WWE Hall Of Famer Says The Company Spent $50,000 On Makeup For An Episode Of SmackDown
In a recent episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff pulled back the curtain on one of the most memorable storylines from 2002, shedding light on the extraordinary lengths WWE went to for a single segment.
The storyline in question revolved around the commitment ceremony of Billy and Chuck, which aired on a September 2002 edition of SmackDown. What made this segment particularly noteworthy was Bischoff’s unexpected appearance, disguised as a priest, on the rival show to his own Raw brand. Bischoff, who was serving as Raw’s General Manager at the time, revealed the astonishing cost and effort that went into his disguise.
The company spent a fortune on prosthetics and all that shit. They had to spend $50 grand on that shit.
The expense didn’t stop there. WWE flew in two makeup artists from Los Angeles solely to apply and remove Bischoff’s elaborate makeup and the preparation for this single segment began a month in advance.
They flew two makeup artists out from LA for three days to put the makeup on and take the makeup off, it cost a fortune. And I had to fly to LA like a month before this to get fitted and moulded for the mask, it was a big deal, and I didn’t want to be the one to screw it up.
Bischoff praised the segment’s writer, Brian Gewirtz, and acknowledged the talent of his co-stars in the ring.
Brian Gewirtz wrote the segment, it was a great segment, a really, really great segment, and I was in the ring with a bunch of really talented people.
The payoff, according to Bischoff, was well worth the extensive preparation and cost. The surprise factor of his appearance, coupled with the high-quality production, resulted in a moment that has stood the test of time in WWE history, which Bischoff calls his favourite to ever be involved in.
So it was such a fun segment as a performer to do, and the payoff was so good. That will always be my favourite.
Which WCW Star Did Eric Bischoff Say Struggled To Adapt To WWE?
Eric Bischoff spoke about how WCW star Buff Bagwell struggled to adapt to the WWE culture and often butted heads with other WWE Superstars, Bischoff thinks that if people had taken the time to get to know him they may have had a different opinion of Bagwell.
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