On a recent edition of his “83 Weeks” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff shared his insights on the latest comments made by Kenny Omega and the current situation with Mercedes Mone in AEW.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Kenny Omega saying he wasn’t a good AEW EVP and his comments about the brawl with CM Punk: “It’s the most honest adult thing I’ve heard out of AEW in months. It adds to his credibility, his character, and his respect. Because he’s being honest, and he had fun doing it in the process. And the fact that saving a dog, in my opinion, was very high on my list of people that I want to meet and say hello to, I get in all of the commentaries and their reactions and even Tony Shiavone, and you know, I love Tony he’s a great dude. And we’re friends but Kenny Omega’s comments were the most adult comments I’ve heard anybody in AEW say publicly in a long time. Good on him.”
On saving Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut for Double or Nothing: “I would have had her wrestle before the May pay-per-view. I would have actually tried to build her up in a way to make her interesting and compelling. Right now, I predicted I was asked. It’s not that I came out and started throwing my s*it around just hoping that somebody would be interested. I was asked the question months and months and months ago. Do you think Mercedes will have any impact in AEW and without even taking a deep breath? To express the one-syllable answer to that? It was no. It was. She’s not, she hasn’t, and she won’t. And that’s self-inflicted and has nothing to do with her potential or what she’s capable of as a talent. It’s the environment she’s in. It is dysfunctionaly creative. It is dysfunctional creatively. There’s a lack of vision. There’s, it’s just impossible for anybody to show up and have an impact, or move the needle or change the game or whatever euphemism you want to use a metaphor, whatever the f*ck it is it at this point, it doesn’t matter. They can do anything they want to do with her, and it’s not gonna matter. It’s over. They blew it. She’s just gonna be Saraya. Yep. Oh, that was gonna be a big thing. Oh, the women’s division is gonna be oh, this is it. Game Changer. Really? What are we seeing so far? Absolutely nothing. Two months from now, you will be looking at the same scenario for Mercedes, not because of her. Or maybe she’s part of it. She could be part of the problem. But the real problem is there is just no fundamental understanding of how to build a wrestling company for television in this country at AEW, if they’re hiding, they are in the witness protection program.”
In a recent episode of his podcast “83 Weeks,” WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff discussed the latest comments made by Kenny Omega and the current situation with Mercedes Mone in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Bischoff shared his insights on Omega’s honesty and credibility, as well as his thoughts on Mone’s debut and the creative dysfunction within AEW.
Regarding Kenny Omega’s comments about his role as an AEW Executive Vice President (EVP) and the brawl with CM Punk, Bischoff praised Omega for his honesty and maturity. He believes that Omega’s candidness adds to his credibility, character, and respect within the industry. Bischoff also appreciated Omega’s lighthearted approach to the situation, particularly his involvement in saving a dog. He commended Omega for being one of the few individuals in AEW to express adult-like comments publicly.
Moving on to Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut, Bischoff expressed his disappointment with how it was handled. He believed that Mone should have wrestled before the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event, allowing her character to be built up and creating intrigue among the audience. Bischoff was asked months ago whether he thought Mone would have any impact in AEW, and he responded with a resounding “no.” He attributed this lack of impact to the dysfunctional creative environment within AEW, stating that there is a fundamental lack of vision and understanding of how to build a wrestling company for television.
Bischoff criticized AEW for their inability to create an environment where talent can make a significant impact or move the needle. He argued that it doesn’t matter what they do with Mone at this point because they have already missed the opportunity to establish her as a game-changer in the women’s division. Bischoff predicted that two months from now, the scenario for Mone would remain unchanged, not because of her capabilities as a talent, but due to the systemic problems within AEW.
The podcast episode featuring Bischoff’s insights can be found on the “83 Weeks” podcast. It provides a glimpse into the thoughts and opinions of a WWE Hall of Famer regarding the current state of AEW and the challenges they face in building a successful wrestling company for television.