Eric Bishoff reveals first conversation with Vince McMahon before joining WWE

Vince McMahon has been involved in several controversies throughout his life, but one thing he has always been great at is doing what’s best for business. One of his most shocking moves was to bring WCW enemy Eric Bishoff as a manager on WWE Monday Night Raw. Eric Bishoff was Vince’s rival, who gave him tough competition and even outperformed him when WCW passed WWE’s ratings. As WCW Senior Vice President in 1966, Bishoff took Ted Turner’s promotion to new heights and even surprised Vince McMahaon. However, by the year 2000, things changed and WCW started losing its ratings to WWE. By 2001, the company was shut down and Bishoff was left unemployed. 

Bishoff reveals phonic conversation with Vince 

Vince did an unexpected thing when he gave Eric Bishoff a chance in WWE. It started with a phone call. In the latest episode of his podcast, 83 Weeks, Bishoff revealed that McMahon’s graciousness and tone in that call exclaimed him. 

“When Vince was so gracious and I use the word elegance because that’s really what it was, I knew as soon as he finished, okay f*** it, I’m going to work for this guy,” said Eric. 

Eric had a great run in the company  

He revealed that the conversation wasn’t focused on business deals and ideals, but Vince McMahon asked him a question that gave Bishoff an indication of the direction the conversation was headed. “We didn’t even talk about ideas or money or anything. I knew right away that I was going to work for him and we talked a little bit more. One thing he did ask me, he said, “Is there anything you won’t do?,” said Bishoff. 

To which Bishoff gave him a very clear answer saying that he doesn’t want to get into such a relationship by holding back important things. So Eric told Vince that the only thing he won’t do is move to Connecticut. He then speculated on McMahon’s unspoken reaction that must have been going through his mind. “He was probably thinking to himself ‘You f***ing clown, I wouldn’t ask you to move to Stamford anyway, I only want to see you at TV and then I’m done with you,” He said.

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However, Vince was quite amused with Eric’s statement and his reaction was quite casual. “He just laughed and said, ‘Great, well let’s put wheels in motion,” said. Eric was brought on as a manager on Monday Night Raw and had a great run in WWE from 2002-2007. After that, he left to work for TNA Impact Wrestling.