On a recent edition of his “Strictly Business” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff weighed in on Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut at Dynamite: Big Business.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Tony Khan not capitalizing on Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut: “There are a million different ways that they could have created an actual story and threaded it through, and constructed that story within a story, that thread — we’ll just call it a thread, that thread with Mercedes. And you know what you want to have happen at the end of the show. You know the finish. Work backwards from that finish and give us a couple of plot points along the way. It can be something very subtle, it can be a look over her shoulder at other talent, be it male or female. It could be anything or, as you describe it. There are a million different things you could do that are better than doing nothing. I mean, I don’t get it. Tony Khan doesn’t know how to produce television. Pure and simple, it’s that fundamental.”
On WWE trying to bring in casual sports fans with licensed championship title belts with the MLB and NFL: “That [is the goal] and making a s**t-ton of money. I mean, I would like to know how much revenue is created for WWE, specifically for their replica belts and championship belts and these kinds of souvenir collectibles. I mean, it’s got to be a massive number. Every time I go to a big event, I see people walking around with this stuff strapped over their shoulders. And they’re not cheap, you know, some of them are really, really heavy and they’re nice. I mean, holy smokes, I’m just curious. Brandon Thurston, if you’re listening, let’s do a little bit of research and find out if we can. I’m sure this is buried in the [SEC] filing somewhere deep. You probably have to get a forensic accountant to figure it all out, but it’d be really interesting to know, even if it’s a guesstimate, how much revenue is being generated strictly out of all WWE merchandise — specifically, their belts. That’d be a cool number to know.”
In a recent episode of his podcast “Strictly Business,” WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff shared his thoughts on Mercedes Mone’s debut in AEW’s Dynamite: Big Business. Bischoff criticized AEW owner Tony Khan for not capitalizing on Mone’s debut and failing to create a compelling storyline.
Bischoff highlighted the importance of storytelling in professional wrestling and suggested that there were numerous ways Khan could have developed a story around Mone’s debut. He emphasized the need to work backward from the desired finish and create plot points along the way. These plot points could be subtle gestures or interactions with other talent, adding depth to the character and building anticipation for future events.
According to Bischoff, Khan’s failure to produce compelling television is a fundamental flaw. He believes that AEW missed an opportunity to engage the audience and create excitement around Mone’s debut. By neglecting to develop a storyline, AEW missed out on the potential to generate interest and intrigue among viewers.
Switching gears, Bischoff also discussed WWE’s strategy of attracting casual sports fans by incorporating licensed championship title belts from major sports leagues such as MLB and NFL. He speculated that WWE likely generates significant revenue from replica belts and championship belts, which are popular among fans. These collectibles are often seen at WWE events, with fans proudly displaying them over their shoulders.
Bischoff expressed curiosity about the actual revenue generated by WWE through merchandise sales, specifically focusing on championship belts. He suggested that it would be interesting to know the exact amount, even if it required extensive research or analysis of financial filings. Bischoff acknowledged that this information might be challenging to obtain but believed it would be a fascinating figure to uncover.
In conclusion, Eric Bischoff’s comments on his podcast shed light on the missed opportunities in AEW’s handling of Mercedes Mone’s debut. He emphasized the importance of storytelling and criticized Tony Khan for not capitalizing on the moment. Additionally, Bischoff discussed WWE’s strategy of incorporating licensed championship belts to attract casual sports fans and generate significant revenue from merchandise sales.