CONTACT USEric Bischoff Speaks - Hogan's Status, X-Division, More
Bischoff speaks on 'Monday Night Mayhem'
By Ryan Clark | October 06, 2010 | Comments
Questions were taken via Eric's official Facebook page (located at www.Facebook.com/TheEricBischoff), along with The Mayhem Line (877.666.2110). Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem's official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:
What event or events from his WCW/WWE career he can compare the "road to Bound For Glory" to (in terms of preparation, build-up, & hype) and when TNA actually started planning their ideas & concepts for this Sunday's Bound For Glory Pay-Per-View: "In terms of preparation, the two that come to mind: Starrcade ('97), Hogan & Sting obviously was a big one, because it was a long-term build. It wasn't a month-to-month kind of Pay-Per-View typical build; it was something we built for 12 months. Bash at the Beach ('96) when Hulk Hogan turned was something that also had a long term plan and build associated with it. Those are the two that come to mind. That's what I really enjoy doing, is when you have the ability to build for a Pay-Per-View over the course of three months, four months, six months...whatever it may be. That's not just a luxury we have anymore with twelve Pay-Per-Views. There's so much pressure to spend three weeks promoting, four weeks promoting, boom you have a big Pay-Per-View, then you start from scratch, and you're building again to the next Pay-Per-View. This is one where we said 'Let's really build it.' We really started really planning this one and structuring it back in March of this year. I'm excited about it."
Whether or not he feels that wrestling fans have taken more of a vested interest in the TNA product as a result of TNA ReAction & the show's effectiveness as a whole in building the matches on the Bound For Glory PPV card: "I think it definitely has. I think ReAction has done a phenomenal job. When we created the show and started laying it out on paper, one of the things we wanted to do was to create a television show that allowed people to get inside the heads of the talent and hear from the talent in a different way than they normally do, and I think ReAction has achieved that. It's a fresh, innovative approach that has never been done in wrestling before, and it just has a different feel to it, but the best part is if you watch it, you get to hear from the talent over an extended period of time. You're hearing from them in their own personal point of view. It's not a one or two-minute interview; there's no time constraints. If we sit down with AJ Styles and shoot ReAction footage, we may shoot 20 minutes of questions & answers, and we edit it the way flows best, but it gives the talent a chance to voice their feelings, opinions, & perspectives in an entirely different way."
An update on Hulk Hogan's current health status & why there's a very good chance you may not see "The Hulkster" this Thursday night on the "Before The Glory" iMPACT Spike TV special or this Sunday evening at Bound For Glory: "It's touch & go. Let's put it this way, we've spent a lot of time over the last two weeks on 'Plan B,' because with a back, you can't sit, you can't lay, you can't stand, you can't walk, you can't do anything without being in pain. Hulk has been in a tremendous amount of pain really for the last year or more. It's gotten progressively worse, but it's too the point now where I can't imagine it. Right now I don't plan on him being there at either event. I know he wants to be, and I know we have plans in place for him to be. Realistically, considering he can barely get out of his house at this point, I think optimistic to put it mildly that he's going to be able to participate, but who knows? "
