Eric Bischoff has shared his reaction to new contract language in WWE deals designed to restrict talent’s ability to negotiate with other companies, calling it lopsided but also admiring the genius behind it.
Speaking on 83 Weeks alongside attorney Mike Dawkins, Bischoff reacted to the revelation that WWE contracts now include nine-month exclusive negotiation windows and post-contract right of first refusal clauses.
“Look, this is gonna be really unpopular, but you gotta kind of admire the team that put together that construct. It’s lopsided as hell, but I kind of admire it. There’s some genius to it,” Bischoff said.
Bischoff also discussed his view on non-competes. “You know, when I first started getting involved in negotiating contracts, and you know, we had attorneys that actually negotiated and made sure that they were written correctly, and everything else. But I was involved in the, you know, the basic architect, the blueprint of the agreements, term, money, dates, that kind of thing. And, you know, I would run across the, you know, non-compete issues, and the answer that I would always get from attorneys is, look, no judge is going to enforce a non-compete anyway. So if somebody decides they’re going to challenge this was back then, the way the contracts were written. Back in the 90s, even my own attorneys would say, if anybody ever challenged this, we’re going to get our ass kicked. Is that not the case? I mean, just you reading. To me, the kind of blueprint for the contract of adhesion. It’s not that complicated. You know, you don’t think you have to go to law school figure that one out. It’s pretty, pretty obvious, isn’t it?”
He also reflected on his own early experience with WWE contracts and questioned when the rolling 90-day format that defines the current landscape first became standard practice.
“There was a time, at least when I signed my first agreement with WWE, there was no 90-day rollover of my deal. Unless I breached the contract, I was there for the term, which I think was two years initially. So I wonder when that 90-day rollover started really becoming common?” Bischoff said.
On the broader point about how few performers truly understand what they are signing, Bischoff agreed with Dawkins that the resentment that builds around contract language often stems from a lack of understanding at the time of signing.
“I think that’s where a lot of this starts. Some talent, unfortunately, become well acquainted with that 90-day language and the implications that come with it. And there’s a resentment, there’s a disappointment, there’s an anger. It’s their fault 90% of the time, but it still hurts. And then that carries over to social media and the chatter, and that’s where the narrative picks up a good portion of it,” Bischoff said.
Bischoff also took a moment during the conversation to praise Tony Khan for reportedly covering Rebel’s medical bills following her terminal ALS diagnosis.
“Good on Tony. That being said, you’ve got a publicly held company, you’ve got management that has a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, and you’ve got a multi-billionaire not necessarily focused on the bottom line. It’s not a business decision, it’s a personal decision, and it’s one that only somebody who’s not responsible to the bottom line can afford to make,” Bischoff said.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit 83 Weeks with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
