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Eric Bischoff talks about WWE’s Monday Night Wars DVD

Between the Ropes interviewed Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff today to discuss the recent release of the Monday Night Wars DVD and other topics.

Eric was asked for his thoughts on the DVD, and he said that the DVD did a great job of characterizing WCW and WWF from 1993 to 1999. Eric said that he was concerned about how WCW would be portrayed on the DVD. He is still worried that he would hear revisionist history that is tainted by political ambition, but that was not the case on this DVD.

Eric said that the talk about WCW being financially mismanaged was untrue, and the reason the company was spending money was because it was budgeted. WCW went from a $24 million a year company losing $10 million to $350 million per year company making $30 million per year within 2 years of his arrival. Eric said that Ted Turner did not have a vendetta against Vince McMahon.

Talk moved on to Eric’s work with WWE, and he says that he never had any hatred towards Vince McMahon. Eric says that he was trying to be number one, and while some of the things he did might have been considered unethical, it was not to put WWF out of business. Eric did what he had to do, and there was no hatred on his part. Eric says that it was different to come to WWE, and he did feel like he was in the enemy camp at first. However, he did feel like he belonged there. Stepping back in front of a live crowd made him feel like he belonged there, and it was the right thing.

Eric was asked about his relationship with Ric Flair. Eric admits that they have had a roller coaster relationship, and some of the greatest and most miserable moments have been a result of Ric Flair. Eric says that he is to blame for some of the problems, but also says that Ric Flair was not the ‘patron saint’ that he has been portrayed as in the business. There were some people in the company that acted unprofessionally, and there were times when Ric fell in that category. The current relationship between the two men is that they are ‘friendly’ and are professional around each other, but they will not be breaking bread anytime soon.

Eric was asked about what he did for Eddie Guerrero after his automobile accident. Eric talked about how people are frustrated with the way Eric runs things, but some of those people are in the same position today with WWE. Eric has always tried to look out for the welfare of the people who work for him and with him. He feels that if people were honest, more people would tell the same story.

Talk moved on to some of the tactics that happened, and was asked about what he wanted to do, but held back. Eric said that there were some things that they did not do. He felt at one time that they would never lose the number one position after WCW had it. Eric mentioned that Vince became very litigious around 1996, and at that time Turner put some handcuffs on Eric because of the fear of other lawsuits.

Between the Ropes airs every Wednesday from 10:00 p.m. to Midnight Eastern on 740 The Team in Orlando, Florida and streams live on www.betweentheropes.com. You can e-mail the show at onair@betweentheropes.com and can check out archives of the most recent show and interviews at www.betweentheropes.com