Sometimes I watch WWE’s Table for 3 series if there are guests on together that would generate compelling conversation (Road Dogg, Jeff Jarrett and Elias or AJ Styles with Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash) because people know they would talk about things that fans have always wanted to know.
A recent episode featured former WWE champion and Smackdown commentator JBL, former WWE producer Bruce Prichard (aka Brother Love) and former WCW head and RAW general manager Eric Bischoff. Suffice it to say, they did not mince words with each other, and for those of you who listen to Prichard’s podcast, you shouldn’t be surprised.
From this episode, there were several revelations that I found surprising, so here are some takeaways of what the three men discussed over their dinner:
Why Eric Bischoff never went to run a major media company
It’s been well established that Bischoff led quite possibly the most creative and lucrative period in WCW’s history prior to its fall in 2001. As JBL himself said (and he’s a finance guy, so there’s some credentials when he speaks on these matters), in 1993 WCW was losing $24 million for every $10 million it made, but by 1998 the company was making nearly half a billion dollars. With that kind of success, JBL asked Bischoff “why the hell didn’t CNN or Time Warner snatch you up and put you in charge?”
Bischoff’s reply is indicative of what the wrestling business is still perceived to this day: he said at the time (during the 1990s) wrestling was still seen as a ‘niche business’, very “boxed in” and people didn’t think what worked in wrestling would work in any other similar industry. But when you think about it, it’s sports entertainment as much as wrestling, even back in 1995, and it’s about entertainment. It may have been wrestling, but Bischoff knew what capitvated audiences back then and what drew eyeballs to the screen.
The WWE 1995-96 roster was rather stacked, according to JBL
Well, it’s his opinion, but looking at what WWE had at the time, it’s hard to argue strongly against.
They had the Ultimate Warrior who came back for his final run at that time, since Hulk Hogan left a year ago. Steve Austin (or the Ringmaster prior to his character change to Stone Cold), Triple H, the Rock (or Rocky Maivia), Scott Hall and Kevin Nash before they jumped to WCW, and Issac Yankem (aka the future Kane).
It was a rather brief segment from JBL, which is how I prefer most of my intake of JBL, but most of those guys he mentioned ended up leading the company during the Attitude Era.
Vince McMahon was years ahead of his time
They say that Vince McMahon was (and still is) crazy, and that’s not an ageism remark. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result each time. How else can you explain Vince’s decisions regarding Roman Reigns?
But Prichard revealed an insight that McMahon had that may surprise many people, especially those who don’t think the WWE Chairman listens to the fanbase or is stuck in the past. Prichard started with the company around 1987, just when Wrestlemania III concluded, and at the time his recollection was those within WWE believed that they had hit their peak. When Prichard later spoke with McMahon, the chairman told him “we’re going to go public (trade on the NYSX), gonna be millionaires,” and “we’re going to have our own network one day.”
Being in the late 80’s, Prichard’s assumption at the time was that WWE would get its own cable or satellite network. “He was talking about these things that would sound crazy, because they didn’t exist yet,” but this bit of insight showed that McMahon, despite what people think of him today in terms of booking decisions, knew where he was taking WWE. “Now that we have the money, we’re going to do it (launch the WWE Network)”, McMahon said to Prichard after the company went public.
Vince DID NOT want to be on the air
While McMahon was a WWE announcer and interviewer, according to Prichard he was adamant about not being on live television, or even on television as an on screen character of any kind. The only reason Vince was at ringside during the Montreal screwjob match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels (when Michaels ‘won’ the championship in controversial fashion) was that if Bret was going to be pissed off at somebody, it might as well be the boss.
McMahon actually did not want to be perceived as ‘evil’, and the only reason he gave the ‘Bret screwed Bret’ promo with Jim Ross after Montreal was that in his mind he thought it was a ‘babyface’ promo, Prichard continued. Except for one thing…the promo was shot in Canada. And if you remember WWE during 1997, it was this bizarro world where Hart was a heel in America but a definitely beloved figure in his native country.
Finally, the only reason Vince McMahon wanted to be inserted into the Stone Cold Steve Austin angle post Wrestlemania 14 was to a get Austin going in a feud with Mick Foley, so the Rattlesnake would have an opponent after Wrestlemania. “But the Vince stuff just worked, it clicked so well,” Prichard concluded…and the rest they say is history.
Bruce Prichard and Eric Bischoff are good friends
Well, it’s not that much of a reveal, even though they were on opposite sides during the Monday Night Wars, but Prichard and Bischoff bonded during the latter’s stint as RAW general manager, when Prichard was a WWE producer. Not everybody wanted to work with Bischoff because of business animosities or other reasons, but Prichard said he relished the challenge because he got to pick the brain of the man who “kicked our asses on network TV for 83 straight weeks”.
But what really began their friendship was when Prichard had some family emergency during a live broadcast and Bischoff, who didn’t really know him at the time, sat there with Bruce in his time of need and said if he ever needed anything to call him. It’s just one of those heartwarming moments in the wrestling business that are rarely heard.
An average professional doing the 9-5 grind who really loves wrestling across all platforms. Here's hoping wrestlers finally get some basic workers rights in 2021.
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