Eric Bischoff On His Heat With Ric Flair

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff discusses recent heat he's had with "Nature Boy" Ric Flair and why his long-time friend and rival might have taken recent issue with him
Watch the full interview with Eric Bischoff on my main ‪@ChrisVanVliet‬ channel here: • Eric Bischoff On Vince...
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[@CVVCLIPS]

Watch the full interview with Eric Bischoff on my main channel here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5zIo4yLipaBatk

[@chrish8016]

The last 37 seconds was phenomenal 👏

[@DoomRulz]

Ric Flair seems to have heat with anyone not named Ric Flair.

[@wwemasta]

LETS BE HONEST HERE. Conrad is insitgating and stirring the pot to everything. Conrad used an old clip of bret hart trashing ric flair, and then conrad played the clip as if it was a new clip and ric flair went off on bret. hes stirring the pot

[@nicka7432]

Conrad is nothing to wrestling without His daddy in law

[@rayfinkel4434]

All rumour and innuendo 😂

[@SychoSam]

That's the same game that little guy is playing with Kevin Nash on his podcast

[@wwemasta]

@@SychoSam that's sean Oliver on kevin nashs podcast, he's a good guy

[@wwemasta]

@@SychoSam lolol wtf? Where is this coming from,

[@M.S.Fitness]

I can REALLY see Ric throwing working punches too🤣

[@M97-u8t]

Flair is totally losing it. Contradiction after contradiction. In 2022 it´s impossible to take him seriously

[@CharlesBronson1977]

When you have heat with as many people that Ric has with, it's time to look in the mirror and take responsibility instead of always blaming everyone else for the problems you have with them.

[@RhinoXpress]

Rics been on a war path lately going after people. He said something about hhh using his powers to avoid drug testing, then he went after jr about the plane ride from hell and now he's going after eric. I don't know why he's soo butt hurt lately.

[@JayCity10]

And yet he is friends with Hogan, Bret Hart, and Vince McMahon. Amazing!

[@RhinoXpress]

@@JayCity10 for now.

[@davelanglois3738]

Too many hits to the head...

[@billwebber400]

Much respect for the great Ric Flair it's hard to grow old the mind is willing the body just can't absorb the punishment and let's face it he will never grow up

[@SychoSam]

He's the former president of the united states. Leave him alone. He can do whatever he wants to do

[@IamLegend32]

Ric was upset that Bischoff didn't include him in the HLA storyline.

[@jonathanpeters5027]

Wouldn't shock me, to be honest.

[@FiveNumberJonny]

I think he was in Evolution at the time

[@ifuckingh8you195]

The what

[@the.virtual.sandwich]

This is the best feud in wrestling right now. It's just fascinating.

[@AngryMagma]

I think Ric might be in an early stage of dementia. He has had falling out with others too. Mark Madden for example. Either caused by CTE or old age. Probably both.

[@chaelodoul9401]

You’re stupid, mate.

[@HartmanHovic]

Probably true unfortunately

[@ChrisDWXX]

Absolute rubbish he's fine!

[@sj4632]

Ric was buried by Eric over and over again at WCW…Showed him little respect…Now he’s playing like he doesn’t know what’s going on…Clown.

[@JustineLambert-xx9sw]

