Eric Bischoff Hits Back At Larry Zbyszko For NWO Storyline Claims
Eric Bischoff has some strong words for Larry Zbyszko regarding who really came up with the New World Order (NWO) concept in WCW.
It was in the summer of 1996 when WCW started the New World Order storyline that saw Hulk Hogan join up with Scott Hall & Kevin Nash at Bash at the Beach in July 1996. Prior to that, Eric Bischoff was a WCW announcer who actually took a powerbomb through a table from Nash.
Eventually, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff became an on-screen leader of the NWO group. In reality, Bischoff was the Vice President of WCW and eventually the President of WCW. It was Bischoff’s idea to do the NWO storyline.
There were recent comments from WWE Hall of Famer Larry Zbyszko claiming he came up with a lot of the ideas for the NWO group.
On his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff disputed Larry Z’s claims saying he wasn’t part of the creative team. Bischoff fired back at Larry’s claims saying they were silly.
“It’s just silly. I hope Larry was high as fu** when he did it, because that’s at least understandable, but he didn’t sound high to me and he just sounded like a lot of other people who take credit for other people’s work, and I think in Larry’s mind, you know, part of what Larry said was true. You know, Larry did refer to, not the New World Order as we came to know it, but Larry did make a comment in commentary at one point about the New World Order and it did stick in my head and it came out in my preparation with Hulk Hogan right before Hulk went out to cut the promo.”
“You know, the phrase, the New World Order of professional wrestling, just kind of rolled off my tongue and I went, ‘Wow, that’s pretty freakin cool.’ That part is absolutely true, by the way, but as far as programming anything, Larry didn’t know anything about what was going on.”
“I kept all of it a secret. I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t tell my wife. I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t want the word to get out. I certainly wouldn’t have consulted with Larry and the idea that there was a big meeting in the back and I was asking for ideas. Come on now, Larry. There’s a lot of people that worked in that environment all at the same time that know that’s just silly. So, whatever.”
Eric Bischoff did admit that Larry Z came up with the New World Order term, but was not part of the creative process
As he continued, Eric Bischoff continued to credit Larry Zbyszko saying that he did say the “New World Order” name, but Bischoff felt he had to call Larry out on what he was saying.
“This is interesting because there are people that I really am close to that I’ve heard tell stories and I’m thinking, ‘Wait a minute. That never happened, or certainly didn’t happen the way you’re laying it out’, and these are people that are really good friends of mine. In some cases, some of my best friends that are still some of my best friends, and I hear them and I’m going, ugh.”
“But I’m not going to call them out on it because I think to some degree, they’ve started to believe it. They’ve had enough interviews and they’ve talked to enough people and they’re asked enough questions that they start repeating variations of the truth and build upon, as Larry did here by the fact that, you know, he did come out and use the term New World Order, and a week later, whatever it was and I used it.”
“That part is true, but to take that kernel of truth and then build a castle on it, I think people do that just because it makes them feel good about themselves and I don’t want to take that away from anybody, but I can’t sit here and listen to it and not call him on it.”