Eric Bischoff Discusses The WWE Brand Split Not Having The Drama As The Monday Night War; Compares WCW & WWE Cruiserweight Divisions

The latest episode of former WCW President Eric Bischoff’s podcast Bischoff on Wrestling is now available and features an appearance from his “nephew” and former WWE Superstar &  Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore!

You can find some of Eric’s thoughts from the top of the show regarding the latest WWE brand split transcribed below.

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On how today’s WWE Cruiserweight Division compares to the WCW Cruiserweight Division:

EB: It’s hard to make that comparison because we did it first. You can never be first, again. No matter what it is. Whoever plants the flag first wins. Everything else will be judged against it. It never quite has the same impact. Even if you come along second and you do it really, really well it doesn’t quite feel the same. So, it’s a hard comparison to make. I will say what I hope is objective. It doesn’t quite feel as significant because they don’t make it feel quite as significant. They’re not quite disciplined enough yet in the way they present it. I’ve said the same thing about the brand split. Quite frankly, I’ve forgotten about the brand split already. It’s the same thing that happened with the previous attempt when WWE tried to do the brand split. It just doesn’t feel like two different organizations.

On why he doesn’t feel the brand split is working as well as it could be:

EB: Maybe it’s just me and my expectations but when I think of a “brand split” I think of the drama and the competition that should go on between the two. Not just two separate shows with two separate rosters. However great they are or great the storylines are in between them. The drama and the intensity of the drama I harken back to, again, because this is what I know and live and made my name at doing. The competition between WCW and WWE was so intense. You’re never going to be able to recreate that in today’s world. I would love to see elements of that competitiveness between the two. Not just in terms of, “Whose got the best roster?” Or, “Who puts on the best show from week to week?” But the drama that goes along with that. It was that drama of, “Who’s going to jump next?” Or, “Who’s going to make the transition?” It was the story of that that really elevated wrestling to the point that it was in the late-90’s. That’s, I guess, what I am referring to. Again, that’s probably my own fault for having that expectation.

 

Related: Eric Bischoff Discusses WWE’s New UK Title & How WWE’s International Expansion Could Affect The Indies

This week’s episode of Bischoff on Wrestling starts with Eric talking to Nick about watching Monday Night RAW this week with his good friend and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan!

Nick then jumps in to Bischoff on Wrestling’s pro wrestling “topic of the week”. This week’s topic is “PPV Business”. Eric dives deep in to a discussion about the apparent lack of interest in WWE’s “B-Show” Network specials and what he thinks is a successful way to drive PPV business.

Eric then welcomes his guest for the week former WWE Superstar Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore. Dinsmore chats with Eric about:

  • How he broke in to the pro wrestling business
  • Dinsmore’s short run with WCW in 1998
  • The genesis of the idea for the Eugene character
  • Eric & Dinsmore’s reactions to finding out they would be working together
  • The UK trip that led to Dinsmore being sent to rehab by WWE for prescription pain pills
  • Dinsmore’s beauty pageant wife
  • Dinsmore’s new pro wrestling company
  • WWE taking a more active interest in the independent pro wrestling scene and whether or not that is a good thing
  • More…

Once Dinsmore’s interview wraps up Eric moves on to his“Playing In The Dirt” segment. Typically he takes a look back at headlines from pro wrestling dirt sheets from different points in his career. This week Eric instead welcomes a SPECIAL SURPRISE GUEST from the pro wrestling journalism field in a not to miss segment.

Eric then closes the show by answering some fan questions from the #BischoffOnWrestling mailbag.

You can listen to the full archives from Bischoff on Wrestling in the embedded audio player below:

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