1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,800 Speaker 1: Let me just go ahead and say that today's show 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: is probably going to be probably the most epic show 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: a guy I grew up watching on during the Monday 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: night wars between WCW and WWE. Eric Bischoff is on 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: the phone with us right now. How are you doing, sir. 6 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 2: I'm doing really great. It's a nice fall day here 7 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 2: in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming and looking forward to 8 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 2: getting on a plane tomorrow and heading your way. 9 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson are gonna be doing eighty 10 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: three weeks Live this Sunday at Zany's. Starts at three o'clock. 11 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: Tickets are thirty five dollars VIP seventy five dollars. Tell 12 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: me about eighty three weeks the podcast? How did all 13 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: this come about? 14 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 2: Well, you know, I had previously had another podcast with 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 2: a guy by the name of Nick Houseman from Wrestle Zone, 16 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 2: and it did okay. You know, it wasn't great, it 17 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: wasn't bad. It just did okay. And we put that 18 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: show on hiatus for a while while I tried to 19 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 2: determine if some what I wanted to do in the 20 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 2: world of podcasting. And shortly after that and I began 21 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: to speak. I had met Conrad through Bruce Pritchard, who's 22 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: a close friend, and I was watching, you know, at 23 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: the amazing success that Bruce and Conrad had with their 24 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 2: podcasts something to wrestle with. So when Conrad and I 25 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: started speaking once my show was on hiatus, he really 26 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 2: convinced me that, you know, with the right format, the 27 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 2: right amount of research and effort, you know, and pre production, 28 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: that there was still a big audience that wanted to 29 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 2: talk about the Monday Night War era. You know, they 30 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 2: had to had, you know, w CW, Nitro and Monday 31 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 2: Night Row. And I wasn't initially convinced, but I had 32 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 2: a lot of confidence in Conrad and his judgment. So 33 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 2: we went ahead with it, and before we knew it, 34 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: almost right out of the gate, we were on the 35 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: number two podcasts in the world, only behind Bruce Pritchard, 36 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 2: which is not a bad place. 37 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 3: To be, not at all. 38 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: So real quick, the eighty three weeks podcast, what can 39 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: someone expect because it's going down this Sunday at Zeni's 40 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: what can someone expect from a live show versus I 41 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: guess the recorded podcast that you have. 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 2: You know, that's a cool thing about doing something live 43 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 2: with an audience. It's totally interactive, so you don't know 44 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 2: what to expect. Anything can happen. We rely on the 45 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: audience to really participate in the show, So their reaction to, 46 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 2: you know, some of the things that they're going to 47 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 2: see on stage, the questions that they have are all 48 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: going to be the thing that determine how that show 49 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 2: ends up. You know. Obviously, Conrad and I are gonna 50 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: you know, we're going to cover some of the you know, 51 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 2: relative topics, you know, as it relates to WCW. Because 52 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: we're in Nashville. We'll probably end up talking about TNA 53 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: more than we do on the podcast. There's gonna be 54 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 2: a surprise guest. I don't know who that's going to be. 55 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 2: Kim Had has a tendency to like to put me 56 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: on the spot and grill me and challenge me. Sometimes 57 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 2: that's a whole hell of a lot of fun. Sometimes 58 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: it really irritates me. It all depends on the nature 59 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 2: of the audience and the nature of the questions. But 60 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: I think you'll see, you know, well, look we're gonna 61 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 2: have a ton of fun. You'll probably we'll probably spend 62 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 2: more time laughing our asses up than we typically do 63 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 2: on a podcast, but you know there's gonna be hopefully 64 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 2: there'll be a lot of new information. You know, the 65 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 2: fans will learn something as well as being entertained, So 66 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 2: expect the unexpected, but you can be confident that it'll 67 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 2: be entertaining and fun too. 68 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: It is happening this Saturday or this Sunday, eighty three 69 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: weeks Live with Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson at Zany's 70 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: Tickets thirty five dollars VIP seventy five dollars, which let 71 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: me ask you this quick question. You know everybody was 72 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: shocked about the whole Hogan situation turning Hill. Talk me 73 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: to the conversation you had with Hogan, Nash and Hall 74 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: about taking Hogan, who's pretty much known as that baby 75 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: face his whole career, and turning him a Hill at Bash. 76 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 3: Of the Beach. 