As PWMania.com previously reported, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff recently released “Grateful,” his autobiography follow-up to 2006’s “Controversy Creates Cash” book. Grateful, co-produced with “NITRO” author Guy Evans, delves into Bischoff’s post-2006 career, including his WWE return, AEW involvement, TNA experience, and more.
On Amazon, the book is currently ranked #31 in the “Wrestler Biographies” category.
Here is another excerpt from the book in which Bischoff discusses how AEW President Tony Khan disrespected former WCW owner Ted Turner, AEW potentially challenging WWE RAW, and other topics:
In October 2021, Tony Khan came out with some puzzling comments regarding Ted Turner, as posted on his Twitter page:
I’ve never met Ted Turner. It’s very possible Ted Turner is smarter than me, but he didn’t know 1% of what I know about professional wrestling or WCW would still be on TNT/TBS.
Those comments just lit me up. Number one, Tony’s show – in case he had forgotten – aired on TNT, which stands for Turner Network Television. It was therefore disrespectful to make those comments in reference to Ted. Secondly, the comments were just stupid, reflecting – and I mean this in the most literal sense – ignorance (as in, lack of information or knowledge).
Tony Khan has no idea about what happened in WCW – he only knows what he’s heard from dirtsheet writers and people on the periphery of the business (who themselves don’t have any idea). It wasn’t until in 2018 – when the book Nitro: The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner’s WCW was published – that anybody ever attempted to address what happened behind the scenes in Turner Broadcasting as a whole.
Look, I’m loyal to a fault. If you disrespect someone who I hold in high regard – or a close friend or family member – I’m probably more defensive in those situations than I am when someone attacks me.
Consequently, I responded with some comments of my own which aired on 83 Weeks:
If Tony were to call me and ask for any advice, here’s what it would be — shut up and wrestle, dude.
Just put out the best product you can and you’ve proven you can. Focus on that. Now this is weird coming from me, right? The guy who challenged Vince McMahon. The guy who gave away their finishes. But here’s the difference. I was actually competing with him. I was going head-to-head. Real head-to-head. Like, my show started the same time his show started each and every week.
For the record, I wasn’t advocating for AEW to engage in head-to-head competition with WWE – they would get crushed.
Nonetheless, Tony was spending so much time – and still does, to this day – creating the illusion that AEW is a competitor to WWE. In fairness, I have heard – although perhaps this is an excuse – that for AEW, going head-to-head against WWE (on Monday Nights, at least) would mean going head-to-head against Monday Night Football (and thus creating a conflict of interest for the Khan family, who also own the Jacksonville Jaguars).
In any event, if you’re not going to get in the ring – so to speak – and actually prove what you’re saying, you shouldn’t mouth off from the sidelines.
Especially if you’re going to disrespect Ted Turner – a true pioneer in the business that you are hoping to have success in.
I continued:
…And another thing, Tony comes out and says, ‘We’re at the 1996 stage of WCW and we’re going to not make their mistakes.’ Tony, you’re inventing some mistakes, brother. By coming out there and constantly comparing yourself or deriding your competition, but not having the willingness — I almost said balls — the willingness to say, ‘Okay, let’s go head-to-head. Let’s really compete. Let’s see who can get whose market share.’ That’s real competition. So, I’m a little disappointed in the rhetoric that I’m hearing out of Tony, as well as some of the talent. Man, shut the fuck up. Until you’re actually competing and you’re actually competing favorably — and by the way, Tony, in 1996 I was kicking WWE’s ass. Every week! In a real head-to-head competition, not a cosplay competition.
In response to my own comments, Tony went nuts. A very close friend of mine relayed that he had been receiving text messages from Tony – on the subject of what I said – throughout an entire afternoon. I was driving in my truck – coming home with Loree after visiting family in Minneapolis – when this friend of mine called me.
Hey man, can you give Tony a call?
He’s been blowing my phone up all day – he just can’t believe you said what you said.
Alright, I responded. I’ll call Tony – I’ll put a Band-Aid on this.
No big deal – maybe I could have said things a little nicer.
I left Tony a very nice message. Hey, Tony, I essentially said, I’m on the road right now, but I understand that you’re upset. Let’s talk about it – just give me a shout at your convenience.
I let my friend know that I had left the message. Yeah, he responded, Tony texted me and said he’s busy right now – he’s in meetings – but he’s gonna get back to you…
