The Journal Of: Eric Bischoff

Henderson · December 21, 2017

To preface this dynasty, I'm doing things a bit different. I have been running a 1998 mod as WCW. It is now Week 2, May 2000. The game began very rocky and I eventually gained the #1 company. The WWF came back and took over that spot but within the last month I was able to reclaim the top spot.

Business had never been better. I was making a multi-million dollar surplus each month, ratings were high, talent morale was at a peak, and plans were laid out. Things seemed at an all-time high for WCW. But then events occurred to drastically change things. My user character (Eric Bischoff) developed a hatred relationship with WCW's owner, Ted Turner. What happened? Well, that's all about to be laid out for you.

To give a run-down of what's transpired over the last nearly two years;

- Bill Goldberg is the current 3 time World Champion

- Lance Storm is the US Champion

- AJ Styles is the TV champion

- Rick Rude came out of retirement and held the World title for a period of time

- Scott Steiner held the World title from December 1998 - February 1999

- Chris Jericho is the highest paid worker in WCW.

You all are about to get a close look into the thoughts of Eric Bischoff and the events that have led up to this dynasty beginning nearly two years after the start of the game.

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad191/hendersonjon/WCW/Eric%20Bischoff%209_zpsvsq63og7.jpg

After everything I've done for this company....

Ted Turner wanted me to be the one to turn it around. I brought WCW out of the dingy, smoke filled bingo halls to selling out arenas world wide. I made everything work. I've re-established WCW to be the main wrestling organization again. I had my work cut out for me two years ago. I brought the sinking ship afloat again.

He wanted me to push Stevie Ray.

- Done.

He wanted me to push La Parka.

- Done.

He wanted record profits.

- Done.

Most people said that I had it made, that my job was easy. All I had to do was book three shows a week. Two of the shows didn't even matter. All that mattered was that Nitro was a success. WCW was the company of the year for 1999. Turner wanted to make it sound like he wanted to win at all costs.....Then he pulled a move like this....

He's done nothing but stacked the deck on me. I made Bill Goldberg the world heavyweight champion for the third time. He was on a roll. For months Ted and I talked about making Goldberg the new figurehead of the company.
We had to face facts, Hulk Hogan was aging. His skills were diminishing and the fans were beginning to see his star power decline. A change had to be made. Chris Jericho had been pegged as the replacement, but he wasn't increasing the way we hoped. Then we thought about Booker T, but he wasn't so young anymore either. Not only that, but it seemed like his popularity had capped. Scott Steiner and Sting were also too old to make our new company face. We had some great prospects in our developmental system but they were nowhere ready yet.

The only logical choice was Goldberg. This man has an ungodly following.
PWI came out with their end of the year awards and named Goldberg the second most popular wrestler in the world. The world. Steve Austin was the only guy ahead of him.

So Goldberg comes up for contract negotiations and I know without a doubt Vince McMahon is going to be calling him and setting up a meeting. Goldberg came to me last week and told me just that - Vince McMahon reached out to him. I asked Bill what he was going to do? After all, Bill and I had become close over the last year and a half. After an unfortunate incident regarding him, he told me that he felt a level of gratitude that couldn't be repaid.
I knew that Vince was going to throw a bunch of money at him. I knew that I would be able to at least match him, not to mention I felt that Goldberg's loyalty would play a role.

I thought Goldberg would look at some of the other guys. Over the last almost two years, I was working hard at redeeming the reputation of several workers. Bam Bam Bigelow and Vader are two examples. I made Vader relevant again after a dismal run with the WWF. How was I repaid? Vader left me and went back to the WWF just so they could do nothing with him. Meng was another worker that I busted my ass on to make something of. When the time came, he also jumped ship and now look at him.....He's not even on most shows.

I figured Goldberg would look at the guys who went to the WWF and he would realize he would have much greener pastures in WCW. Hell, he even told he himself. All I had to do was present the contract to him.