77 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 2: Well it wasn't you know. It didn't happen in one conversation. 78 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 2: The truth is I had talked to Haulk about turning 79 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 2: heel almost a year before that, and he was not 80 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 2: at all excited or open to the idea. And once 81 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: the end of you, oh, idea started to form in 82 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: my head and Scott Hall and Kevin Nash became available. 83 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 2: I was able to kind of develop the story in 84 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 2: an interesting way because of Scott Hall's and Kevin n 85 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: Asher's relationship previously with WCW and leaving WWF. I didn't 86 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 2: even talk to Hulk about being the third man in 87 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 2: turning heel because about a year earlier he had turned 88 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 2: me down and I took that at face value and 89 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 2: assumed he was never interested in turning heel. It's basically 90 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 2: what he said to me a year earlier. So once 91 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 2: the story he started, Scott Hall came down on May 92 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 2: twenty seventh, nineteen ninety six. I don't remember it because 93 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 2: it was my birthday. He came down through the audience 94 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 2: and you know, confronted me, and then a week later, 95 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,239 Speaker 2: Kevin Nash came down. During that whole period of time 96 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 2: we were doing that on television, Haulk was in California 97 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 2: filming a movie. He wasn't you know, I wasn't speaking 98 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 2: to Halk. I mean, we were friends and everything was fine, 99 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 2: but I had we just hadn't been in contact because 100 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 2: he was on location doing a movie. And you know, 101 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 2: it was after Scott, after hal had because even though 102 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 2: he was up doing a movie. He was getting videotapes 103 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 2: of Nitro, so he was keeping up with what was 104 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 2: going on. And after he saw Kevin Nash come down 105 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 2: and we started teasing the third man, that's when Hulk 106 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 2: called me and asked me who the third man was, 107 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 2: and I didn't want to tell him. It was going 108 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: to be Sting. By the way, at that point again, 109 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 2: because Halk had turned turned me down in terms of 110 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 2: turning heel the year, not I've even been a year, 111 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 2: might have been six or eight months before, so you know, 112 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 2: I was going forward with you know, Scott Hall, Kevin 113 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 2: nashon Sting. And that's when Hulk called me and and 114 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: we sat down out in California on location in his movie, 115 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 2: and he asked me who's going to be the third man. 116 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 2: I didn't want to tell him because I wanted to 117 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 2: keep it a secret. So I kind of jokingly said, well, 118 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 2: who do you think it should be? And he said basically, well, 119 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 2: you're looking at him, brother. So that was that was that. 120 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 2: So up until you know, two weeks into the story, 121 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 2: it was going to be Sting. And it wasn't until 122 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 2: Hlpe you know, saw what was happening, realized that it 123 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 2: was a great opportunity to a great story, and it 124 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 2: made sense for him to turn heel. That he threw 125 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 2: himself in the in the mix, and I went with Hulk. Wow. 126 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 3: My guest Eric Bischoff is on the phone with us 127 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 3: right now. 128 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: He's at Zany's on Sunday eighty three, eighty three Weeks 129 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: Live with Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson. You mentioned Sting 130 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: that was your guy. Do you think, how do you 131 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: think I guess the future would have been if you 132 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: move forward with being that third guy. 133 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: I think I definitely would have worked. You know, Sting 134 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 2: was the lead babyface, the lead hero in w CW. 135 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 2: He had never been to heel before. A lot of 136 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 2: people within the w CW audience really looked at him as, 137 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 2: you know, the guy in w CW. And I think 138 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: him turning heel would have definitely been successful. In fairness, 139 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,679 Speaker 2: I don't think it would have been as successful as Hulk, 140 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 2: because Hulk had been, you know, a babyface, you know, 141 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 2: and a hero to so many for decades, and not 142 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 2: only in w CW clearly because he was relatively new 143 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 2: on the scenior, but around the world. So I think 144 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: Hulk turning heel just because he had been a higher 145 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 2: profile babyface for so much longer than Sting clearly, you know, 146 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 2: was the better choice. I think they both would have. 147 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 2: Obviously MWO worked and hul Coke in turning Hill worked. Right, 148 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 2: It's still a relevant, you know, concept to this day. 149 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: But I think, you know, Sting would have worked, but 150 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: just not as well as Hulk for obvious reasons. 151 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: And you know, I was sitting there watching it, and 152 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: once it all happened, I was like, I really want 153 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: to be a part of nWo now. And my dad 154 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: just looking at me, He's like, you know that the 155 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: bad guys. I was like, but that's the cool thing 156 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: to do, Dad, And you know, it was that was 157 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: what made me decide that from that point on that 158 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: I was watching WCW every Monday night. It didn't matter 159 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: what was going on on Raw, because I'd go back 160 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: to the school the next day and people were like, oh, 161 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: do you see Row, And it's like, no, no, no, no, 162 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 1: did you see what happened on WCW. 163 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, And you know, it was an interesting time in 164 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 2: the mid nineties because it wasn't just in wrestling where 165 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 2: you know, characters, it was even before that. You know, 166 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 2: in movies, you know television, you know, a lot of 167 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 2: your top characters were very flawed characters. Even though they 168 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 2: were the heroes of the movie or a television series, 169 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 2: they were very flawed. They were almost anti heroes. So 170 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 2: even though they had, you know, serious flaws in their 171 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 2: characters and personality and just in general in entertainment, you know, 172 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 2: people tended to gravitate towards the bad ass, even though 173 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 2: the badass was a flawed badass. nWo is very much 174 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 2: like that. They were heels, but they were so cool 175 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 2: in the way they approached it. And when I say cool, 176 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 2: it's because they did it differently. You know, the formula 177 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 2: in wrestling up until nineteen ninety six was very tired. 178 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: Your heroes, your babyfaces, whatever you want to call them, 179 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 2: were all caricatures. You know. They were very cartoonish and animated. 180 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 2: Look at Sting, I mean, you know, he was a 181 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 2: living and walking, talking Christmas Tree, but it was a hero, 182 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 2: you know. You look at you know, Ultimate Warrior, you 183 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: know during his period of time, and you know Haulkogan. 184 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: All these characters were very colorful, very animated, almost cartoonish 185 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 2: in a way. And here you had the nWo coming 186 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: in and it was Scott Hall and Kevin Ash. It 187 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 2: wasn't you know, a Diesel type character name or a 188 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 2: Razor Ramone type character name. These are real guys using 189 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 2: their real names with a real complaint based on the 190 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 2: way they had previously been treated in w CW when 191 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 2: they were there. So that reality, using their real names, 192 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:39,559 Speaker 2: using a real you know issue creatively, you know, all 193 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 2: those things led to the nWo being more believable and 194 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 2: more real and more relatable. And I think that's probably 195 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 2: what he impacted you as a young kid. It was 196 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,679 Speaker 2: relatable and the fact that you know, yeah, they were 197 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 2: heels and they were coming in to take over w 198 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 2: CW because they had a reason for it. Some people, 199 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 2: you know, looked at them in the babyfaces even though 200 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 2: they weren't. And that's what really changed the dynamic and 201 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 2: as they say today, the paradigm in professional wrestling. You know, 202 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 2: DX a year a year and a half later did 203 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 2: the exact same thing. That was that was their formula 204 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 2: that was really based on the NWL formula of storytelling 205 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 2: and character so's It was a very very interesting time 206 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 2: and it still resonates with people to this day. 207 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: And you know, it's crazy because it's like every time 208 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: that here in Nashville, WCW or WWF would come into town. 209 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: I remember the whole thing of like WWF will be here, 210 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: WCW would be what a couple miles down the road 211 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: right there, back to back, and it was always a 212 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: we have to go to WCW. And one night I 213 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: went to WWF and it was the night I guess 214 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: the debut China, and I just was kind of sitting 215 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: there like what is going on? 216 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 3: This is kind of a very boring show. 217 00:11:57,679 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: And then I get home and a buddy of mine's like, 218 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: you should have been a WCW. And so that's that's 219 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 1: the one thing that I grew up is WCW had 220 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: much better entertainment and it wasn't, like you said, the gimmicks. 