Why WWE Hall Of Famer Eric Bischoff Says He's 'Neutral' On AEW, Tony Khan

Eric Bischoff has been blunt with his criticisms of AEW in recent times, and it all stems from him losing respect for Tony Khan. During a recent episode of "Strictly Business," he revealed that he used to support AEW actively but adopted a more non-partisan stance over time.

"I like Tony. I think there are a lot of great things about Tony, but I lost respect for him... I've talked about this before; I don't want to spend a great deal of time on it. It's old stuff... When someone who I have a ton of respect for, who deserves even more than I can give, when that person is disrespected by somebody, it bothers me more. And when Tony Khan came out and said, 'If Ted Turner knew 1% about wrestling as I do, WCW would still be around,' it was such a fundamentally ignorant statement."

Bischoff was referring to Ted Turner, the former head honcho of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. The pair had a working relationship when WCW was still active, and Bischoff took issue with Khan's comments, especially since AEW's programming is shown on networks that Tuner built. His opinion of Khan soured after that, which is why he's more open regarding his critiques of AEW.

"After a while, I quit being so supportive and was more or less neutral, but cheering on the sidelines — up until Tony made that comment." Bischoff added that he'd be more inclined to hold back if he respected Khan, but he doesn't care now as the AEW President is just another person in his eyes nowadays.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Strictly Business" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.