WWE Hall Of Famer Reflects On How Meaningful The Steve Austin-Mr. McMahon Feud Was
On the latest episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff explored the profound impact of the legendary Steve Austin-Mr. McMahon feud, emphasising its crucial role in shaping the future of WWE.
Bischoff, who was at the helm of WCW during this iconic rivalry, shared his perspective on why this feud remains one of the most significant in WWE history.
It’s certainly one of the most meaningful ones. Everybody has opinions, and a lot of them are valid. There’s no right or wrong, it’s just different perspectives. You’re looking at different moments in time from different angles, and consequently you see things differently. But I think there was one moment, there was one creative decision, there was one point in time when everything kind of fell into place.
Eric Bischoff also highlighted the introduction of boxing legend Mike Tyson into the storyline as a critical turning point.
When they brought in Tyson and set up the Tyson-Austin-McMahon feud, that was the moment. That story, that angle, probably had more to do with the success we see today than anything else you could point to.
Bischoff noted that the Austin-McMahon rivalry marked a significant shift in WWE’s business model, moving away from targeting a younger audience, and concluded that the execution of the storyline was instrumental in shaping the promotion’s success.
That moment was the manifestation of a speech I believe that Vince McMahon gave in November, talking about the new direction of WWE and the new type of storytelling. He was foreshadowing the Attitude Era, which was a reaction to Nitro. That story has more to do with the success of WWE today than any other single moment that I can think of.
Eric Bischoff Recalls How He Signed Former WWE Champion To WCW For “Basically Free”
Former WCW president Eric Bischoff had shed light on the circumstances surrounding Randy Savage’s departure from WWE and signing with WCW as being a great deal because of the sponsorship with Slim Jim that came along with signing Savage.
H/t to 411mania.com