Okay, I actually understand Ric's emotion here and what he's REALLY upset about. He's upset about the way Eric has been GASLIGHTING on this issue. Ever since their 1990s feud, Eric has taken the public position that all his decisions pertaining to Ric (and actually ALL talent) were never personal and it was strictly business. If you look objectively at all the things Eric did to Ric during that time, you could never conclude that there was not a personal element in the decision-making (how Ric was booked, lawsuit against Ric, etc.). Eric would have to be a complete machine if he genuinely had no emotion in the decisions he was making on any of the talent during the late 90s. Eric is either gaslighting or he genuinely has no ability for real self-reflection. Ric and Eric were very close in the early to mid 90s before Hogan came, but they had a big falling out after Hogan arrived. Some speculate Eric's animosity started when Ric held up his 'loser-goes-into-retirement' pay-per-view with Hogan. After the NWO arrived, it wasn't just that Ric and Horsemen had to play second fiddle, it was pretty clear with much of the booking decisions that Eric really wanted to humiliate Ric and push him down the card. Ric was certainly not as popular as the NWO, but there were still large numbers of hardcore NWA fans from the 80s that wanted to see Ric and the Horsemen be leaders for WCW against the invading NWO. From a financial standpoint, it didn't make sense not to capitalize on some of that. At very least, Ric and Arn knew how to make a storyline work much better than some of the more popular figures of the 90s (e.g. Lex Lugar, the Giant, even Sting). But Eric really twisted the knife by having Flair lose to a bunch of mid-card talent (Konnan, Shane Douglas, etc.) with no apparent purpose to advancing storylines, or involving Ric/the Horsement in absurd stories. Perhaps in Eric's mind he has convinced himself that he was just being strictly about the numbers. But from Ric's point of view, he's gaslighting. If you've ever dealt with a real narcissist and how they make you doubt your own reality with the way they spin lies, then you will appreciate Ric's frustration. The narcissist pisses on you at every chance, and then acts innocent. I realize the irony in calling Eric the narcissist here in contrast to Ric; they both have very narcissistic personalities. But the one who's not being honest here is definitely Eric. I want to like Eric. I think he was absolutely the main force in revitalizing wrestling in the late 90s, and I really like listening to his analysis of that whole period. But this recent spat with Ric is really a wake-up call on his true personality. It's absolutely a smart professional thing for him to do to publicly pretend like there was no personal heat on his part (with Ric and all other talent). Also, staying on Ric's good side is also smart since Ric has regained so much popularity since his WWE run in the 2000s. But re-writing history to make himself to not be the villain is not being honest. Eric is human just like everyone else, and had real emotions towards the talent and it was reflected in the decision-making of that time (why else was DDP pushed??). At first I thought this was a work since Ric and Eric have made up in recent years, but now I realize this feud is very real. Painful emotions are not something that are easily overcome. The fact that part of this issue also involves Ric's son who passed away makes it even more painful. Maybe Eric had some legitimate reasons for disliking Flair in the mid 90s. But don't be fooled into thinking that Eric was not influenced by his emotions towards the talent at that time in how he made decisions.

[@TL2354]

You need a life

[@edwardperez968]

Great interview as usual.

[@benrichards399]

Eric is playing dumb over both incidents here. Ric went for him in that office because of the way bischoff treated him in wcw, and was pissed he was given a gig in WWE. He knows that, it's been well documented in Ric's book. The recent beef is with Eric's contribution on the new documentary which flair didn't take kindly to. I know that, because ric said it was that on his podcast 🤷

[@ltk20352]

Ric flair is a hypocrite. Whatever Eric did I feel is less lowdown somehow. I mean that's just my gut feeling.

[@tjhookit]

I just saw the documentary and Eric didn't say anything bad about Ric.......in fact he stated how he was in the wrong back then and didn't appreciate Ric the way he should have.

[@davelanglois3738]

Ric is just an old crank. Between all the alcohol and shots to the head, he should be sent to a home. Just an old washed up dude.

[@georgepapoulias3562]

Ric had no right going after Eric backstage in WWE. He was in no position to attack a fellow employee on company property. If he had an issue with Eric, there were other, more productive ways to handle it. Not to mention Ric should've been fired in 2002 for flashing his weiner at a poor flight attendant.

[@rhysobrien2439]

I heard Bischoff say on 83 weeks or something that the punches didn't connect? Which is it?

[@HarmonyandHeadlockReactions]

You are 100% correct when you say that, and I never heard the biting the left with the blood part of this

[@rhysobrien2439]

@@HarmonyandHeadlockReactions I do recall hearing about him biting his own lip, because I remember finding it hilarious that Ric got so worked up that he busted his own lip. Just not that the punches connected.

[@TL2354]

He said here that they didn’t connect. What part of that confused you?

[@wrestlingwithjay3770]

Legends

[@doubles7533]

Ric just said on his podcast in so many words that they have heat again lol. This could get interesting.

[@brianmcghee3597]

Blame it on Flairs Alcoholism. Bischoff has always been classy to me.

[@HarmonyandHeadlockReactions]

Bishop will be the first to tell you to be a jerk but him saying let’s not do this on the Internet let’s not do this on podcast let’s talk face-to-face without the cameras first make it highly likely that it is not a work but also the fact that it was Bishop‘s idea does make him I can’t call him classy but I am going to call him professional

[@fernicusmaximus9282]

I hope they squash their heat so they can do business again.

[@burtmacklin7556]

People saying Flair is at fault but wasn’t it Eric who started it when he said flair and the horsemen didn’t draw money?

