Before we begin, it’s important to note that this is probably some sort angle that will lead to either a match or, at the very least, a podcast debate.
That being said…the relationship between Eric Bischoff and Ric Flair is the stuff of legend. Their on-again, off-again friendship/business partnership has led to fist fights, lawsuits, and, this being 2022, mean tweets.
Such was the case recently when The Nature Boy took to Twitter to start the latest chapter in his decades-long beef with Easy E.
On December 8, Flair posted a video from one of the most memorable WCW Nitro moments of all time; that being when Flair returned to the company after the lawsuit with Bischoff, to reform the Four Horseman and tell Eric that he couldn’t fire Flair, Flair was already fired.
Of course, Eric being Eric, he couldn’t just let that Tweet stand, now could he? Instead, he Quote Tweeted Flair’s post and said that it was some of Flair’s best work ever. That would have been nice enough. But, you know…Controversy Creates Cash. So he also said ‘You’re welcome. I made you.’
Naturally, fans rushed to Flair’s aide, laughing at the fact that Bischoff said he ‘made’ the 16x World Champion.
Needless to say, Bischoff’s podcast partner (and Flair’s son in law) just couldn’t let those comments slide without discussing them, and Conrad Thompson didn’t waste any time on this week’s 83 Weeks podcast on confronting Bischoff and the ludicrous idea (to everybody but Eric) that he ‘made’ Ric Flair.
Eric Bischoff Made Ric Flair?
“If you’re in such a good mood, why are you popping off with my father-in-law Ric Flair on social media?” Thompson asked his friend and confidante.
“He started it!” Bischoff responded indignantly. “I was perfectly content to sit back and just run my own business and stay quiet. But then he just started blabbing about a bunch of stuff that he was pissed off at me about. I was just defending myself.”
It’s hard to defend those comments, Thompson argued. But Bischoff didn’t just defend them; he doubled down on them.
“Ric posts a video of cutting a promo on me back in 1998, and I pointed out that this was some of Ric’s best work and he should thank me for that,” Bischoff scoffed. “I brought that out in him. I brought that level of emotion and I brought out what became, really, the best Ric Flair. He should be thanking me for helping him to get over, instead of just being a whiny baby about this whole thing.”
Bischoff then tripled down on his comments.
“The truth is, WCW couldn’t make any money with Ric Flair,” Bischoff said. “So what did Ric Flair do? He went to WWE and guess what? They couldn’t make any money with Ric Flair. So guess what? Ric comes back to WCW and WCW still couldn’t make any money with him in ’93, and ’94, which is why he had to go get Hulk Hogan.”
Of course, Bischoff said, none of this was personal; it was just business.
“Ric’s a great performer, don’t get me wrong,” Bischoff yielded. “He’s a legend. But when it comes to business, I had to do what I had to do with him and that just rubs Ric the wrong way and he can’t let it go.”
Naturally, Conrad Thompson was in a bit of an awkward position. He pointed out that there seem to be two different versions of Eric Bischoff; almost as if Bischoff is acting. He said that the former President of WCW was a good man, helping to raise money for Barry Windham after a heart attack, but then he goes around criticizing Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen.
“I’m not critical; I’m just pointing out facts,” Bischoff asserted. “Why is it that people that are fans of Ric and fans of the Four Horsemen get all bent outta shape when you present facts? I wasn’t being critical of the Four Horsemen; I put them over! They were very, very popular amongst a small regional group of fans. In the business of entertaining the entire country, that small pocket of fans in North Carolina and the Southeast in particular, dug the Four Horsemen.”
Bischoff continued, stating that “The Four Horsemen were great during their era, but they certainly weren’t a national act.”
Thompson and Bischoff then got into one of their trademark arguments about how and why WCW was sold to the WWF, similarities to Jim Crockett Promotions, and more. You can hear the whole debate by downloading the 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff podcast or by visiting adfreeshows.com.
Incidentally, in news that has absolutely nothing to do with this whole situation, Thompson and Bischoff are selling tickets now for a live podcast recording in ‘the heart of WCW country,’ on January 14.
We wouldn’t be surprised if a certain 16x World Champion found himself in the same area on that day. Because, it’s like we always say…
And for that, we are Grateful.