Eric Bischoff Reacts To Finish Of WWE Match Between GUNTHER And Randy Orton

Despite being an overall positively perceived match, the 2024 WWE King of the Ring finals between Randy Orton and GUNTHER also produced some controversy, particularly with its finish. After putting on a 20-plus minute slugfest, "The Ring General" GUNTHER sealed the win with a roll-up, but, as many fans pointed out, Orton's left shoulder was glaringly raised above the mat during the referee's three-count. On a recent episode of "83 Weeks," former WCW President Eric Bischoff shared his reaction to this closing moment.

"Randy doesn't make mistakes like that. That's not a Randy Orton mistake," Bischoff said. "I firmly believe it was part of a plan; it was part of the process. It's just more depth to a great story. It's just more for GUNTHER to get over on. Did he really win? Did he not really win? I don't mean to fantasy book here, but if it turns out that there's a b****, and it was a part of the plan, now you've got a reason, a why, which is an important part of a story. You've got to have a why in order to have a match that matters. Now, they've got a why. Because Randy is so flawless and that would be such a rookie mistake, there's no way I'm going to accept that it was "Well, it happened. Now we got to make chicken salad out of chicken s***.' I think they planned a lobster dinner from the get-go."

As questions about the Orton-GUNTHER match finish lingered after the WWE King and Queen of the Ring, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque provided some clarification. While Levesque too saw that Orton's left shoulder was not pinned to the mat, he proclaimed that the referee's decision was final, meaning that GUNTHER would keep his title as the 2024 King of the Ring. Looking toward the future, though, Levesque agreed that GUNTHER and Orton are due for a singles rematch at some point.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "83 Weeks" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.