221 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: It was real life stuff that people could relate to. 222 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's so much about you know, the podcast 223 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 2: eighty three weeks, you know, and it's really not about 224 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 2: you know, eighty three weeks represents the number of weeks 225 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 2: that we beat WWF consecutively. You know, we beat them 226 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 2: more than eighty three weeks, but there was eighty three 227 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 2: consecutive weeks where ww excuse me, WCW outperformed WWF had 228 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 2: to head in the ratings. So that's that's the title 229 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 2: of the show. But the show itself, the podcast really 230 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 2: is more about, you know, what went into the Monday 231 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 2: Night Wars, you know that whole period, not just in WCW, 232 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 2: but in WWF, and more importantly, how that period of time, 233 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,719 Speaker 2: the Monday Night War era as it's called, how that 234 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 2: had to head competition in between the two companies changed 235 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 2: the rustling business forever. You know, even today, you know 236 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 2: when you're watching you know, Monday Night Raw or when 237 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 2: you're watching SmackDown. So many of the changes that were 238 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 2: a result of that had to head competition still in 239 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 2: many ways define the content that you're watching today. You know, 240 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 2: the fact that WWE now is live on Monday nights 241 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 2: that would never have happened if Nitro wouldn't have gone live, 242 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 2: had to head, it never would have happened, and if 243 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 2: it wouldn't have happened, it wouldn't be the quality of 244 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 2: show that it is today. You Know, the Attitude era 245 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 2: would never have happened if it wasn't for Nitro. You know, 246 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 2: Vince McMahon turning heel would have never happened if it 247 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 2: wasn't for Nitro because they followed our formula. You know, 248 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 2: I was the heel. Oh and I'm not trying to 249 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 2: put myself over, just trying to illustrate the context of 250 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 2: the time. But you know, the fact that Eric Bischoff, 251 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 2: who really was the president of the company, you know, 252 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 2: was actually we a heal character within the nWo. You know, 253 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 2: that happened a year before Vince mcmahond decided to do it. 254 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 2: So there were so many things that we did that 255 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 2: broke the mold or the paradigm if you want to 256 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 2: say it that way, that the WWF at the time 257 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 2: was forced to do. They didn't want to do it, 258 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 2: they were forced to do it. But in the long run, 259 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: that competition, you know, them being forced to do things 260 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 2: differently and giving up the Isaac Yankins and Duke the 261 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 2: dumpster drosies and irs wall streets and going to clowns 262 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 2: and going to a more reality based presentation such as ours, 263 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: was that changed their business forever. And I you know, 264 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 2: I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination. Not 265 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 2: everybody's going to agree, and I'm sure Vince and Stephanie 266 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 2: Hunter and Kevin Dunn would be the first to disagree, 267 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 2: and I understand why. But from my perspective, if it 268 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 2: wouldn't have been for the head to head competition and 269 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 2: what that did to the business overall, and how the 270 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 2: business grew as a result of that had to head competition, 271 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 2: I don't think the WWE would be the same company 272 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 2: that we see today. Really now you think about it, 273 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 2: when you know, look at what was going on in 274 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 2: the WWF in nineteen ninety five prior to Nitro. Their 275 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 2: ratings were flat and deteriorating. They were soft. Their house 276 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: show business was horrible. That's why they were spending so 277 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 2: much time in Europe because it couldn't really make any 278 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 2: money in the United States, not the amount of money 279 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 2: that they needed. They were flat. It wasn't until Nitro 280 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: in about a year and a half later, when they 281 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 2: were forced to really compete that all of a sudden, 282 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 2: you know, there were ten million people watching wrestling every 283 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 2: Monday night. Well, the fact that wrestling became such a 284 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 2: big deal in the television business as a result of 285 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 2: that Monday Night war, I think created a lot of 286 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 2: opportunity for WWF And