[@randylynch4330]

They didn't draw in the 90s when Bischoff was in charge and Flair has even said that

[@ltk20352]

Flair was still on TV heavily on WCW. He was in the last Nitro for f sakes. Dude is just an alcoholic and doesn't remember. Flair was never buried by Bischoff. Ric buries himself with his antics

[@rob27dap26]

@@randylynch4330 Its more that he said Flair knew nothing about drawing money, Flair has already admitted that in the 90s he wasnt as big of a draw as he had been. That being said Ric Flair if spotlighted right is always a draw that much was evidenced when Flair went to WWE post WCW sale.

[@TL2354]

You’re saying Flair is that mentally weak?

[@Jcrash71]

​@@TL2354you post the most irrelevant shit. Stick with cartoons kid

[@HoustonSoto]

I love Ric Flair but the answer is simple; there is NO line between Flair the man and Flair the wrestler. He cannot live without the industry and he’ll take every opportunity to remain in it and that, more often than not, begins with a “shoot”. With every wrestler, official and authority figure/creative writing books and doing podcasts these days it gives him PLENTY of opportunities to go old school and shoot on even the slightest of sound bites. He will never quit.

[@joshuasteward6097]

A number of wrestlers have said Flair is nice to your face and criticizes you behind your back.

[@cccspokesmanandcofounder]

He knows what he did

[@davidmaerz2756]

What though? I just wanna be filled in. To me it honestly sounds like Ric is having flashbacks from the past that are haunting him and he is lashing out because of that.

[@wrestlingwithjay3770]

❤

[@melmanchildjones696]

exactly

[@joemixon834]

Pronouns pal

[@SlickTim9905]

Bishoff is the only one that Ric never pinned. Well him and Judy Bagwell.

[@Danny-xm1pe]

I can't believe that so many people are falling for this work.

[@Ty_Ranus]

Exactly….conman Thompson is behind this. Payoff will be in the summer at some shitty independent show

[@thesupervisor3270]

Don’t be a mark! 🙄 Just let ppl be entertained we don’t need your dumb ass comment moron

[@Danny-xm1pe]

@@thesupervisor3270 You should not be calling anybody a "moron" when you can't even write with proper punctuation.

[@TheRichardMorse]

I mean who hasn’t had heat with Ric Flair lol a wrestler getting heat with ric flair is as inevitable as death and taxes 😂

[@chrisw9643]

Ric is the best ever!

[@shazarkhan3288]

Bischoff has a heat with everybody. Basically anyone who never appreciated the failed WCW

[@josiah1218]

Umm no..don't be a mark

[@HiPHOPx87]

WCW was a Success. Produced some of the Greatest wrestlers of all time. I lived through it.

[@ltk20352]

Bischoff ruined his legacy by going to tna but so did cornette 😂

[@Cultofpersonality09129]

@@ltk20352 Yes and so did flair.lol

[@joshuasteward6097]

Flair obviously feels underpaid and disrespected by Eric and can't let it go. Eric, meanwhile, mostly defends himself but has acknowledged a couple times when he said the wrong thing about Flair.

[@fpshooterful]

I really don't think there is any "beef" going on between the two. Just alotta miscommunication. Because RIC was just talking about this booking past with WCW, and i think that where this whole "beef" started? But, i just saw it as Ric just talking about his work experience. I didn't see any hate outta Ric. But, it is social media that is "blowing it" outta proportion.

[@HarmonyandHeadlockReactions]

The flare podcast has put out 35 to 8 minute clips of Rick talking shit about Eric you just talk without getting any facts correct?

[@fpshooterful]

@@HarmonyandHeadlockReactions From what i got off from it, was Ric just talking about how Eric didn't do a good job booking him. I mean he is with that Conrad guy ? Correct?

[@EJNOVA]

Because it’s Ric Flair, you’re only a good person as long as you’re helping him. And I’m a fan of Flair, but it does seem like he only likes you as long as you’re telling him how great he is/was.

[@topbins1391]

Damn. What the fuck, Ric

[@JonnyBoots2020]

They gotta do a match . 2 million

[@HarmonyandHeadlockReactions]

Rick looked so sad and defeated when he had world-class opponents, I hope this is a joke

[@opus1656]

We all enjoy drama, and we all enjoy this wrestling drama. Here's another to add to the mix. Ric Flair suffers from bipolar disorder and uses alcohol to cope.

[@Mog181818]

Watch his show/podcast with Conrad. He explains it.

[@CVVCLIPS]

83 Weeks is great!

[@nicka7432]

@@CVVCLIPS so is cvv

[@undertakerfanz628]

Eric bischoff has a martial arts background he should have not let Ric Flair or no other man hit him 3times

[@andremarc1275]

why tatoos Bischoff ?

