Filling in for Gene Lindberg, I’m Matthew Michael with a quick recap of your favorite WWE.com talk show, Byte This!
Only one guest this week: RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff. Todd runs down this week’s Smackdown, including the debut of 3-time amateur wrestling champion Bobby Lashley. He then talks about what’s in store for WWE RAW’s USA Network Homecoming, including Edge vs. Matt Hardy in a “Loser Leaves RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match” and John Cena vs. Eric Bischoff in a WWE Title match ordered by Vince McMahon.
Todd, in complete ass-kissing mode, asks Eric what he’ll do when he wins, and Bischoff says he’ll take Coach and hit up some gentlemen’s clubs in the Dallas area, and show Flair how to party … without Viagra. Todd asks if he can come along.
He says he doesn’t have enough time to train to fight Cena, who he puts over as WWE Champ and a great wrestler.
Bischoff talks about the 10-year anniversary of WCW Nitro.
Doesn’t talk to Vince much, told him his first week with WWE that his goal is to be high-performance, low-maintenance. He puts 110% into what he does. But he doesn’t need to have face-time with Vince all the time to discuss his character. If everyone got “just five minutes” with Vince every time they wanted it, that’s 80 guys plus all the crew, etc., and “I just try to stay out of his way.” They don’t socialize but have a great dialogue professionally and he has a tremendous amount of respect for him.
Shows a clip of Hulk Hogan joining nWo and asks Bischoff for his thoughts. He didn’t think there would be bedlam in the arena, although they knew it would be a big moment and get great audience reaction. There was a lot of drama leading up to the event; it was about six hours before the event until they knew that Hogan would go through with that role, and then it was anticipation. Having orchestrated it and been architect behind it while keeping it a secret for as long as we did, it was pretty cool.
Todd asks: When you joined WCW did you just want to revolutionize wrestling or take babysteps? He answers that he just wanted to, in around 1993 when he took over, survive. Everyone wanted WCW off the menu except Ted Turner, who justified it since without WCW they would have had to buy hours of programming to fill the slots. The first two years of his existence there was cost-cutting, counting pencils; then they started building. It wasn’t until he and Ted realized they needed to go prime time to compete with WWE, about two years after, when in a strong position.
“We were reality/alternative programming before they existed,” says Bischoff about all the lawsuits, DX invading WCW, challenging Vince to a fight, etc. He said that was a reaction to Sean Waltman — who “I kept around as a favor to Hall & Nash” — saying WCW were wimps; he figured why challenge Sean, he had no issue with him; so he challenged Vince.
Eric talked about his chance to be WWE Champion, and how much of a shock it would be. It’s been 10 years since the launch of Nitro, but “could you imagine the shock the world will feel when Eric Bischoff becomes WWE Champion?” He suggests that he’ll have Kurt Angle in his back pocket.
Todd asked him what went wrong with Bill Goldberg. Bischoff talked about how they worked around his inexperience and made him a killer during his WCW run, and the incredible attraction to him from the fans. What went wrong? He didn’t really understand the business, he was insecure, he was surrounded by people pulling him in a ton of different directions, and it went to his head.
On his relationship with Ric Flair, he says it’s very weird, citing examples of Ric trying to jump him a couple of years ago, as well as going out and having a beer together.
When asked, he said he’d be in favor of a “One Night Stand” type event for WCW, since during the first Invasion, he, Sting, Luger, etc., weren’t involved in it. If it’s possible, it would be great. But it may not be possible since Goldberg, Steiner have already been in WWE and left; the only one that hasn’t been involved is Sting.
Bischoff says goodbye and Todd wishes him luck in his title match.
They show the “Listen up, we’re moving” commercial for WWE Homecoming.
Todd plugs the last show on Spike, this Monday live from Waco, TX, and then takes some phonecalls on favorite Unforgiven moments, including Cena hitting Angle with the belt but still keeping the title; Matt’s legdrop on Edge on top of the cage; the potential of Matt or Edge going to Smackdown if they lose the “loser leaves RAW” match on October 3 (or going to Japan); etc.
Todd answers a call who wants to know what his favorite RAW moment of all time is, and he said the Shelton Benjamin/Shawn Michaels match from a few months ago was the best match he’s seen on RAW since he’s been at the company.
Todd previews Smackdown:
Eddie Guerrero teaming up with Batista
Booker T vs. Christian
Benoit vs. OJ
Debut of Bobby Lashley
Rey Mysterio vs. Mr. Kennedy
The Ortons have something in store for The Undertaker
You can listen to the full episode of Byte This! on WWE.com.
