Eric Bischoff On ECW: "Nobody Was Paying Attention, Nobody Cared"

During a recent edition of 83 Weeks Podcast, Eric Bischoff covered the TNA Hard Justice 2010 pay-per-view, where ECW originals were featured on the show. Throughout the podcast, Bischoff went in-depth into ECW during the 90s and how he viewed them as an overrated company. Bischoff also said that if you look at the numbers, they were never a big deal and more of an afterthought compared to bigger promotions.

"There's this mystique about [ECW] that is far greater than any level of success they ever achieved as a television property," Bischoff said. "You can hate me for saying it. I know for people that were a part of this ECW reunion on TNA, it was the most exciting moments of their lives. The first time in any of their lives that they'd been on television, and they had a blast doing it. But if you look at the sheer numbers, ECW was a pimple on a hamster's a**.

"That's what ECW was, it was a little small town wrestling company, and the people in it, it was a high spot for them. The most important parts of their careers. Many of them went on to do bigger things and become hugely successful because they were able to move on from the name they made for themselves in that little town called ECW. I understand why everybody thinks it was one of the greatest things to happen for a couple of years, but if you go back and look at the numbers, it wouldn't have survived and couldn't have survived on a bigger platform."

Bischoff continued to talk about how Heyman would do things that he could've gotten sued for on a larger scale, but since the company wasn't being viewed by anybody, he was able to get away with it.

"Paul Heyman, famously, he would use unlicensed music on his show," Bischoff said. "He would find a song he liked and he'd use it for entrance music. Why? Because nobody was watching the damn thing. He wasn't going to get sued. Nobody was paying attention, nobody cared."

Dixie Carter said during a promo on the July 27 Impact leading to the build up for Hard Justice PPV that "ECW in the 90s is what [Hulk] Hogan was in the 80s." Bischoff talked about what a slap in the face this was to Hogan, and how out of touch to the wrestling business this made Carter look.

"Give Dixie credit, she was trying her best to get this pay-per-view over. However, her best was inadequate and it was stupid," Bischoff said. "To try to compare ECW and its impact on professional wrestling to Hulk Hogan in the 80's? Jesus woman, I don't even know how that thought could've formed in her head to make into her mouth, but it did.

"When you're prone to over-promise and, as a result, consistently under-deliver, raise expectations to a level that nobody can realistically achieve and constantly disappoint your audience as a result, this is what happens. For Dixie to make a statement like that, you've undermined the credibility of the event you're trying to promote by making such an outrageous statement that anybody with a thought in their head would understand doesn't make any sense."

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