In the most recent episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff discussed his feuds with Shane McMahon in the build-up to WWE SummerSlam 2003, as well as their camaraderie and interactions.
Bischoff expressed his excitement at the prospect of facing Shane McMahon at SummerSlam 2003, praising Shane’s intensity, physicality, passion, and talent. Despite his reservations about his own in-ring abilities, Bischoff was looking forward to a compelling match and the chance to contribute to a storyline that would involve him receiving a “ass-kicking” from Shane.
He stated, “I was excited about it. I’ve always liked Shane. He’s so intense, he’s physical, he’s passionate, and he’s talented. I was a little concerned about you know, what is it I’m going to be able to do in that ring, because I never did learn how to wrestle and how to perform. Typically, when I got into the ring, I was typically just there to get my ass kicked and pay off a storyline. So, I was a little concerned about what I would do, but I knew I would get an ass-kicking, and I knew I would get it from Shane McMahon. He’s — I don’t want to say stiff, because that’s an understatement. [laughs] But I was excited about it. It was a great opportunity, and I know there would be a lot of focus on it and there would be a lot of story would back it up, so I was pretty excited about it, honestly.”
Bischoff reflected on his relationship with Shane, recalling their first meeting when he joined WWE as a general manager. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and expressed his eagerness to work with Shane, which resulted in a fruitful conversation.
He stated, “I got along with Shane from day one. You know, I remember the first conversation I had with Shane when I first — not the first night that I got into WWE when I showed up and was announced as a general manager. But I think it was probably the following week. Shane was there and it was, you know, probably three or four in the afternoon which is kind of a quiet time. A little bit of a break in the action. And Shane was out at ringside, and I went up and approached him and said, ‘Shane, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be here. I look forward to working with you.’ And we had a great conversation, and we got along from the moment we first started talking to each other.”
Bischoff went on to say that, unlike other family members, such as Stephanie McMahon, who showed signs of resentment, Shane showed no signs of harboring any past grievances. Their relationship was friendly from the start, with open conversations and occasional after-show camaraderie.
He said, “I didn’t sense any of the — you know, there were some people like Stephanie I think, probably still to this day. There’s a little bit of — I don’t want to say resentment, but there was always the underlying current of, ‘This is the guy that tried to put my family out of business.’ Stephanie didn’t necessarily go out of her way to try to hide that. And I appreciated that because it was honest. She wasn’t phony about anything. I never got that impression with Shane. I never sensed that Shane harbored any resentment or baggage from the past, so to speak with regard to me. We got along great. We’d go out after the shows occasionally, not all the time. But occasionally we would go out and have cocktails, laugh and joke, just like you would with anybody else. So, I get along with Shane great from day one.”
You can check out the complete podcast below:
