For decades, the cautionary tale of WCW and its former executive, Eric Bischoff, has served as a reminder to wrestling companies worldwide. In the 1990s, WCW experienced unprecedented success before ultimately spiraling into a catastrophic downfall.
Since the demise of WCW, fans and industry experts have engaged in endless debates, attributing the company’s downfall to factors such as talent exerting excessive control, mismanagement under Bischoff’s leadership, and a fragile financial structure akin to quicksand.
When Tony Khan launched AEW, he pledged to learn from WCW’s mistakes and position the company as a viable alternative to WWE. However, the recent introduction of AEW Collision has sparked doubts among fans and critics, questioning whether Khan has stayed true to his promise.
One of WCW’s most notable missteps was the ill-fated launch of Thunder, a secondary two-hour show that debuted in January 1998 alongside the three-hour Nitro. Thunder proved to be a costly endeavor, and fans quickly lost interest as it played second fiddle to Nitro. Bischoff, in hindsight, has expressed his reluctance to run Thunder concurrently with Nitro.
During an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff drew parallels between WCW and AEW, suggesting that the creation of Collision could potentially be a mistake.
“Tony Khan once said early on after the start of AEW, ‘I’m not gonna make the same mistakes WCW made,'” Bischoff recalled. “I won’t delve into the extensive list of significant mistakes made by Tony, many of which resemble the ones I made. He’s repeating them.”
Bischoff further added, “If I were Tony, concerned about the long-term sustainability of my brand, I would do everything in my power to dissuade Turner from introducing a Saturday night show, assuming they are pushing for it. If Tony is pushing for another show for any reason, it raises doubts about his judgment because it’s evident that the resources are lacking.”
Recent events, particularly the chaotic competition surrounding CM Punk, have raised red flags for Bischoff. He views the profound mistakes that have unfolded and led to this situation as a sign that AEW, as a business operation, still lacks a firm grasp on its direction.
While Bischoff’s comments offer a critical perspective, only time will reveal whether AEW can navigate the challenges and avoid repeating the mistakes of its predecessor.
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