On “Eric Fires Back” on AdFreeShows.com, Eric Bischoff responded to negative statements made about himself in previous interviews done elsewhere.
Here is what JJ Dillon had to say about Eric Bischoff on an older episode of Hannibal TV on Youtube:
JJ Dillon said, “Eric is a good looking guy. He dresses well and presents himself well. He could be the salesman that can sell anything because he has the gift of gab for presentation and is very smart that way. He is not a wrestling person. I don’t think he’s particularly knowledgeable in our business. Whatever his opinion of me and his assessment of my capabilities as a professional or even personally, I could care less. I don’t have any personal animosity to him. Here’s how I look at it.
He was in charge and the only thing I would say, and I guess I am contradicting myself, was he failed. He didn’t fail because of me. At one point, Kevin Sullivan and I were put on the shelf where we were taken out to where we had contracts and we were being paid and we were sent to Siberia (he laughs), and whatever happened from that point that was to the demise of the company that they ceased to exist, two people who can share none of the burden of the responsibility would be Kevin Sullivan and myself. To further indicate that, when he went into it with Jeff Jarrett (TNA), when Hulk and Bischoff came in, and this is not a reflection of Hulk because he’s a close, personal friend. Hulk always knew how to take care of Hulk and if he saw a relationship with Bischoff being good for him in terms of opening doors, that’s just business, and Hulk is smart that way. When they went in there, that failed miserably on itself and that can only fall on Bischoff’s shoulders. Where has Bischoff been a success? I’ll just ask the question and then be quiet.”
Bischoff responded to this: “I’ll be happy to answer that question. JJ Dillon, I hope you’re listening to this and I hope you’re enjoying your life and things are fine for you and your family and I mean that sincerely. That nicety aside, JJ, you’re a carnival clown, who, if there is anybody who didn’t know anything about the wrestling business, JJ Dillon, you are the personification of that vacuum, of that void of knowledge. You found yourself at the right place at the right time surrounded by the right people and were able to milk it for as much as you were able to milk it for. By the way, I don’t blame you for that. I do not. The entertainment business, the wrestling business, is often one that provides unique opportunities for those who just happen to be in the right place at the right time and you, JJ Dillon, are one of those people.
What did you contribute actually, JJ, to the wrestling business? The answer and I’ll save you the effort. I know you’re probably sitting at home and hoping to come up with a good answer. Let me save you the effort because I know at this stage of your life, it’s probably a real chore. You accomplished f**king nothing other than to surround yourself, or take advantage of people around you to make a couple bucks. As I said, no problem there. Let’s contrast that with what I’ve accomplished in the wrestling industry. You characterized my experience in the industry as a failure. So be it. I don’t know. We’re looking at a format, a completely changed format. Someone, in 1995, in the launch of a 2 hour live television show which had never been done before, someone created that format JJ. Was it you? No. You weren’t in the room.
By the way, that format that changed the wrestling presentation exists to this day in every successful wrestling company that is currently on the air. You may not understand what a format is, JJ, and many people don’t, so I’m not even going to bust your b*ll for that. But, if you look at someone, let’s say, oh, I don’t know, off the top of my head, Mark Burnett. He brought the format for Survivor to the United States and created one of the most successful, non-scripted television programs in this country to this day. That is a format. A format is a different way to present stories. I created the two hour live wrestling format that targeted 18-49 year old males. I created many of the elements that we see today and take for granted and forget where they came from.
JJ, what have you ever done that still exists today? What contribution have you made that you can stand up in a room and with confidence and integrity say, ‘I did that.’ The answer, JJ, is none and the reason the reason the answer is none or nothing is because JJ, you are nothing but a beneficiary of the wrestling industry. You are, I guess, a better way to say it, and it’s going to sound a little harsh, a parasite. You lived off of the host’s body of professional wrestling, not because of your unique contributions because you had none, at least none that I’m aware of. If anybody out there that’s listening to this can point them out, what did JJ single handedly, what did JJ Dillon contribute to the wrestling industry in a way that we can see today in any wrestling show that we watch. If anybody has that answer, I’m anxious to hear it and I will stand corrected. But until then JJ, you were a parasite among parasites.
I could certainly get into some of the questionable behavior that took place in your office with regard to taking advantage of, oh, I don’t know, FedEx charges and any number of things that you were taking advantage of that took place because you were trading memorabilia and shipping items back and forth on the company dime. Or, JJ Dillon, how about the time shortly after I hired you because you were desperate for a job and Kevin Nash suggested that you might be somebody good in talent relations and I gave you a job because I had empathy JJ. I bet on you, JJ Dillon, because I had empathy for your situation and I was hopeful that Kevin Nash was right and I took Kevin Nash’s word at face value and I took you at face value hoping for a contribution. What did I get within 72 hours? You stopping me in the middle of the offices of WCW right in front of the reception desk while I was on my way to the office with your little binder full of information and you proceeded to offer to me an opportunity to look at all of the proprietary information from WWE that you left with, which by the way, is a violation of some sort or another I’m sure. You wanted to share that information with me, I guess because you thought, I was somehow interested in it.
At that very moment, JJ Dillon, in that very moment, probably 72 hours, maybe 96 hours after I hired you, I knew at that moment that you were not to be trusted because if you were willing to compromise your former employer the way that you offered to do, that means to me at least, you would do the same thing to me. At that point, you were persona non grata from a professional perspective. But, did I fire you on the spot? No, JJ, because of my empathy which overrode my common sense at that time and I’m a little bit disappointed in myself. It’s one of the things I look back on and realize was a weakness or a flaw in my professional character. But despite that JJ, I kept you on because of that empathy. So, JJ, I don’t know another way to say this, other than, go f**k yourself.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription
Here is the interview with JJ Dillion and check out AdFreeShows.com to listen to Bischoff’s podcast:
