Post by Pennyroyal_Tea (admin) on Apr 2, 2005 14:46:50 GMT -5
HUNTINGTON -- He’s been cursed, ridiculed, mocked and any other derogatory term you can think of.
To Eric Bischoff, that’s fine because when fans rub him the wrong way, it means he’s doing his job right as general manager of World Wrestling Entertainment’s RAW. He oversees the popular RAW show, which airs at 9 p.m. Mondays on Spike TV, and its superstars.
"When you walk out to the center of the ring, whether it’s 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 people, it’s like a postage stamp," Bischoff said in a telephone interview. "Their emotions are in the palm of your hand. You have the ability to manipulate."
Bischoff will see those emotions on display Sunday when WrestleMania 21 takes place at the soldout Staples Center (20,000-plus fans) in Los Angeles. The theme is "WrestleMania Goes Hollywood." The four-hour spectacle brings together RAW and SmackDown superstars. The only hope left to see the show is pay-per-view.
"WrestleMania is like the Super Bowl," Bischoff said. "The anticipation is so great. It’s the single largest platform in the world, and it brings out the best of the best in the wrestlers. They go to a higher level."
Bischoff, who turns 50 on May 27, got his start in wrestling in the 1980s working as a salesman and announcer for Minnesota-based AWA. He moved to World Championship Wrestling in 1991, and that’s where he began to make a name for himself. He took over WCW in 1993, and with the backing of billionaire Ted Turner, was aggressive.
Bischoff lured some of the WWE’s (known as the World Wrestling Federation then) top names to WCW. Its flagship program, Monday Nitro on TNT, overtook RAW in the ratings. During one stretch, Nitro beat RAW 83 weeks in a row. Bischoff unleashed the revolutionary New World Order (nWo). As a commentator, he would give the results of RAW (which was taped) on his show (which was live). He directed insults at WWE boss Vince McMahon.
"The only way to be competitive was to be as different as we possibly could," Bischoff said. "We sat down, thought about everything they do well and did it completely different."
WWE catered to the young. WCW went after the 18-34 group.
"We tapped into the audience we hoped to see," Bischoff said. "It was more reality TV. We had a list, did it, and it worked. We let the guys (like Bill Goldberg and Kevin Nash) be themselves."
WWE began to fight back. It started signing away WCW talent, such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, went live on Monday night and began to display real-life storylines and cutting-edge characters. Power struggles and differences at Turner Broadcasting System, a division of AOL Time Warner, led to Bischoff’s exit in 1999.
"I had a free reign until that corporate merger," Bischoff said. "You apply the traditional Time Warner rules. To our business, they were different. It changed the way we do things. I wanted out."
Bischoff, a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a black-belt martial artist, always liked the outdoors and spent some of his free time fishing.
"I’m proficient at trout fishing," he said.
In 2000, Bischoff got a call from WCW officials wanting to know if he’d come back.
"I gave it a whirl," he said. "It was more screwed up."
In late 2000, Bischoff said farewell to WCW for good. "I’d had enough," he said. On March 23, 2001, WWE announced the purchase of WCW.
Bischoff wouldn’t be away from the ring long. On July 15, 2002 -- two years after he was last seen on television -- McMahon shocked the wrestling world when he introduced Bischoff as general manager of RAW.
"Wrestling will always be around," Bischoff said. "It’s entertainment in its purest form. The action, the drama. I was determined to get involved again. The performer in me surfaced. I missed that environment."
When Bischoff got the phone call from McMahon, it didn’t take long for him to say yes.
"I knew I could go to work for him," he said. "I felt good about it. The only difference is he’s doing it and I’m not. I was anxious to get back."
Bischoff said the McMahons are good to work with.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Vince, Linda, Shane and Stephanie," he said. "They have an incredible group of committed people."
Many experts credit Bischoff for WWE’s success today. He’s one of the group’s most entertaining personalities in or out of the ring. His three-year anniversary with WWE is fast approaching. He also continues to develop sports and entertainment properties for various networks. Away from wrestling, Bischoff shares a home in Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife, Loree, and two children, Garett and Montanna.
"It’s gone better than I thought," he said. "At first, would it be six days or six months? It’s about three years now. I’m not sure how long it will last.
