys remember that ThunderDome? Really tough to do TV in there, so a lot of ideas were thrown against the wall. So it was discussed at one point, bringing back the nWo in 2020, a new version.

“So the pitch was Sheamus, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Lars Sullivan. So it was really close to happening, I forget which legendary nWo member was supposed to fly to Orlando to introduce this new nWo. It wasn’t X-Pac. Essentially, they landed and they didn’t pass the COVID test so they couldn’t do it.”

Eric Bischoff reacts to nWo reboot claims

Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff would claim that none of the living members of the nWo had any idea about the supposed project:

“Sean Waltman reached out to me and said, hey, did you ever hear anything about this? I never heard anything about that. And neither did Kevin Nash… So the three surviving members of the NWO knew nothing about it… it seems very unlikely. It could be just silly internet stupid sh*t.”

If you use any of the quotes on this page then please link back to F4WOnline and credit

Eric Bischoff claims WCW pushing WWF is the only reason WWE or AEW exists today

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recently made an extremely bold claim regarding WWE and AEW, saying that if WCW had not forced the-then WWF to go live on television and change their programming to suit the 18-49 demographic in the mid to late 90s, that neither company would exist today.

Ted Turner passed away this week, so there is a lot of talk online about his legacy in pro wrestling and how him giving WCW the chance to go head to head with WWF RAW started the Monday Night Wars and fundamentally changed pro wrestling forever. Bischoff was a major part of that, spearheading World Championship Wrestling into the Nitro era and changing how pro wrestling television would be presented every week, for one, forcing the WWF to start going live rather than some weeks pre-taped on Monday nights.

Eric Bischoff on WCW vs WWF, WWE and AEW

Speaking on a live episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff would discuss the importance of WCW pushing WWF to the limit in the late 90s and why he feels neither WWE or AEW would exist today without WWF having to pivot to combat what World Championship Wrestling was doing in the mid to late 90s.

“Those two decisions [by the WWF], going live and pushing for 18 to 49 [because of Nitro winning] are the only reason that WWE exists today. It’s the only reason that AEW is on a Turner Network today. Had Vince not had WCW curbstomping him for 83 straight weeks, really over a period of two years consistently, they would not exist. He [Vince McMahon] came out and said, ‘OK, we’re not going to do this anymore. We’re not going to insult our audience’s intelligence.’ That was how the Attitude Era was born.

“WWE is now live weekly, that’s one big pivot, the other one was going after the 18 to 49 year old audience with the over the top approach that he [Vince] took to it [in the late 90s], which obviously worked. Those two things are the only reasons WWE exists today.”

Bischoff would end with “I can’t wait for somebody to argue with me about it,” so he’s clearly aware of how this take could be perceived online.

Eric Bischoff remembers Ted Turner: ‘He changed my life’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

If it wasn’t for Ted Turner, Eric Bischoff doesn’t know what a huge portion of his life would have looked like.

Bischoff made an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show today following the news that Turner has passed away at 87 years old. Reflecting on the time where Turner was his boss in WCW, Bischoff credited the business mogul for being a visionary who allowed so many people to live their dreams.

“He was indeed a great guy. I don’t want to make it sound — because I wasn’t close to Ted, we didn’t go out and have steak dinner together or anything like that. But I did have a chance through working with him to get to know who he was and watching how he operated,” Bischoff said. “Look, he changed my life. He changed the lives of my children. None of us would be where we are today — I would not be involved with Real American Freestyle were it not for the opportunities that Ted Turner provided to me. And I’m just one guy. Think about all of the people that worked at Turner Broadcasting. The thousands of people who, just like me, got opportunities and got to grow and got to pursue their careers because of the entrepreneurial, groundbreaking vision that Ted Turner had when it came to the media landscape. He was the media version of Elon Musk in his time.”

Bischoff said Turner had a great rapport with employees. Despite his wealth, Turner drove a Ford Escort and was happy to interact with everyone, not just other executives.

When it comes to wrestling, Bischoff said Turner was “absolutely hands-off” and did not interfere in what was going on at WCW. But Turner would always call Bischoff when the weekly ratings came out and was especially animated when WCW was beating WWE.

Bischoff believes Turner was drawn to wrestling programming because of how inexpensive it was, and it also fit into how Turner viewed America. Bischoff described WCW, The Andy Griffith Show, and Atlanta Braves baseball games as being the three pillars that allowed Turner Broadcasting to grow into what it ultimately became.

