Former TNA President Dixie Carter was a more effective bookmaker in the wrestling industry than the current AEW President Tony Khan, believes WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff. These comments were made on a recent episode of his podcast, “83 Weeks.”
Bischoff highlights from his podcast included:
On the comparative effectiveness of Carter and Khan as bookmakers: Bischoff argued that while Carter never aimed to be seen as the head bookmaker of TNA, she knew her limitations and hired people with the right expertise. This is why he perceives Carter to be superior to Khan in this domain. Khan firmly believes his abilities as a booker despite lackluster performance data, according to Bischoff. He believes that Carter, in response to such data, would have chosen a different path.
Bischoff opines that Carter, in hindsight, was a more accomplished booker. He acknowledges that TNA, while often the butt of industry jokes, had a superior quality of content compared to AEW. He adds that while TNA did merit some criticism, much of it was uncalled for. TNA’s shows, he states, boasted great storylines and top-tier talent.
He further adds that many of the problems faced by AEW can be attributed to Khan instead of its talent pool. Bischoff praises Carter for recognizing her limitations and not attempting to become the booker. He observes that Khan, who similarly aspires to establish a name for himself within the industry, has not shown the same willingness to seek advice and support from his surrounding team.
Speaking on AEW booking capacious venues: Bischoff believes that this strategy provides financial relief. He explained that smaller, more intimate venues provide a different level of energy as audience members are closer to the ring and their emotions can be easily caught onto by others, creating an enhanced sense of enthusiasm throughout the entire audience.
In the following link, you can listen to the complete podcast: [Embedded content]