[@dadaevan]

Flair is and always was a bitter man. I wish he would just go away forever. He’s a damn laughingstock.

[@Ty_Ranus]

This is an angle. Conrad Thompson is promoting something that will involve Bischoff and Flair…

[@HarmonyandHeadlockReactions]

Ric Flair having falling out with all his friends is not at work but I would say it’s 50-50 on officially flair and Eric, But if that ends up being true with Conrad playing the “Booker “I am absolutely done with any podcast but the Cornett experience.

[@TL2354]

When did that happen?

[@jimmynorris1314]

Ric started all this shite to promote his new documentary. He said Bsichoff slagged him off in the documentary but I didn't see it. Ric also said he'd be addressing the Plane Ride from Hell but there was no mention of it. It was quite disappointing considering how much Flair hyped it up.

[@dannypowers4995]

Flair was the man while Eric was pushing toy cars on the playground.

[@paranoidewok6772]

That's about how long ago Flair was actually "the man".

[@ltk20352]

Selling meat out of a truck in Minneapolis. Bischoff acknowledged this

[@alphawatches1633]

Maybe it’s because Ric’s now best friends with Bret Hart

[@chikwashakalunga8831]

You could have destroyed him with you knowledge 😂😂😂😂 Vliet trying to start something

[@PoppinRods]

Loving Rick these days is not good business

[@greywolf7583]

It sounds likeFlair is Bipolar Eric.

[@the40yroldgamer75]

oh my god people ..... this is a work. I am sure this is something to do with Australia.

[@TL2354]

When?

[@ducklife420]

ric has been a mess for so long he doesn't know how to chill

[@michaeltaylor8835]

RF may have dementia

[@michaela.1080]

Drunk posts. I love Ric, but he has deep resentments that come out when he drinks imo.

[@rocketeightyseven1823]

Eric...I'm still waiting why you kissed Stephanie McMahon and nothing ever came from it! What's that about?

[@rob27dap26]

I'm not being funny but Bischoff is playing coy her Flair has stated many times what his issue is, the confrontation back in the day was over the Eric's comments corroborated by many others back in the day the Eric when speaking to the WCW locker room said in front of Flair, "Except for Hogan, Piper, Savage and Sting none of you know nothing about drawing" or words to that effect. Which is like a slap to Ric Flair, as for this recent feud he has already stated on the Becoming Ric Flair doc Eric talks about "teaching Ric a lesson about rules" when it comes to this whole incident/time period from an outsider looking in, I'd say Eric opened old wounds and Ric well id say he never forget your words from WCW Eric. But come on you know whats going on here.

[@curthennig9448]

You got that right. Flair will never forget the treatment he received from Easy E in WCW. EVER

[@brycemcneil4404]

Bischoff didn't include Sting in the comment (if I'm not mistaken but I might be).

[@alvpacino2191]

I feel like this is a work…

[@jamiepreston1490]

I believe everything Eric says. He is so honest! Lol. That was a joke. Lol. Eric is one of the slimmest individuals to ever enter the wrestling business. What happened to WCW? Eric Bischoff is what happened.

[@THEBANDIT7979]

Russo too.

[@justinkassinger8238]

"is it personal?" Lol obviously dude. Stupid question

[@Tim_Dunkin]

I don't like Bischoff like that but I will say Ric continuously talking 💩 about him w/o Bischoff saying anything back is lame. Like say why you're mad & move on. I've never been a fan of talking 💩 back & forth or just one person talking 💩. Say your issue & move on get over or don't but quit talking. Especially as supposed grown a** men that's female energy

[@qlee2385]

Eric is playing dumb he knows why him and ric got beef

[@konzaros7482]

Flair is internally unhappy and a narcissist

[@88smjls]

I love when Bischoff says ok I'm done trashing this person. Then a week later saying some crap about them again lol

[@famicommike9014]

I respect Flair but he's either developing alzheimers or dementia at this point

[@undertakerfanz628]

Whatever Eric bischoff is saying is not fair to Flair

[@neitherhereorthere7131]

Ric flair like Bret Hart barbers way too much of the past grudges, just let it go geese. Both Flair and Hart spent every waking moment bashing somebody like bishop, Hogan , triple h you want those guys live rent free in there heads all day every day.

[@mach1sports]

Look all joking aside Ric flair has ptsd of biblical proportions. I’m sure his mind is all over the place

[@C.I.A.Retired]

Love all the people who know ric better than ric... I suppose jim cornette is a rebublican

[@CarbiesChronicles]

i dont love Ric...