“It fit into that middle America mentality and relationship that Ted had,” Bischoff said. “He grew up in the South. He knew that there were a lot of people that just culturally loved pro wrestling. Just like they loved Andy in Mayberry and they loved the Atlanta Braves. And those three programs really became the pillars, if you go back and look at it, at the Superstation that went on to become Turner Network Television.”

Describing his former boss as a “fighter,” Bischoff said Turner enjoyed the “Billionaire Ted” parodies that WWE aired in the 1990s. Turner saw the skits as evidence of how much he was getting under Vince McMahon’s skin.

Turner’s death comes nearly eight years after he disclosed his battle with Lewy body dementia. When asked how Turner should be remembered by wrestling fans, Bischoff said he hopes people appreciate Turner as one of the great media moguls and entrepreneurs of our time.

Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair and William Regal pay tribute to Ted Turner 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Tributes poured in from Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair and William Regal on Ted Turner’s passing at the age of 87.  

Turner, who founded CNN as the first 24-hour cable news channel, was also an instrumental figure in bringing pro wrestling to air on TV in the 1970s in Atlanta. He also founded World Championship Wrestling (WCW) which later collided with WWE in the Monday Night Wars in the late 1990s. 

Eric Bischoff posted: 

“RIP Ted. And thank you for everything.”

William Regal wrote:

“I’m sad to hear of the passing of Ted Turner. Ted bought me to the US and paid me and allowed me to feed my family for 6 years. Ted also took care of mine and my families green cards. Rest well.”

Ric Flair wrote: 

“So sorry to hear about the passing of the great ted turner! The man that created cable before cable was cool! He created CNN and look at it now! He rolled the dice and wasn’t afraid of taking risks. he won the America’s cup for sailing! His office looked like the hall of fame which included a picture of him and (Krusher) Khrushchev. On top of all of that, he created so many opportunities for so many wrestlers because of his love for wrestling. Rest in peace my friend! Thank you for the memorable personal times that we spent together.”

Bischoff was associated with WCW throughout the 1990s. He initially joined as an announcer and was promoted to Senior Vice President before serving as President of the promotion. Flair competed on WCW and was positioned as a top star who carried the promotion across multiple eras.

Eric Bischoff reveals just how over Aleister Black was with Paul Heyman

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Former WCW President and WWE SmackDown Executive Director in 2019 Eric Bischoff recently discussed Aleister Black and his release from the company. One of the points that Bischoff raised was just how over Black was with Paul Heyman, who was the WWE RAW Executive Director during that same time period in 2019.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff said in a half joking way: “when he [Black] first came in to WWE, Paul Heyman was huge on him. Paul was like, ready to put a blood on the table commitment to him.”

“You know, he [Heyman] really, really saw something” Bischoff added. “I was intrigued because Paul’s got a pretty good track record, right? When he gets excited about something, whether you like it or not, you’ve got to pay attention, because it’s probably going to go somewhere. So I started paying attention to him [Black], I talked to him a few times, tried to get a feel for, you know, where his head was at, what his vibe was like, learn a bit about, you know, what he saw as his character.”

If you use any of the quotes from this article then please link back to this page with a credit to F4WOnline for the transcription

FAQ and Context

Why was Aleister Black released from WWE?

WWE announced Black’s release as part of a wider round of post-WrestleMania 42 cuts in late April 2026, alongside names including Kairi Sane, Zoey Stark and Santos Escobar.

What is Eric Bischoff’s connection to Aleister Black?

Bischoff served as WWE’s SmackDown Executive Director in 2019, working alongside Paul Heyman who held the same role on RAW. That period overlapped with Black’s main roster call-up, which is the basis for Bischoff’s first-hand take on how the company viewed him at the time.

Eric Bischoff says no one ever pulled out of a celebrity angle in WCW like Pat McAfee did

Posted on by Jake Skudder

It was recently revealed by F4W’s own Dave Meltzer that Pat McAfee pulled out of his angle at WrestleMania 42 following the backlash (no pun intended) online and the sentiment from fans that it was not the way the Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton angle should’ve gone.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, former WCW President Eric Bischoff addressed McAfee “pulling out” of the angle and how it compared to some of the celebrity angles he ran whilst running World Championship Wrestling.

Eric Bischoff on Pat McAfee fallout

Co-host Conrad Thompson noted: “Do you remember there being celebrities where, it seemed like a good idea on paper and everyone was excited about it, but once you revealed it and in execution somewhere along the way, the celebrity said, ‘Hey, I know we talked about this, but I’m not having as much fun as I thought, I think I’m going to take a pass.’ We saw it happen last year at WrestleMania with Travis Scott and now this year at Pat McAfee, did something like this ever happen with you and WCW?”