So what happened? I had the WCW legal office type up my proposed contract renewal for Bill. As always, once I looked it over to make sure everything was correct, I faxed it over to Ted Turner. He sent it back to me not even 10 minutes later with "REFUSE" written on it. I immediately called him.

"What's this all about", I asked him.

"It's too much money! I'm not going to go more than $75,200", Ted said.

I said, "Are you insane??? If the fact he's considered the second most popular wrestler in the world isn't enough, he's our world champion. It's imperative that we keep him on! He's making nearly $68,000 as it is, that's hardly an increase!"

"You'll find a way to make it work, Eric." Was his response....

That wasn't even getting into the other finer details of the contract. What was I left to do??? I could offer Goldberg more years. I could offer him more percentage of shows and Pay Per Views. Ted even capped me at a signing bonus that was much less than what the WWF was offering. So I put the contract together and did what I could. I sent it to legal who did nothing but edit what I had already done, so I got it back quickly. I had to send this to Bill, but I didn't want to. He had already left me a message asking if I was sending the contract. He already got one from the WWF and was waiting on mine. I had to send it....

I put it in the fax machine and pressed "Send." I felt a wave of embarrassment flush over me. This was completely ridiculous. Ted felt the importance of pushing Stevie Ray and La Parka. He wanted me to push Psychosis. The only half way decent one was that he wanted me to push Kanyon, but he's been off in rehab most of the time. I managed to get La Parka pushed to his liking but not Stevie Ray. Despite a run with the TV title, there was only so much I could do for him. Turner was furious about that one. Maybe that's why he limited me so much with Bill, he wanted me to fail.

I just stood, looking at the fax machine as it completed its send. My phone rang 15 minutes later. Yep, it was Bill. I let it ring several times before answering. I just held my head in my hands as I put it on speaker phone.

Eric, I got the contract, but I think it's mis-typed.

I wish it were. "No, Bill, that's the right one. Trust me, I wish it were typed wrong also. Ted has limited me on what I can offer you. I know the WWF's offering you more, but I'm offering you more years and more cut of the shows. That's a larger cut than anyone's making, even Hogan."

We both knew I was grasping at straws.

"Man....I'm surprised, Eric. I mean, I'm the champion. Ted really wants to risk me leaving?? This contract is a joke, to put it bluntly."

I didn't disagree with him, but I couldn't outright tell him that. I had to do my best to sell the contract.

Look, Bill, I know you've got a good offer from Vince, but hear me out. Look at what they're doing with the guys that've left WCW. Look at what I managed to do with them. Half the time, they aren't even on the shows. They're put in matches that make no sense. Austin's their top worker and he's barely involved. You won't get used over there."

He thought for a moment. Yeah, well to be honest Eric, I could use a lesser schedule. They're offering me a ton of money then if I were to just sit at home half the time."

This was not going the direction I wanted it to be going in.

Bill, I get where you're coming from, but how willing would Vince be to forgive? I stood by your side awhile back, remember? I'm not trying to throw that in your face, but I proved to you that I'll do the right thing."

There was a long pause....

I know you did Eric, and I've never questioned you after that. I told you that I was more appreciative than I could ever demonstrate. I'll keep that in mind, Eric. I know everything you've done for me. I'll think about this and let you know what I decide, but I'll be honest, I'm really considering both options. I just want to be up front with you."

"Alright Bill, I can't ask for more than that."

I barely slept that night. I still had Thunder and Saturday Night to book. I just threw something together for Thunder, enough to get by. By the time Saturday Night came around, I just had no patience for it. I told Arn (Anderson) to put the card together and I'd look over it. It was good enough. Tuesday was the last I spoke to Bill, then he finally called me Sunday.

Eric, I just wanted you to be the first to hear.....

I'm taking the WWF deal."

Shit. Shit. Shit. I couldn't think anything else. I couldn't say anything else.

