Eric Bischoff Recalls 2 Ex-Wrestling Star’s Drug Issues – “They Were A Train Wreck”
Eric Bischoff has recalled a time when WCW hired two former WWE stars that were not in a good position to help the company at the time.
In the year 2000, World Championship Wrestling was trying to get some momentum after things went downhill in 1999. That spring, they end up bringing back Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff, who had been the WCW President for several years, to try to run the company together.
As was the case throughout that period, there were former WWE stars showing up in WCW just like when Eric Bischoff hired ex-WWE talent like Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Randy Savage and many others. Those guys were great signings for WCW, but they didn’t all turn out that way.
Chris Candido (Skip in WWE) and Tammy Sytch (Sunny in WWE) were hired by WCW in 2000, but only worked there for a few of months.
During a WCW Slamboree 2000 episode of his 83 Weeks Podcast, Eric Bischoff described what it was like working with Chris and Tammy in WCW.
“Not good. Not good at all. I didn’t really want them there. I didn’t see the value despite Sunny’s status at the time. The drug issue was such a, I mean everybody knew it. They were a train wreck and the idea of bringing in a couple of train wrecks that you know are train wrecks into the company was just stupid.”
“I wasn’t a fan of either one of them. I mean, it got so bad, and I don’t usually talk about people who are no longer here, but let me put it this way. Those two would come out of a bathroom and people would have to come in and make sure there were no needles left on the floor. I mean, that’s how bad it was, so I had no time for either one of them.”
While Eric Bischoff clearly didn’t want Chris & Tammy in WCW, he did sympathize with them regarding their problems.
“I feel bad about the drug addiction. Fortunately, I’ve not been, nor has anybody in my family been addicted, but I know that addiction is a serious, serious, serious issue and I feel bad for the people that are in the midst of it, but they had no place in any wrestling company at that point in time.”
Sadly, Chris Candido died in 2005 at the age of 33 due to acute pneumonia that happened from a leg surgery.
As for Sunny aka Tammy Sytch, she was in a fatal car crash that killed another driver while Sunny was intoxicated. She is currently in jail awaiting trial and could be in jail for 26 years if convicted.
The saga of Chris Candido and Sunny will be featured in the next season of Dark Side of the Ring.