Eric Bischoff Says That Working For TNA Was 'Very Regrettable' And He Wishes He Never Did It
Eric Bischoff was recently a guest of The Underground Australia podcast to promote an upcoming live 83 Weeks event scheduled for June 21-23. Bischoff, who stated that he left WCW with a lot of baggage when it folded in 2001, discussed how happy he was when he was asked to return to the pro wrestling business as a WWE personality.
"Enough time had gone by. I had been out of wrestling, it was in my rear view mirror. I wasn't thinking about it anymore. And I left all of that resentment and all of that baggage, and I left it all in my past," said Bischoff. "And I didn't think about it anymore. And then, when Vince [McMahon] called me and offered me a job, I realized in that moment that it was an opportunity for me to end my career on a high note. I knew that if I went into the WWE as a character, because I was very confident in my abilities as a performer, I was very confident in the history that I had with the WWF would make it even easier for me that it would for anybody else. My character would be more interesting, because everybody knew my history with the company. So, I knew all of the conditions were right for me to be very successful, and to have the opportunity to end my career on a positive note. And, because of that, I felt like a kid at Christmas morning."
Bischoff stated that he was "thoroughly excited" for the opportunity to work in the WWE, where he was a prominent on-screen character from 2002-2005, followed by irregular appearances from 2006-2007. From 2010-2012, Bischoff appeared as an on-screen character, spending a bulk of this time being a part of the "10/10/10" angle and subsequent establishment of the Immortal faction. He also was involved in an angle with his son, Garett, which led to him being written off of television.
Overall, Bischoff was very dissatisfied with his TNA run, and regrets even making the decision to start working there.
"For the most part, it is very regrettable," said Bischoff. "Looking back, I wished I wouldn't have done it, with one or two exceptions. It was an opportunity for me to work with my son, and for my son to get an opportunity to work in the wrestling business, which is something that was a goal of his as a young boy and a teenager growing up. He's fantasized having an opportunity to work in the wrestling business with his father, and being in TNA gave me that opportunity to provide to him. And I'll forever be grateful for that, because that is a memory that my son and I share to this that day, that is very special to both of us. And I'll never, ever minimize that. But, other than that? Eh. Eh."
Bischoff added that other than being an entrepreneur, he could see himself being a lawyer if he was not involved in the pro wrestling business.
Source: The Underground Australia