"It’s fun to be part of this team. I’m grateful to be a part of the wheel. WrestleMania is about the superstars, not the GM. I’m thrilled to death to watch. I’ll have a good seat."
www.herald-dispatch.com/2005/March/31/LFlist2.htm
To Eric Bischoff, that’s fine because when fans rub him the wrong way, it means he’s doing his job right as general manager of World Wrestling Entertainment’s RAW. He oversees the popular RAW show, which airs at 9 p.m. Mondays on Spike TV, and its superstars.
"When you walk out to the center of the ring, whether it’s 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 people, it’s like a postage stamp," Bischoff said in a telephone interview. "Their emotions are in the palm of your hand. You have the ability to manipulate."
Bischoff will see those emotions on display Sunday when WrestleMania 21 takes place at the soldout Staples Center (20,000-plus fans) in Los Angeles. The theme is "WrestleMania Goes Hollywood." The four-hour spectacle brings together RAW and SmackDown superstars. The only hope left to see the show is pay-per-view.
"WrestleMania is like the Super Bowl," Bischoff said. "The anticipation is so great. It’s the single largest platform in the world, and it brings out the best of the best in the wrestlers. They go to a higher level."
Bischoff, who turns 50 on May 27, got his start in wrestling in the 1980s working as a salesman and announcer for Minnesota-based AWA. He moved to World Championship Wrestling in 1991, and that’s where he began to make a name for himself. He took over WCW in 1993, and with the backing of billionaire Ted Turner, was aggressive.
Bischoff lured some of the WWE’s (known as the World Wrestling Federation then) top names to WCW. Its flagship program, Monday Nitro on TNT, overtook RAW in the ratings. During one stretch, Nitro beat RAW 83 weeks in a row. Bischoff unleashed the revolutionary New World Order (nWo). As a commentator, he would give the results of RAW (which was taped) on his show (which was live). He directed insults at WWE boss Vince McMahon.
"The only way to be competitive was to be as different as we possibly could," Bischoff said. "We sat down, thought about everything they do well and did it completely different."
WWE catered to the young. WCW went after the 18-34 group.
"We tapped into the audience we hoped to see," Bischoff said. "It was more reality TV. We had a list, did it, and it worked. We let the guys (like Bill Goldberg and Kevin Nash) be themselves."
WWE began to fight back. It started signing away WCW talent, such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, went live on Monday night and began to display real-life storylines and cutting-edge characters. Power struggles and differences at Turner Broadcasting System, a division of AOL Time Warner, led to Bischoff’s exit in 1999.
"I had a free reign until that corporate merger," Bischoff said. "You apply the traditional Time Warner rules. To our business, they were different. It changed the way we do things. I wanted out."
Bischoff, a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a black-belt martial artist, always liked the outdoors and spent some of his free time fishing.
"I’m proficient at trout fishing," he said.
In 2000, Bischoff got a call from WCW officials wanting to know if he’d come back.
"I gave it a whirl," he said. "It was more screwed up."
In late 2000, Bischoff said farewell to WCW for good. "I’d had enough," he said. On March 23, 2001, WWE announced the purchase of WCW.
Bischoff wouldn’t be away from the ring long. On July 15, 2002 -- two years after he was last seen on television -- McMahon shocked the wrestling world when he introduced Bischoff as general manager of RAW.
"Wrestling will always be around," Bischoff said. "It’s entertainment in its purest form. The action, the drama. I was determined to get involved again. The performer in me surfaced. I missed that environment."
When Bischoff got the phone call from McMahon, it didn’t take long for him to say yes.
"I knew I could go to work for him," he said. "I felt good about it. The only difference is he’s doing it and I’m not. I was anxious to get back."
Bischoff said the McMahons are good to work with.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Vince, Linda, Shane and Stephanie," he said. "They have an incredible group of committed people."
Many experts credit Bischoff for WWE’s success today. He’s one of the group’s most entertaining personalities in or out of the ring. His three-year anniversary with WWE is fast approaching. He also continues to develop sports and entertainment properties for various networks. Away from wrestling, Bischoff shares a home in Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife, Loree, and two children, Garett and Montanna.
"It’s gone better than I thought," he said. "At first, would it be six days or six months? It’s about three years now. I’m not sure how long it will last.
"It’s fun to be part of this team. I’m grateful to be a part of the wheel. WrestleMania is about the superstars, not the GM. I’m thrilled to death to watch. I’ll have a good seat."
www.herald-dispatch.com/2005/March/31/LFlist2.htm