Eric Bischoff Speculates On Why AEW Talent Feels The Need To Go 'Extreme'

AEW is notorious for emphasizing matches, with the company also having no problem providing plenty of violence and extreme moments, with blood and stipulation showdowns having become the norm for the company. That's something Eric Bischoff believes is prominent partly due to wrestlers trying to win over smaller crowds to ensure they stay engaged.

"I think part of it is too because of the nature of what AEW finds appealing is so much of the high-risk, justified, 'This is awesome' chants which is usually a result of something really, really high risk and stupid, that's what they're going for," he said on "83 Weeks." "Talent probably feels like they've got to go to an extreme to get over, particularly because you're wrestling in front of 2,000 people on a television show." AEW stars do compete far less frequently than WWE performers, and that is something else Bischoff thinks is an issue when it comes to the safety aspect of the performances, as he said "I think mostly its the reps, these guys are just not as tight and as sharp as they would be if they're on the road three, or four, or five days a week."

Unfortunately, injuries do take place with a riskier in-ring style, and that was shown on "AEW Rampage" last week when Sammy Guevara's high-risk spot saw him land on Jeff Hardy's face. While it was revealed Hardy avoided a concussion and suffered a broken nose, Bischoff admitted he's very concerned for the veteran. "I think Dave Meltzer reported the finish went according to plan and it's not that big of an injury. I have heard substantially the opposite," he said. "It's a mess." 

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