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 Rose Through the Ranks of Pro Wrestling 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.
Eric Bischoff 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, “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 also added that the Hall of Fame was his favorite part of the Wrestlemania weekend. The former executive was glowing about Wrestlemania’s prominence in the broader audience and graciously accepted the award.
Eric Bischoff Hosts a Wrestling-centric Podcast Show Today
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 Has 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 the latter has made his living in the mortgage industry for the past two decades, he helped Bischoff re-finance, 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.”
Eric Bischoff Enjoys Spending Time With His Family Today
Outside his professional life, Eric Bischoff has maintained a healthy balance between work and family, with the latter being of primary comfort to him in recent years. He continues his longstanding marriage with Loree, with whom he tied the knot in 1984. The pair have lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, Cody, Wyoming, and Los Angeles, California, through the years and are parents to two children, Garett and Montanna. The former was born on April 20, 1984, and the latter on November 7, 1985. Eric posts regular updates of his grandson, Waylon, the son of Garett, and his wife, Mary Jane, on his social media channels. He celebrated Christmas 2023 with Waylon, posting his smiling photo on Instagram. In June 2024, the 69-year-old shared a post of his wife petting their dog against a scenic mountainous view.
