Eric Bischoff has laid out exactly why his short WWE run under Vince McMahon never clicked, pointing to a personality clash and the near-impossible task of reading what the WWE founder actually wanted.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff was blunt about how little he enjoyed the assignment, even as he credited McMahon with a genuine eye for talent.
The run Bischoff is describing is his 2019 stint as Executive Director of SmackDown. He was hired in June of that year to oversee the show’s creative direction as it moved to Fox, reporting directly to McMahon, and was removed from the role in October, giving him roughly four months in the job.
For Bischoff, the core problem was that two very different working styles were never going to align.
Vince was unique, and we can criticize him. I certainly didn’t enjoy working for him. I couldn’t make it work. The chemistry was just never going to be there,” Bischoff said. “Other people have made it work and have done extremely well.
He described trying to figure out McMahon as one of the toughest parts of the entire experience.
One of the hardest parts of that four-month experiment for me was trying to get a read on Vince McMahon,” Bischoff said. “It was not a pleasant experience in any way, shape or form.
Bischoff Credits McMahon’s Eye For Talent
Even with the friction, Bischoff did not dismiss what made McMahon effective. He praised the ability to lock onto something in a performer and commit to it fully.
As unique as Vince was and as difficult as he was in many respects, he still had a good eye. He wasn’t right all the time. Nobody’s right all the time,” Bischoff said. “If he saw something that he liked in somebody, he would push it and push it and push it until it worked or until, after giving it sufficient time, it didn’t work.
He also noted how quickly McMahon could make up his mind about a wrestler, sometimes based on small details.
He would also make very quick judgments. Perhaps that’s because he saw or didn’t see something that he was looking for,” Bischoff said. “It could be the way someone carries themselves backstage. It could be the way they carried themselves on their ring entrance. If you don’t have the basics, if it doesn’t look like the lights are on and people are home, there’s a good chance you’ll get shut down before you really get started.
Bischoff framed that reality as the harsh side of being a performer under McMahon’s watch: “
It’s a tough spot to be in, but that’s kind of what happens when you’re talent. There’s always somebody making a subjective opinion that has an objective impact on your life.
Bischoff, whose executive resume runs through his years leading WCW, has spoken at length about that failed WWE experiment. Bischoff has been candid elsewhere about difficult chapters in his career, including his role in the downfall of TNA.
