Eric Bischoff Reveals Real Reason He Went To TNA

Heading into 2010, Eric Bischoff probably never fathomed helping to spearhead a wrestling company again, but that's exactly what happened when the former WCW President took a job with TNA. The latest "83 Weeks" covers the first night that "TNA Impact" went up against "WWE Raw," and co-host Conrad Thompson noted how much Bischoff had seemed to have a distaste for TNA and the company's ideas.

"I didn't hate it, I just didn't buy into the logic and psychology of it," Bischoff clarified, to which Thompson asked him why would he take a job from a company that he didn't believe in. "I didn't know I didn't believe in the company, I just knew the product I saw on television was not appealing to me. There's nothing wrong with that, Conrad, it doesn't make me a negative person, I just didn't like it," he said. "I would hear about TNA and I'd hear about the IMPACT Zone and I'd check it out and to me, it looked like 'World Wide Wrestling' from the Disney/MGM Studios with a lot of talent I didn't know and that's not a criticism, that was my impression of it and because that was my impression of it, I didn't watch it on a regular basis."

Bischoff reiterates that he didn't seek out a position in TNA, but that wrestling icon (and close friend) Hulk Hogan wanted to have someone he trusted by his side. "I only got hired because they wanted Hulk Hogan and Hulk Hogan didn't want to go to TNA unless I was there to oversee his stories or his character." Bischoff did end up having his own goal in mind when joining the company. "I also hoped that I could have some influence on a product that I felt needed to improve."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "83 Weeks" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.