clearly, when the performed WCW and 287 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 2: they won the Monday Night Wars. You know, I think 288 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 2: the television industry, sponsors, advertisers, television networks, everybody looked at 289 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 2: wrestling as a much different business opportunity than they did 290 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety five. 291 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: You know, you talk about nWo and like changing the 292 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: land and WCW influencing WWE. Let me ask you this, 293 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: do you think that you know, the nWo and what 294 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: you did with WCW is in bluing seeing other factions 295 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: like Undisputed Era, the Bullet Club. 296 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 3: You know, the list goes on, well. 297 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 2: Clearly, you know if you look at well, yeah, of course, 298 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 2: you know, the audience sees it. I think the Bullet Club, 299 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 2: for example, at least when they first started, they you know, 300 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 2: they mimic the wolf Pack hands sign or the click sign. 301 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 2: Is that people now like to refer to it. I 302 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: don't think that that hand gesture had ever been seen 303 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 2: on television before, you know, the guys started using it 304 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 2: for the wolf Pack. You know, all of those things. 305 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 2: The fact that that you know in factions has always 306 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 2: been around. You know, the Four Horsemen are around a 307 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 2: long time before the nWo. But the attitude, you know, 308 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 2: the personality of the brand MWO was much much different 309 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 2: than anything people had ever seen before. And I do 310 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 2: see people trying to replicate it, you know they won't. 311 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 2: You know, I think nWo became successful in large part 312 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,879 Speaker 2: by coincidence. You know, some of it was designed, but 313 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 2: you know, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were two very 314 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 2: unique characters for that storyline. If you look at nWo 315 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 2: like a movie and you had to cast the actors 316 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,680 Speaker 2: in that movie, you couldn't cast two better people than 317 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 2: Scott Hall and Kevin esh just because of their attitude, 318 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 2: their real personalities. And all we had to do is 319 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 2: dial that up just a little bit, you know, Hulko 320 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 2: and turning. You put it way over the top. It 321 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 2: would be really really hard to replicate that tast and 322 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 2: the conditions. You know, where are you going to find 323 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 2: other than John Cena, a babyface that has never been here? Right? 324 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 1: And that's the one thing you know everybody wants to 325 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: see is him turn heel. 326 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 3: But I don't ever see it happening. 327 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. I think you know, if 328 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:23,640 Speaker 2: it was going to happen, it would have happened five 329 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 2: or six years ago. And I'm sure from a business 330 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 2: perspective that didn't make any sense to the WWF because 331 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 2: of merchandise and public relations and all the you know, 332 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 2: people don't realize, you know, they watch somebody like John 333 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 2: Cena on TV. You know what they don't realize is 334 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,239 Speaker 2: that's probably the easiest part of his week. You know, 335 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 2: the rest of it is where the time really gets spent. 336 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 2: And a guy like John Cena who is on the 337 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 2: road three hundred or more days a year, not only 338 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 2: doing television pay per views, but making personal appearances and 339 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 2: representing the company and going to conventions and doing all 340 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 2: of the things that are so important for the lead 341 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 2: babyface of a company. I'm sure from their perspective five 342 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 2: or six years ago, it didn't make sense to turn heel. 343 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 2: And now, you know, he's looking at a movie career, 344 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,679 Speaker 2: and I'm sure that that's the farthest thing from his 345 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 2: mind as an actor to you know, to alienate the 346 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 2: fan base that he's built over the course of the 347 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 2: last you know, fifteen eighteen years. 