Upamanyu Biswas
In Netflix’s ‘Mr. McMahon,’ viewers are afforded an inside view of the life and career of Vince McMahon, the former CEO of the WWE. While the company has gone through several stages of evolution to turn itself into the global mass appeal attraction it is today, its journey was not without competition. During the 1990s, the WWE faced a stiff rivalry with a competing wrestling show named the WCW. As both tried to garner greater ratings, Vince McMahon had his work cut out with the tactics and strategy employed by the rival company. However, the intellect behind the show was a man named Eric Bischoff, whose legacy is undeniably tied to the industry.
Eric Bischoff Made His Way Up the Pro Wrestling Food Chain From the Bottom
Eric Bischoff got his start in the professional wrestling industry through the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in 1987. During his stint at the company, Bischoff accidentally became an on-air personality. Two years later, when the AWA was struggling to make ends meet, he auditioned for an announcer’s position at the WWE (then known as WWF). He was rejected by the company and eventually joined the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as an announcer in 1991. Soon after, Bischoff was hired as an executive producer on the show, and in 1994, he earned a promotion to the Senior Vice President position. When better investments started to flow in, Bischoff ramped up the show’s production value and started hiring more recognizable talents.
In 1997, he was designated as the President of WCW. During this era, Bischoff oversaw the nWo storyline that garnered a shift in ratings between WCW and WWE, with the former dominating by a wide margin for 83 consecutive weeks. Following certain changes in the WWE’s programming and writing, Bischoff’s successful run at WCW slowly started losing momentum as the ratings reverted back in favor of the Vince McMahon-led show. Bischoff was eventually fired. In 2002, the WWE hired Bischoff as the general manager of ‘Raw.’ He went on to have a period of prominence, appearing in various on-screen feuds with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena, among others. His involvement in wrestling continued for several years later.
He Was Inducted Into the WWE Hall of Fame
Eric Bischoff’s legacy in the field of professional wrestling was solidified on April 6, 2021, when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. In an interview with Wrestling Inc., Bischoff reacted to the news by saying, “The Hall of Fame has always been my favorite part of WrestleMania weekend. It’s not that I’ve not enjoyed the matches, because there’s nothing like WrestleMania, it’s the SuperBowl. There’s something special about the Hall of Fame and the emotion of the Hall of Fame because it’s so real to everyone involved. It’s really really special to be able to be a part of that and not just be in the audience as I have in the past, Wow!”
He Started His Own Podcast Show
While Eric Bischoff has mostly been a professional wrestling man for a few decades, he has also spread his wings in other ventures like television production and video game production. However, in 2018, Bischoff began his own podcast show titled ’83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff,’ which he co-hosts with Conrad Thompson. Through the platform, Bischoff dives into several key moments in professional wrestling history, including the birth of the nWo, the inner workings of the WCW during its pomp, working with top wrestling talents, and much more. The internal trivia provided by the former executive paints a more detailed picture of the wrestling industry.
Eric Bischoff Found a New Calling in the Mortgage Business and is Thriving in it
Despite being attached to several game-changing innovations in the wrestling industry, Eric Bischoff has now transitioned to a job as a mortgage loan officer. His new foray into the finance domain happened as a result of his interactions with his podcast co-host Conrad Thompson. As Thompson has made his living in the mortgage industry for the past two decades, he helped Bischoff refinance, which pleased the former executive.
Bischoff constantly praised Thompson on the show for helping him save money. It became the catalyst for Bischoff to pursue the career as he wished to help other people in a similar way. Thompson said in a 2024 interview, “Eric said to me, ‘What if I did it? I was surprised. I think he loved the idea of helping people. It’s been a way for him to give back to wrestling fans, too.” Bischoff went through the necessary education and got himself licensed three years ago. Strangely, his new job allows him to have a more personal touch with wrestling fans around the country. “Wrestling comes up quite a bit on my calls,” he said. “It’s almost allowed me to extend my wrestling career.”
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