Bischoff then confirmed that “Not, no, not as you [Conrad] described it, no, nothing even close, nothing even close. And I’m just trying to imagine what that must be like for Bruce [Prichard] and Paul [Leveque], everybody that has to do with talent, certainly at this level…Nick Khan and probably Ari [Emanuel] to a degree.”

“If you’re a Pat McAfee or a Jelly Roll, you don’t want that smoke. You don’t want, you’re not that kind, you know, now it’s hurting your brand. Now you’re not as cool as you were before you stepped into the ring.”

It is not confirmed if McAfee will be returning to the company anytime soon, although it does appear that he has left the wrestling business at least for the time being.

If you use any of the transcriptions on this page then please link back to this page referencing F4WOnline

Brawl breaks out at Real American Freestyle event

Posted on by Ian Carey

A brawl broke out during Saturday’s Real American Freestyle event in Tempe, Arizona.

Following the match between UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas, Tsarukyan shoved Poullas to the mat and began throwing punches after the buzzer. Several people immediately ran onto the mat area, including former UFC title contender Colby Covington, who escorted Poullas to the back.

A video of the incident is available here and embedded below.

Dave Meltzer addressed the incident on this weekend’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

“Tonight on the Real American Freestyle show, there was a match between Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas. Tsarukyan won, the buzzer sounded, and then he just started pounding the guy,” Meltzer said.

“It is probably good publicity in the sense that people are talking about it. But that was real bad. I mean, if I am UFC, that is an excuse to fire Tsarukyan. That was complete and total bull—-. And if I were RAF, I would not use him again. I am sure they will, because it is Eric’s company and he will love the publicity, but that was one of the most blatant things I have seen.”

Eric Bischoff announces Real American Freestyle broadcast deal extension

Posted on by Joseph Currier

During a Thursday morning appearance on Fox News, Eric Bischoff broke some news regarding Real American Freestyle.

Bischoff and RAF cohorts Chad Bronstein & Izzy Martinez were on Fox & Friends to announce that their organization has extended its broadcast deal with Fox Nation. RAF will continue to air monthly PLEs on the subscription service for the next year. Along with that, the promotion is developing a weekly series that will exist as a scaled-down version of their major events.

“We’re going to be airing on Fox Nation,” Bischoff said while announcing the one-year extension. “When I first heard that there was an opportunity to work with Fox Nation, I thought, ‘Man, that’s too good to be true.’ But here we are, and you guys have been a great partner. We’re going to have monthly events over the next 12 months. We’re working on a weekly series that we’re going to bring to the table. A reality show’s part of it down the line. Think of it as a scaled-down version of our big premium monthly events, but a weekly show with a broader base of talent.”

Real American Freestyle launched in 2025 with the aim of allowing top amateur-style wrestlers to continue their careers as professionals. Bischoff serves as the Chief Media Officer of the organization. Hulk Hogan was set to be the commissioner and public face of RAF prior to his July 2025 passing.

Fox Nation has been the broadcast home of RAF since its first event. The promotion is staging its next show in Tempe, Arizona on February 28, with the card scheduled to be headlined by Henry Cejudo vs. Urijah Faber.

“Our audience is a Fox audience,” RAF CEO Bronstein said. “It’s been unbelievable. You guys have given us a platform to promote a sport that really never had a Fox behind them. So having you guys here has helped us lift this up.”

Eric Bischoff calls AEW’s 2300 Arena residency a ‘smart move’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Eric Bischoff offered rare praise for All Elite Wrestling during the latest episode of his 83 Weeks podcast.

Host Conrad Thompson asked Bischoff what he thought of AEW running smaller nostalgic wrestling venues, such as the 2300 Arena. While the former WCW president said he’s not quite as nostalgic for ECW as Thompson is, he believes AEW is making a smart move with their residency in the building.

“I get the nostalgia part. I don’t feel it like perhaps you do because I had a different relationship with, certainly, ECW than you did at the time. So, I don’t have that connection. I have a connection but it’s different,” Bischoff responded.

He continued:

“There is nothing for your brand that is more challenging, when you’re producing weekly television, than to not have an audience because that speaks to the people sitting at home. It it kind of suggests that well maybe this isn’t that important. And conversely, when you see a packed stadium, whether it’s for Savannah Bananas or whatever else, that packed stadium makes you feel like you’re watching something that’s worth your time.”

“I lived through this in WCW. It’s one of the reasons I moved WCW’s syndicated production down to a sound stage where I could control the audience to some degree. Because when you show up at an arena with, let’s say it holds 5,000 people and you only got 600 people there and all of them were tickets you gave away. So, they don’t really care all that much.”