348 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 3: Good stuff right there. Eric Bischoff is on the phone 349 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 3: with us right now. 350 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: Eighty three Weeks Live with Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson 351 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: is happening Sunday at Zany's Start at three o'clock. Tickets 352 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: thirty five dollars, VIP seventy five dollars. Let me ask 353 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: you a quick question, and I kind of took to 354 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 1: Twitter yesterday and got some fan questions from some people, 355 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 1: and one person on Twitter wanted to know how did 356 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: the whole finger Poke of Doom match go down? 357 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 2: Well you have to do is go to the WWE 358 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 2: network and watch it. Right if you're talking about you know, 359 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 2: you know from a backstage creative point of view. You know, 360 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 2: like any idea or any match that gets laid out, 361 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 2: especially one where you've got you know, multiple people involved, 362 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,679 Speaker 2: it's a process. You know. You get six people in 363 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,920 Speaker 2: a room or four people in a room, and somebody says, 364 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 2: I got an idea, let's let's paint it blue. And 365 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 2: then somebody says, yeah, blue's good, but maybe we make 366 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,919 Speaker 2: it a really light shade of blue. And then somebody 367 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 2: else will chime in, and you know they'll say no, no, no, 368 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 2: it should be read, and before you're done it ends 369 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 2: up being purple. Right, And it's the evolution of an idea. 370 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 2: So in terms of how it actually went down, there 371 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 2: was no you know, light bulb moment where somebody stood 372 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 2: up and said, this is when I think we should do. 373 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 2: It was kind of an evolution of ideas based on 374 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 2: what was going on at the time storyline wise. 375 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, my guest right now, Eric Bischoff, is on 376 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: the phone and he is at Zany's of This Sunday 377 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 1: with Conrad Thompson doing eighty three Weeks Live. You're in Nashville. 378 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: So we talked earlier in the show. You talked about TNA. 379 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: It you know, it seems like TNA is kind of 380 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: going in when wrestlers from like the bigger names get 381 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:11,479 Speaker 1: off their contract, they go in and sup them up. 382 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: But how come what's that hurdled that TNA, in your 383 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: mind thinks that they need to jump over to be 384 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: up there competing with the WWE and the Ring of Honors. 385 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 2: Are you talking about the the now Impact owned by 386 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 2: Anthem Sports or you're talking about TNA when I was there. 387 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,360 Speaker 1: Impact Now, Because when TNA was there, when you were there, 388 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,719 Speaker 1: it was every I was there every Wednesday night at 389 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: the Fairgrounds and it was by far the greatest thing, 390 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,400 Speaker 1: even better than you know what was on TV. 391 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 2: Well, I think you know now and I don't know 392 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 2: any any of the folks over at Anthem or Impact. 393 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 2: I don't really know much about them, you know, from 394 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 2: from a distance. I guess it's pretty obvious that they 395 00:21:53,440 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 2: have very limited financial support. I think if you want to, 396 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 2: you know, to say something like, what's it going to 397 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,360 Speaker 2: take to compete with the WWE. First of all, they're 398 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 2: not ever going to compete with the WWE. Nobody is. 399 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 2: The television industry has changed so much in the last 400 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 2: three to five years that I don't think anybody is 401 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 2: going to be able to come along, create a brand, 402 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 2: spend the amount of money, and more importantly time. WWE 403 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 2: is a going on a fourth generation owned company. It's 404 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 2: been around forever. They've built brand loyalty up and down 405 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 2: the East Coast, going back to the forties, if not before. 406 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 2: So for a startup, any startup to think that they're 407 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 2: going to be able to compete with that is I 408 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 2: think a little juvenile right now. That doesn't mean that 409 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 2: a Ring of Honor or even an Impacted Anthem or 410 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 2: someone else might not them along and be a successful company. 411 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 2: It's one thing you can be. You can be successful 412 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 2: without having to be competitive with the WWE. But nobody's 413 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 2: ever going to be able to compete with them now. 414 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 2: In order for for Anthem or anybody else to to 415 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,719 Speaker 2: to be successful, you have to define what success is. 416 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 2: You look at Ring of Honor for example, you know 417 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 2: that's owned by Sinclair Broadcasting. Ring of Honor is distributed 418 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 2: on the syndicated network that that Sinclair owns, and it 419 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 2: achieves its goal. It meets their expectations from a financial 420 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,640 Speaker 2: point of view, they're they're expected that they don't want 421 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 2: to be necessarily, And I don't know anybody inside of 422 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 2: the company, so I haven't had these conversations with them, 423 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 2: although I did speak to Jokoff about a year ago 424 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 2: on the subject, and they're very happy with where they 425 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 2: are in terms of how their business model is performing now. 426 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 2: If they want to increase their revenues and become a bigger, 427 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 2: more successful company, that requires investment in time. It's that simple. 