Eric Bischoff Says Tony Khan Should Give Creative Control Of AEW To This Person

While the promotion continues holding and scheduling major shows, certain metrics within AEW have generally declined over the last year, such as live event attendance and television ratings. Eric Bischoff sees this as a creative problem for the company and has long called for Tony Khan to put someone else in charge of booking. Speaking on a recent episode of "83 Weeks," Bischoff had a suggestion in mind.

"It's just a matter of time before Tony is going to have to make a change," Bischoff said. "He's got unlimited financial resources. That's a big part of it. But he's got the human resources right there under his nose — Jen Pepperman."

Bischoff stated that he was in WWE with Pepperman for a few months and, though they didn't work in-depth together, he did get to know her. The two had discussions about storytelling, and Bischoff walked away from those conversations with confidence in Pepperman's abilities to tell an absorbing tale in wrestling.

A former writer in TV and WWE, Pepperman was brought into AEW earlier this year, reportedly due to her close working relationship with Mercedes Mone. Bischoff listened to Pepperman on a recent edition of "AEW Unrestricted," and the former WCW executive said it made him realize Pepperman has an even stronger grasp on story structure than he previously believed.

Along with their ratings and attendance struggles, there is another danger that may be lying in wait for AEW. There is a very real chance that Warner Bros Discovery, owner of TBS and TNT and business partner to AEW, could be sold in the near future, as the company has a massive amount of debt. Even if WBD offers AEW a media rights deal, Bischoff doesn't believe that guarantees the success of the promotion long-term.

"If he gets that renewal, and it's the same product that continues to lose [its] audience, it's just a matter of time," Bischoff continued. "He's got Jen. If I was Tony, I would sit down with Jen Pepperman today, before the sun goes down, and say, 'Jen, I want you to build the new AEW creative system."

Right now, Pepperman plays a role on the creative team but Khan remains in charge. Bischoff then began speaking directly to Khan, telling the AEW CEO to focus on the business aspect of the company, as that is where his family has had success in the past.

"Focus on the things you do well, Tony," Bischoff said. "Run in the other direction from things that you are not good at, that you don't have experience in, that you don't have an instinct for. It's okay. It doesn't make you a bad person."

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