During a recent episode of “83 Weeks,” his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff examined the significance of the notorious rivalry between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon within the wrestling profession.
Here are some noteworthy points from the podcast session:
Regarding the question if the Steve Austin – Mr. McMahon contention is the most renowned one in history: “Absolutely, it’s one of the most impactful ones. People have different viewpoints, and many of them are reasonable. They are just varied ways of looking at things. There’s no definitive right or wrong, merely different outlooks. You’re scrutinizing various episodes in history from various points of view, hence you perceive things differently. However, I believe there was a singular moment, a particular creative choice, a solitary instance when everything seemed to align perfectly. So perfect that it seemed pre-planned, although much of it happened incidentally. Perfect timing and few other fortunate circumstances played their part.
“But the moment they introduced (Mike) Tyson and initiated the Tyson-Austin-McMahon rivalry, using Tyson as a catalyst? That particular flashpoint. That specific instance in history. That narrative, that plotline, that incident potentially has more to do with WWE’s current popularity than any other factor you could mention. That single instance, that choice. Because, in my opinion, this was the moment when WWE truly relinquished their earlier marketing strategy, aimed at teenagers and pre-teens. That moment was the embodiment of a speech, I think, Vince McMahon delivered in November, detailing WWE’s novel direction and storytelling strategy. He was hinting at the forthcoming Attitude Era, which was a response to Nitro. But the way they executed it and the way they conceived that story – this story has more influence on WWE’s present-day success than any other individual event that I can recall.”
About Vince McMahon fulfilling his dream as Mr. McMahon: “Indeed, can you imagine after all those years posing as a color commentator, exclaiming, ‘Gosh, I can’t believe he did that!’ And then having the chance to really be the person who he was, or used to be. The character of Mr. McMahon was essentially Vince McMahon amplified. How often have we discussed that? Stone Cold Steve Austin is simply Steve Williams amplified. You know, when you discover those characters that click and all you have to do is let them be themselves, but larger and louder? It’s so thrilling. And that’s where Vince McMahon was at. Likely, he had more joy in those opening moments when he first emerged as Mr. McMahon than he’d probably had in his entire career to date.”
For further insights, check out the embedded video of the “83 WEEKS: Austin Runs RAW 07.26.99” podcast episode below: [embedded content]