“So, I think the fact that AEW chose that arena because of its nostalgia that it represents to a lot of the audience and it’s suitable for television, I don’t know, makes sense to me. Where else are you going to go? Some 6,000, 7,000-seat arena where you can only sell 2,000 tickets. You don’t want to do that. So, I think it was a good decision business-wise.”

Just two shows remain in AEW’s residency at the former ECW Arena. Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite and Thursday’s Collision taping will close out their time in the venue. After those events, AEW heads to London, Ontario, for a three-hour September to Remember special on Wednesday, September 17, followed by All Out on Saturday, September 20, at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

Bischoff’s comments about AEW’s residency in the 2300 Arena are available below:

Eric Bischoff: Hulk Hogan would be ‘very proud’ of Real American Freestyle launch

Posted on by Ian Carey

Eric Bischoff says that Hulk Hogan would be “very proud” of the strides they are making with Real American Freestyle.

RAF 01, the company’s first event, took place on August 30 in Cleveland and aired on Fox Nation. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bischoff revealed that he met with representatives from Fox on Thursday and that they were pleased with how the show performed.

“Certainly can’t speak for [Fox], but I do know that Real American Freestyle this past Saturday night, I think it would be OK for me to say, is one of — if not the — most successful events that they’ve done so far in 2025 in terms of the launch of a new event,” Bischoff said. “But I certainly can’t speak to it from their perspective, because I don’t have any insight into it. I just know they were really happy to see Chad (Bronstein) and I yesterday.”

Bischoff also revealed to the Hollwyood Reporter that WWE’s Nick Khan reached out to him following RAF 01.

“He just said, ‘Hey, man, solid event — awesome, great job,” Bischoff said.

As for the possibility that TKO could become a partner in RAF, Bischoff responded:

“There’s been no no discussions beyond that. I think it’s a little early, a little bit. Maybe we got a couple of years before we start having those conversations.”

Bischoff stated in a separate interview recently that a Real American Freestyle two-hour weekly show is planned for the first quarter of 2026.

“I really think there’s a market for it,” Bischoff said about the planned show. “And it’s a big part of our future.”

Earlier in the interview, Bischoff said news of Hogan’s passing and the timing was “really, really tough” but they were determined to follow through with the inaugural event.

“We woke up and said, ‘You know what? What would Hulk want us to do? He wants to keep going. This is an opportunity for us to build on to an already large legacy and to do something positive,’” Bischoff said. “And from that point forward, it’s just, you know, we’re just like ‘Powered by Hogan.’ We just driving through and trying to make him proud, and I think we are. I know we did on Saturday, and I think he’d be very proud of the progress that we’re making and what we’re doing.”

Bischoff’s full interview with The Hollywood Reporter is available here.


Eric Bischoff: Real American Freestyle is ‘the most fun thing I’ve ever done’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Eric Bischoff is having a lot of fun getting Real American Freestyle off the ground.

The new freestyle wrestling venture launched this past weekend with its first show taking place in Cleveland. Following the event, Bischoff spoke with Undisputed about what he feels was a successful first offering from the promotion. Bischoff said being part of RAF is the most fun he’s ever had.

“I’m having the television producer’s equivalent of an after-sex cigarette,” Bischoff said. “I’m so absolutely grateful for [co-founders] Chad Bronstein, Israel Martinez, and obviously Hulk Hogan — I wouldn’t be here without a phone call from Hulk. This has been the most fun thing I’ve ever done.”

Bischoff’s job title in RAF is Chief Media Officer. The organization’s inaugural event doubled as a tribute to Hogan, with a WWE-produced tribute airing on the show and Hogan’s son Nick appearing. Hogan was slated to be the commissioner of RAF prior to his death this July at 71 years old.

November 8 is the expected date for RAF’s next show on Fox Nation, and the promotion is planning to start airing a weekly series in 2026.

Tito Ortiz vs. Chael Sonnen has been set up for the November event. Sonnen is one of the commentators for RAF alongside Bubba Jenkins and WWE legend Kurt Angle. Undisputed asked Bischoff if we could potentially see Angle relive some of his former amateur wrestling glory by competing for RAF.

“Kurt is an elite-of-the-elite level athlete,” Bischoff said. “There is still that competitive drive and desire. We’re seeing it from Tito and Chael, too. I don’t know if Kurt could do it [health wise], but it would be extremely exciting if he did.”

Eric Bischoff says Real American Freestyle planning live weekly series

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Real American Freestyle is planning to launch a weekly live series starting in 2026.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff — one of the co-founders of the organization — revealed that Real American Freestyle has plans to broadcast a live, two-hour weekly show that will begin the first quarter of next year. Further details on the broadcast plans have not been announced yet.