428 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 2: I think streaming and the affordability and the access to 429 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 2: you know, credible, high quality, dependable streaming is going to 430 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 2: create some new opportunities for companies that are willing to 431 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 2: invest in their own brand and try to be bigger 432 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 2: than they currently are. But you know, success has to 433 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 2: be defined by the people who are building the company. 434 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 2: But again, I just want to make it clear you 435 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 2: can be successful without having to be competitive to the WWE. 436 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: My guest right now on the phone, Eric Bischoff, So 437 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,200 Speaker 1: let me ask you this. Back in the nineties, women's 438 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: wrestling kind of was what maybe about five minute matches, 439 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: give or take. What do you think about this new 440 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: landscape of women are kind of getting, you know, this 441 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: pay per view this past Sunday, women are getting the 442 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: main event at certain pay per views. What do you 443 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: think about this, this new movement compared to back in 444 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: the nineties. 445 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 2: From a strictly business perspective, I think it's brilliant, and 446 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 2: you know, I'm going to take this social you know, 447 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 2: justice warrior component out of it because I think that's 448 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 2: you know, part of it. But from a purely business 449 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 2: point of view, you know, if you're in the television 450 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 2: business and you have a great product, it gets great ratings, 451 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 2: as Monday Night Row does expect on us. Great ratings 452 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 2: are one thing, but if the demographics of your great 453 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 2: rating suggests that seventy five or eighty percent of your 454 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 2: audience is mail even though you're getting great ratings, that 455 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 2: those the advertising community doesn't necessarily look at that very favorably. 456 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 2: They look at you know, women spend the majority of 457 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 2: the household income. That's just a fact, and that's why advertisers, 458 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 2: you want to spend more money on content that has 459 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:06,719 Speaker 2: a more balanced demographic. So if you can get to 460 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 2: the point that wwe can get to the point because 461 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 2: of all of the emphasis that they're putting on women 462 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 2: in their show, if they can get to the point 463 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 2: where their demographics are fifty percent men fifty percent women, 464 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 2: the value of that advertising time within their show, which 465 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 2: is what drives their business, is going to go up proportionately. 466 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 2: Instead of selling an advertising and an advertisement for I'm 467 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 2: just picking a number out of thin air, you know, 468 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 2: twenty thousand dollars for a thirty second spot because your 469 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:45,600 Speaker 2: demos are sixty forty or seventy thirty mail that that 470 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 2: same commercial will probably be worth sixty thousand dollars or 471 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 2: fifty thousand dollars if fifty percent of your audiences women. 472 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 2: And that's just an example that math isn't exact, but 473 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 2: that's an example because a more balanced demographic between men 474 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 2: and women and kids, that's an important part of it too. 475 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:09,199 Speaker 2: For WWE. You know, a more balanced demographics is going 476 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 2: to result in more revenue, and that's what it's all about. 477 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 2: And I think that's a big part of it. I 478 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 2: think there's great intention. I'm not dismissing the fact that 479 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 2: you know, they're doing the right thing and creating more 480 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 2: opportunity and making a more exciting product by using women, 481 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 2: but I am pointing out that from a purely business 482 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 2: point of view, it's exactly the right thing to do 483 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 2: at the right time. 484 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: My guest, Eric Bischoff, is on the phone right now 485 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: with us eighty three Weeks Live with Eric Bischoff and 486 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 1: Conrad Thompson this Sunday, three o'clock at Zany's. You can 487 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: still get tickets online thirty five dollars for general mission, 488 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: seventy five VIP all the information will put them up 489 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,360 Speaker 1: on the website for you. But Eric, I just got 490 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: to say, it's such an honor to have you on 491 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,199 Speaker 1: the phone, and thank you so much for taking the 492 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: time out and talking with us today. 493 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 2: Great hope to see you at the Zanies. 494 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 3: I will definitely be there this Sunday at Zanies. I'll 495 00:27:57,640 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 3: see there all. 496 00:27:58,440 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: Right, man. Thank you