Eric Bischoff Offers Insight Into Hulk Hogan’s Legendary Heel Turn

Hulk Hogan knew Hulkamania was over.

After his time with the WWF came to a controversial end, Hulk Hogan made a brief return to NJPW before landing in WCW. He officially signed with the company in June 1994, before making his in-ring debut a month later.

Decked out in his already iconic red and yellow, Hogan’s arrival gave the company a major boost, but it was a boost that wouldn’t last forever.

With WCW seeking to become edgier and differentiate itself from the WWF, Hogan joined forces with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at Bash At The Beach 1996, and the nWo was born. The group and Hogan’s heel turn gave the star a new lease of life, reestablishing him as one of the biggest stars in the industry.

Hulk Hogan Knew He Had To Change

On the latest episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff discussed the weeks and months leading up to Hogan’s heel turn. He said that the buzz around Hogan’s initial WCW run only lasted around six months, and it was obvious to everyone involved, even if they didn’t understand why.

Bischoff added that Hogan was aware enough to know that he needed to make changes to his character, and this is why the turn was being imagined as early as the fall of 1995.

It’s a great question… absolutely not. It wasn’t going to survive without the nWo. I hesitate to say this because it may sound disrespectful to some, but I don’t mean it to be. The stock value of the Hulk Hogan brand had been diminishing…

Hulk felt it. He knew it when he’d go out, you know, to a TV taping in front of a live crowd, and he could feel that reaction. He was closer to it than anybody watching on television. All of us around him could feel that.

When Hulk first came in, he had some serious steam on… That moment only lasted about six months, and then it was kind of like, yeah, that’s not what we thought we would feel.

I don’t know what the why, but it was obvious, which is why I flew to Hulk’s house and wanted to at least talk to him about turning heel when I did in early ’96… maybe even. Could have even been the fall of ’95.

So we all knew it, but clearly it would not survive what you know the NWO became, had he stayed in that same character?”

Also on his podcast, Eric Bischoff praised Chris Jericho for how he’s handling the final months of his AEW contract. The WWE Hall of Famer suggested that Jericho’s recent comments have given him more leverage as he prepares to make his next move.

Despite many tipping Jericho to return to WWE, Bischoff said he’d personally like to see the veteran remain with AEW.

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H/t to WrestlingNews.Co