WWE Hall of Famer and former WCW President Eric Bischoff took to an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, where he talked about a number of topics including where he thinks “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada will end up.
Bischoff said, “I have no idea because I don’t know the man and certainly don’t know what his motivations are and his goals are. I agree with Dave Meltzer on this point. Oh, my. Oh, no. Just hear myself say that. If he wants his goal is to become the biggest star He can, then there’s not even a conversation to be had with AEW. But it’s a tough call. And I don’t even think it’s because of the controversy. I really don’t do this while this isn’t going to blow over, and it’s not going to go away. WWE will be around for a long time. This is not something that could create the company. No, right? I don’t want to say that it’s too big to fail, but they are so big and so entrenched, they’ve got a $5 billion deal with Netflix, they’re good for the next five years. They’re not going anywhere. AEW, on the other hand, may or may not be around a year from now or two years from now. And if they are around, I suspect they’ll be around. Yeah, but they may not have television. Or if they do, it may be significantly less of a platform than the one they currently have. So it’s not like, yeah, Tony Khan has whatever he’s got access to a billion dollars or whatever. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody that’s got a contract ground now can be sure that, you know, if AEW doesn’t get a renewal at Turner or isn’t able to land another deal. It doesn’t necessarily mean your contracts are good as gold unless you’ve got some kind of guarantee from another entity other than AEW that ensures, and I believe I heard, I’m not gonna mention a name here. But I’ve heard that at least one person that I know fairly well has that guarantee that if anything happens to AEW, he’s gonna get paid anyway. That’s right. Now, if talent does have that kind of language, a number of the top talents have been good for them. They’re smart. But that’s not that it is not a sure bet. At all, given where they are. And in the end, given where Warner Brothers Discovery is, there’s talk about a merger with Paramount. All of those variables could put a significant damper on any enthusiasm that people have for AEW at this minute. Well, change. Maybe Tony’s big announcement is that they’ve signed and renewed with Warner Discovery or somebody else. And then everything I just said, doesn’t matter. But if not, it matters, and you’d have to consider it. I think AEW would be more that issue aside. Let’s just set that off in the corner and pretend it doesn’t exist. That issue aside, AEW is going to be way more comfortable, way more comfortable for any new talent coming in. Your schedule, less pressure, less competition backstage, don’t have as many talents that the top-level talents you’re trying to break through and compete with for time and attention. All of those things make AEW a much more comfortable decision and add to that that you don’t need, at least initially, to just spend more money to get him. That’s a comfortable decision. And it reminds me of something my wife said to me back in November that had a significant change in my life. Comfort is a thief. Yes, just because the situation is comfortable doesn’t mean it’s going to result in the best opportunity or the best decision. Sometimes, you have to put yourself in a very uncomfortable situation in order to reach your maximum potential. So again, not knowing Okada, I don’t know if he’s going to lean into the comfort and familiarity of it all, be built, and be willing to risk a lifestyle and an opportunity to play on the biggest stage and emerge as a much bigger star than he possibly could in AEW.”
He also talked about how he believes Okada and Mercedes Moné will not be needle movers for AEW.
“Nothing’s gonna be a needle mover until there’s a drastic creative change. Until there’s a drastic strategic creative change in approach. Nothing is going to change. How many times do we have to see it? And we go, that’s not gonna work. So, wait, are you saying somebody comes over from WWE? That’s a big star; oh, my gosh, there’s gonna be a needle mover who can move the needle just a little further to the dead side of the equation.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