No hard feelings Eric, I know you tried, but it just makes more sense for me to take their deal, especially with some odd decisions you're basically being forced to make lately. Thanks for everything, and I'll still be available to be used for the next couple of weeks. We can figure out a way to get the title off of me. I'll be willing to work with you on it."

Truth is, I didn't blame Bill. I wasn't mad at him. I was furious. Not with Bill, but with Turner. How could he blatantly do that? Was he trying to sabotage his own company? That's the only thing I could think of. He's letting the second biggest name in the world leave, just like that. No fight. I couldn't even counter offer. I immediately called Ted.

Eric!!! Well tell me the good news, Bill signed his deal??"

"Are you delusional??", I asked him (rhetorically).

"He took the WWF deal, Ted. Who could blame him? Our deal was a joke and you should have known he was never going to accept it. I've done nothing but make this company successful again. We finally have a great roster of guys who are busting their ass, and what for? Just so when contracts come around, you'll let them leave and go to the WWF? I can't be successful with a revolving door, Ted. I'm done. If you want to run your company like this, fine, but I'm not going to be a part of it anymore."

I hung up the phone before he even had a chance to respond. Five minutes later, I faxed this;

Effective immediately, I hearby resign my position of Head of Talen Relations, Executive Vice President of WCW.

Sincerely,

Eric Bischoff

I just hope to God I'm making the right decision.....

The_Monk · December 21, 2017

like the look of this.... i'm playing as eric in charge of WWF back in 87, been thinking of doing a dairy similar to this on his exploits and rise etc i'll be a regular reader on this :-)

Henderson · December 22, 2017

... <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44482" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">PWI Report: - Ted Turner is reportedly shocked at the abrupt departure of Eric Bischoff from WCW. Rumors are circulating that Bischoff had left over severe disagreements while negotiating with Bill Goldberg for a contract renewal. - Recently signed manager Paul Heyman was promoted to the booking position, replacing Eric Bischoff in WCW. - Goldberg lost the WCW World Heavyweight title to Scott Steiner this past Sunday at Slamboree. Goldberg is expected to start with the WWF sometime in the next couple of weeks. - Eric Bischoff is reportedly in the works to start his own wrestling organization. Nothing official has been announced, but there are apparently some big plans being organized. - CZW and NWA - Wildside talent Stephanie McMahon is reportedly going to be away from the sport for a few months as she is on tour with her band. </div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44482" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad191/hendersonjon/WCW/Eric%20Bischoff%209_zpsvsq63og7.jpg After having a few days to sleep on my decision, I'm convinced it was the right thing. My hands were tied under the Turner blanket. There were a number of large contracts coming up and I know for a fact he would have let all of them walk. WCW is on a downward spiral. Heyman was oddly enough promoted to head booker. We'll see how that works out. Vince is probably chomping at the opportunity to buy out WCW just like he did with ECW. He didn't even try and salvage any of ECW....Just ended it and no one had any place to go. He was smart putting the title on Scotty. I worked hard for nearly the last two years to rebuild my reputation. Along the way I was also able to renew some trust from the boys. Goldberg, Sting, and newcomer Mark Jindrak all declared how loyal they were to me. I was hoping Sting or Jindrak would have left along with me, but that was expecting an awful lot. Sting's making great money and is probably in the twilight of his career. Jindrak is just starting out so he would have had a lot to lose. I'm doing this all on my own. I'm going to get back at Ted. I'm going to make sure he regrets his choice. I'm going to put him out of business. Not WCW, not the workers, the crew, but Ted Turner. He's run his course. I'm going to take over WCW. I'm either going to buy it, or take it over after he leaves. No one has ever been able to figure out what to do with WCW other than me. But first, there's things I need to do.... I've contacted officials with the NWA. Yep, the old antiquated alliance of Indy federations is still kicking around. They aren't doing anything and are desperate for some notoriety. Well I'm going to give them just that. I'm starting THE NWA. I'm getting in on their alliance and my goal is to be the main hub of that organization. For whatever reason, the championship committee just decided to put the title on Billy Two Eagles....A 51 year old no-talent worker who's long past his prime. I'm going to have to highlight this new company with fast, talented, young workers. I'm also going to need someone to help me get it off it's ground. One of the first guys I called was Curt Hennig. He had just left WCW in February after his contract expired. Curt did well for me in WCW and the WWF never even looked his way after he left. He's going to be instrumental in helping me with this thing. He's invaluable to help this younger talent put together matches. I just hope he can stay clean. He had some issues with that. There's several other guys I've reached out to and others had reached out to me looking for work. Bob Orton's son, Randy, was another of those. He's been trying to break into the business. The kid has a great look and should be something special. Curt should be able to help out great with him. Bryan Danielson is another guy who's listed on all the reports to be amazing in the ring. Most of these guys are no-names, but if their talent is as good as reported, it's only a matter of time before they catch on. I'm also going to do something in the NWA that Ted never let me do; start a women's division. The WWF just released Trish Stratus and she looks like a good person to start with. The first thing I need to do though is get an event scheduled. There's plenty of guys out there out of work that I could fill a card up with. I'm also going to do whatever I can to make sure I get the NWA title on my brand. I'm going to hopefully reach out to some cable networks to get a show on. It's only a matter of time before Ted Turner feels my wrath.</div></div></blockquote>

Henderson · December 23, 2017

The first card will be posted here. Feel free to give predictions. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44482" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTiXglxhovsenaY_c8Yxgmsz0ejcSDpgnZEaef_Kek0QA21iITc6g" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTiXglxhovsenaY_c8Yxgmsz0ejcSDpgnZEaef_Kek0QA21iITc6g" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> - We've learned that the NWA has secured rights to air a TV show on the Sunshine Network. This is a very small broadcaster out of the South East, so while there's no expectations of record ratings, this is a great sign for the NWA and gaining exposure. Information obtained said that the network was extremely interested in airing a program and a lot of it had to do with Eric Bischoff's popularity. The show will be named NWA Wrestling Showcase and will air in the early evenings. - Bobby Heenan has agreed to a contract with the NWA, which is a huge shock to the wrestling world. We're told that Heenan has outright left WCW. Heenan is not believed to have signed an exclusive deal, so while he could still sign with a larger company, it isn't expected. Some thought Heenan was being phased out of the commentary role in WCW despite his popularity. This will be a huge lift for the NWA who is looking for instant recognition and legitimacy. Eric Bischoff was said to be thrilled to get Heenan to sign on, as he believes his work on selling workers and storylines is second to none. - It's understood that Eric Bischoff has reached out to several female free agent talents in hopes to sign them. Word also is that there is still one huge name Bischoff it's making attempts at signing.</div></div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="44482" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Breaking News: <img alt="images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8_Sm-M-ZUzGi5U8IShaCNdGKRqMjDpXOJeMxrcMpMP-mXsCHJig" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8_Sm-M-ZUzGi5U8IShaCNdGKRqMjDpXOJeMxrcMpMP-mXsCHJig" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> We have learned the first card for NWA Wrestling Showcase, airing for One hour this Thursday on the Sunshine Network is the following; NWA World Heavyweight Championship Curt Hennig vs Billy Two Eagles © Shelton Benjamin vs Samoa Joe Bryan Danielson vs Chris Sabin Additionally, we've learned that Eric Bischoff will be utilizing the NWA alliance quite a bit in the form of rotation workers in and out. Currently in the National Wrestling Alliance are the following companies; - All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling - Catch Wrestling Association (Out of central Europe) - Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling - NWA UK Hammerlock - NWA: Wildside - World Wrestling Council While NWA: Wildside is the only other organization in North America, it is expected that most workers will be coming in and out between the NWA promotion and NWA: Wildside. Don't be surprised to see many other female talent be utilized from AJWPW, as Bischoff is wanting to heavily focus on women's wrestling.</div></div></blockquote>

ElectricX · December 23, 2017