“We’re going to launch a weekly, two-hour, live Real American Freestyle series coming your way first quarter 2026,” Bischoff said.

“There is so much great stuff going on here. By the way, that’s breaking news. I did an interview with the Boston Globe yesterday and I gave it to them, but that’s not coming out until I think Saturday. So, it’s a scoop as far as we’re concerned. 52 weeks a year, two hours a week, live Real American Freestyle action coming your way.”

Real American Freestyle is a new venture that aims to give amateur wrestling stars an opportunity to continue their careers in a professional capacity. Prior to Hulk Hogan’s death, the league was announced this April with Hogan, Bischoff, and wrestling coach Izzy Martinez serving as the public faces of the business.

The first Real American Freestyle show will take place in Cleveland on August 30 and will stream live on Fox Nation. WWE and Olympic wrestling legend Kurt Angle will be part of the broadcast team for the event.

Bischoff noted that WWE has produced a “really special” tribute for Hogan that will air on the August 30 Real American Freestyle show. Hogan was slated to be the commissioner of the new league prior to his passing.

Nick Hogan, Eric Bischoff attend second Hulk Hogan tribute on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A second Hulk Hogan tribute was held on WWE Raw.

The open to Monday’s show was a second tribute to Hogan, who passed away on Thursday following cardiac arrest. Eric Bischoff, Nick Hogan, Hulk Hogan’s manager, and representatives from Real American Beer were seen on stage as Triple H said a few words about Hogan’s legacy. After that, a ten bell salute took place.

A new video then aired highlighting Hogan’s career, this time with the song ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren playing. 

For international viewers, the commercial break that took place after consisted of some of Hogan’s biggest moments, including his match against Randy Savage at WrestleMania V, the heel turn at Bash at the Beach 1996, and his match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8.

On SmackDown, a similar tribute took place, with notable WWE stars of the past such as Jimmy Hart, Sgt. Slaughter, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan attending. After their ten bell salute, a video narrated by Triple H aired highlighting Hogan’s accomplishments. 

AEW Collision the following day had its own televised tribute, with Tony Schiavone taking time to talk about Hogan’s family and his legacy on TNT.

Eric Bischoff unable to attend Hulk Hogan WWE SmackDown tribute: ‘I will be there in spirit’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though he wishes he could be there, Eric Bischoff won’t be in attendance when WWE pays tribute to Hulk Hogan on SmackDown tonight.

Bischoff posted a tweet this afternoon saying WWE invited him to SmackDown for the show, but he will not be able to make it in time. The episode is being held at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, and Jimmy Hart, Sgt. Slaughter, and “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase are among the legends who will be there for the Hogan tribute.

“I appreciate the invitation and wish I could be in Clevland in time. But I will be there in spirit,” Bischoff wrote. “And so will Hulk.”

Bischoff and Hogan were good friends and business partners for decades, and the two were working together on a new venture called Real American Freestyle prior to Hogan’s passing. That organization –which offers amateur wrestling stars the chance to continue their careers as professionals — plans to continue on despite Hogan’s death. The inaugural RAF show is scheduled for August 30 and will air on the streaming service Fox Nation.

In the weeks preceding his death, Hogan had been experiencing health complications after undergoing neck fusion surgery. He died in Clearwater, Florida on July 24 of cardiac arrest.

Eric Bischoff: Hulk Hogan ‘one of kindest & most generous people I have ever met’

Posted on by Josh Nason

Eric Bischoff — one of Hulk Hogan’s close friends and business partners for thirty years — talked about Hogan’s passing Thursday, something he said that still hasn’t sunk in.

In Las Vegas to shoot interviews for he and Hogan’s Real American Freestyle amateur wrestling promotion, Bischoff spoke to Fox News, saying he learned about Hogan’s death while watching the network.

“I have literally been on the phone or responding to texts and emails ever since. It has not truly sunk in yet,” he said.

Asked about what people should know about Hogan, Bischoff said an important thing to understand is that Terry Bollea was different than the Hogan character.

“He was kind and generous to a fault. He was loyal. He had a big heart and until you got to know Terry Bollea, you were overwhelmed by Hulk Hogan and that was his life. But, he was one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met,” he said.

The two began working together when Bischoff brought Hogan to WCW in 1994. Hogan left the company in July 2000 with Bischoff departing a month earlier, ending an abbreviated return after Bischoff had been initially let go in September 1999. The two worked together in TNA for a number of years as well on outside projects with Real American Freestyle being the last.

Hulk Hogan News Coverage & Podcasts: