Eric Bischoff Shoots on Alex Wright, Rick Rude, William Regal, Bully Ray & MORE | FIRING LINE

[@tommyfraz.]

Eric giving props to Das Wunderkind shows he’s a Jam Up Guy!

[@AspirantVeeVee]

Bishoff knows quality bratwurst

[@dadvastator967]

Good stuff, I was happy they didn't try to bury him

[@camschuster5947]

🕺 ooohhh oooohhh 🕺 Miss the Saturday Wright Fever bits. So damn funny. We need a supercut.

[@blmareterrorists]

I'd like to say hi to my one little fan, Hello Smokey, my CAT. Got the jam?

[@zachsmith1634]

Oh big bratwurst

[@BrandonJXN2]

Alex Wright was one of my favorite WCW wrestlers. I loved watching him on WCW Pro and Saturday Night.

[@jthomos21]

I like to hear from Eric. He was never a wrestling insider. He comes from a business side, and his perspective is unique.

[@Pushateetee83]

Exactly. And Vince gets all the credit for wrestling going national from one territory. Which isn true, technically Eric did the same exact thing. He took a southern wrestling promotion and made it national and huge. With no history of the wrestling industry…

[@jthomos21]

@@Pushateetee83 I honestly think if they would have sold WCW to him and his group, they would have still been in business today. He made some mistakes but would have learned from them.

[@Pushateetee83]

@@jthomos21 totally. And a lot of mistakes being made in WCW were from choices coming from above Eric. Or in situations where his hands were tied. Like you said, he for sure would have learned and moved WCW forward for the better

[@jthomos21]

@@Pushateetee83 Happy Thanksgiving!

[@Pushateetee83]

@@jthomos21 Happy Thanksgiving to you too, brother

[@ducklife420]

James is the best interview guy in wrestling podcasts! Get better Dutch!

[@ousmansano21]

And Conrad is the worst

[@pavlovsdogman]

Yeah James has really come along as a creator and host 👍

[@deepblue8143]

​@@ousmansano21no, not even close.

[@1KQ_]

James and CVV are my favorites by far

[@rt2at]

Always love Eric's interviews 👍

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

I enjoy them but dude is always lying almost as bad as Hogan. The entirety of the Lakeside Property at Lake Minnetonka combined isn't worth 80-100 Million.

[@rt2at]

@justinlast2lastharder749 maybe it is Hogan rubbing off on him 😉

[@MrTJohnston]

I love hearing stories about Ric Rude. He seems so mysterious

[@vikesfan63]

James once again it's Awesome You have been able to talk to Eric Bischoff, Like him I also went to Minnetonka High School!.

[@lowking7235]

Now let’s get James with Eric instead of Eric n CONrad

[@brentwebster6341]

@lowking7235 I second that notion .

[@dragonchaserkev]

Conrad has grown on me a little bit still he talks too much. James however knows when to talk, what to ask and not to over do it.

[@blmareterrorists]

​@@brentwebster6341 i 3rd this notion

[@CosmicChris410]

Yes!!

[@deepblue8143]

Conrad is great stop the hate, the man is a work horse and has given us hundreds if not thousands of hours of free content. James is great too, nothing against him at all but I am sick of the Conrad hate.

[@judahofjudea4601]

No mincing words at the end lol.

[@isd8894]

And he's entirely right.

[@shawnwbronx]

Heel Alex Wright was fantastic. They should’ve stuck with the bit where he interrupted the Nitro Girls routines. It was hilarious.

[@michaelpoore21]

Glad to hear Eric have good things to say about Sid. Everyone I've heard talk about Sid, have nothing but kind words to say about him.

[@JayCord00]

For me Alex Wright is the MOST underrated wrestler of all time, he had everything, sad.

[@ChrisStoecker]

He's certainly up there. It's crazy but he actually would've been better off in WWF. Having to be in the water with old sharks in WCW was bad news for a lot of guys back in the mid to late 90s. Wild to think about but he would have had far fewer roadblocks in WWF. Surprised they never went after Alex

[@roccojamison89gooker51]

@@ChrisStoecker Triple H had to put over Alex Wright at Starrcade '94. Triple H would have been the roadblock

[@Smith-wk6pb]

He was to GAY

[@InYourHeadChangedMan]

​@@ChrisStoeckerno he wouldn't

[@____K_____989]

Ludwig Kaiser stole a lot from Alex. Well from Berlin but still. I’m not saying this as a negative towards Kaiser. Alex was awesome.

[@frankez99]

Confirmed what I always thought of William Regal 😊

[@Danielle1988-g]

I liked watching the AWA stadium shows. Even though one had lots of empty seats in the Stadium it was impressive to see this giant structure surrounding the wrestling ring regardless of the patches of empty seats.

[@OldGrayBeardo]

Alex Wright getting some love. Why so much hate for Lance Storm though? I liked him! More than Alex Awright, even😂

[@tonyclifton2230]

Lance works for the observer. So there is a meltzer issue there.

[@roccojamison89gooker51]

@@tonyclifton2230 Lance is helping Meltzer to get serious for a minute.

[@wa2k99]

Lance is just an idiot politically

[@ADAMdinho1]

Yeah, that Jeff & Denzel comparison was spot on!! 💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@Jared40]

Seems like Eric really likes doing this interview with James. When he does 83 Weeks he seems depressed and just going through the motions 🤣

[@middleclassboardgamer]

I'd feel the same way if I had to sit and talk to Conrad. That dude is insufferable.

[@indiasupportstrumpwwg1wga927]

@@middleclassboardgamer wah wah... its so cool to hate on Conrad train. smh

[@middleclassboardgamer]

@@indiasupportstrumpwwg1wga927 lol. I’ll be honest, I really don’t know who the guy is, I just remember clicking on a shoot interview with someone (can’t remember who) a couple of years ago and could only listen for a few minutes because everything about Conrad turned my stomach. His demeanor, his voice, I just couldn’t stand it. Now any time I see a shoot interview I’m hoping it’s someone other than Conrad. CVV, the YouShoot guy, anyone! I can’t watch JR clips because I just can’t stand Conrad.

[@tobysgamingworld1550]

“Bully Ray is so smart and well read” well, anytime I’ve heard him chat he brings up his massive porn collection and knowledge of all the players in that industry 😂😂😂 I’m not saying one negates the other. Just can’t imagine him with a pipe and smoking jacket on reading Charles Dickens.

[@vanthdreadstar8039]

To be fair, Eric didnt specify what he was well read, about. Just that is was outside wrestling. 😄

[@DWtechfan]

People today don't realize how talented Alex Wright actually was because most modern fans didn't catch WCW on TV each week. And Eric dropped the ball on many lower to mid card guys who could've been much more and most of it was because of the nWo. More particularly, Hogan wanted to keep young talents down to protect his "spot". And Alex had everything to become a main event guy except the opportunity to do so. WCW should have booked him in the main events as an old school foreign heel and that would've made compelling TV.

[@ChrisStoecker]

Amazing how much more enjoyable listening to Eric can be without Conrad hurting the cause. I'm sure he's a super nice guy but Conrad seems to be the common denominator in the podcasts I stop listening to

[@TheCho-k4m]

Eric's best interviews are on this channel.

[@awwboo88]

I miss the firing line and name association it's nice to hear how they talk about other wrestlers

[@justinashley9529]

Alex wright had a lot of talent as well , I don't think the Berlin thing was bad, man tried to reinvent himself, he could deff work through its a shame alot of guys left in shadows for no reason we are lucky wcw failed bc if not we would not have gotten champion Eddie, Chris etc

[@gameshack1985]

I'm not sure he was left in the shadows, I thought he had a brain aneurysm...maybe hy memory is jaded..

[@JunkyardJake618]

Lance Storm won belts everywhere he went...literally heald most of ECW, WCW, and WWEs titles...sometimes multiple ones at the same time...he's legendary.

[@PassDaMethod]

Amazing technical wrestler with a work ethic. That said, the guy has the charisma of a cardboard box.

[@GLPitt1]

Unless you were a wrestling nerd in the late 90s, you don't know who the hell he is. He was average size and had 0 charisma. He was a great technical wrestler. But great technical wrestlers that can't cut a promo are a dime a dozen.

[@justint8635]

"won belts" incredible.

[@judahofjudea4601]

Some guys didn't have to say a lot, they were just great to watch in a match like Dean Malenko. Wrestling is like a ice cream parlor, you don't have to have someone oozing with personality the whole show, you can just enjoy a good match in between. Someone like Ultimo Dragon didn't speak but people enjoyed watching him go.

[@Georgeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

was given belts. 😅

[@Capta1nAsh]

Let’s bin Conrad and have James do Eric’s podcast

[@blmareterrorists]

Ill take James for any podcast. Sean Oliver is cool, I've been watching his Youshoots for a while now. He's a close 2nd

[@EdmundKempersDartboard]

Alex Wright should have be a superstar. Had the look, had a silly but amusing gimmick and gravity didn't apply to him.

[@MortGoldbergTalent]

@@EdmundKempersDartboard he came in young and became corny fast, then they put him with Disco Inferno, finally we get Berlin, then Columbine happens. Alex was born 10 years too early like a lot of wrestlers.

[@EdmundKempersDartboard]

​@@MortGoldbergTalent no question.

[@beauleidig8670]

Alex was a fantastic worker, but he just couldn't get over with the fans as a baby face or a heel. Randy Savage put it best when he said the worst thing a crowd could ever do to a wrestler is not react.

[@desisdosis473]

​@@beauleidig8670 In WWE his kiddy friendly character would have worked better during that period.

[@beauleidig8670]

@@desisdosis473 In the 80's perhaps, but that was also at a time when most of the guys were juiced to the gills. Alex was small by the standards of that time, and the style was different then as well. Far more power oriented and slower paced. I honestly think he would have done better as a cruiser weight in WCW in the early 90's with guys like Brian Pillman and Brad Armstrong. WCW was less crowded then, and his talents would have really set him apart from the rest of the roster. Sadly, he was born a few years too late for that.

[@iblackfeathers]

in the video thumbnail never realised how much alex wright looked like brad maddox from far away. alex was an awesome wrestler.

[@TheDeadlyTikka]

That William Regal answer seemed hard for Eric to get out 😂

[@Drew-dy4hc]

I can't find the full interview on the channel. Is is not uploaded in its entirely?

[@Michael-ml6lu]

He uploads clips first. Full like 7-10 days later.

[@brianthomas3451]

Alex wright as the heel dancer was a good character

[@CalrissianSteele]

Eric isnt that great at wrestling sense but he is interesting in terms of business sense. And i do like that he'll straight admit he doesnt like someone. Instead of the whole pitty patty, say nice things about them.

[@jabrockobiden9434]

So very true about tony schiavone

[@ComicBookGuy420]

I dug Alex as Berlin, and thought he was going to get a proper oppertunity but it never really went anywhere Lance storm as one half of the impact players was legendary

[@JohnnyDouchbag-nr5yf]

Alex Wright was the best dancer in rasslin! Much better than Disco inferno or Honky Tonk man!! He should have hosted Soul Train!!!

[@DrBadLlama]

I feel like Gunther is what Alex Wright could've been.

[@MortGoldbergTalent]

@@DrBadLlama ya, Berlin with a bit more seriousness could have been a WWE main eventer today. I could even see, now without Vince as involved, Alex being brought in for a short term angle or one-off as part of a Gunther faction. He's still in good enough shape for one appearance or the month leading up to a PPV.

[@desisdosis473]

Kaiser is what Alex Wright could have been. Gunther is a completely different kind of worker.

[@erich8258]

Is there a backstory to the Lance Storm hate? Sounded more personal than Bischoff let on

[@justint8635]

Nah, just gave his opinion. People like you use "hate" way too liberally and you forget what it actually means.

[@CCtheRapperman]

Bischoff saying someone else hasnt accomplished anything besides being in the business a period of time is hilarious

[@jasoninflagstaff]

Yeah? Why is that, random guy on youtube? 😉

[@deepblue8143]

​@@jasoninflagstaffexactly.

[@justint8635]

Eric Bischoff accomplished more than you or anyone in your bloodline.

[@mitchellmcdonagh3615]

Bischoff accomplished quite a lot.

[@drcat1313]

Team Challenge series was lol all day. The announcers were literally guessing at the score because nobody knew the score.

[@WallStreetIceCream]

I wanna know the address to Gagnes house see what it looks like today

[@garethcullen9604]

15 Yemen Road, Yemen.

[@WallStreetIceCream]

@@garethcullen9604 stupid

[@MTSpade]

by the name I thought it was gonna be about ppl he fired lol

[@leoborganelli]

Eric is a good dude. You can tell.... that product is the absolute drisling shits cracked me up

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

I know Lake Minnetonka...there is absolutely NO WAY (*cue the Vince Theme*) any property around it would be worth anywhere near 80-100 million now. Not even the property around the Lake Combined.

[@UnsilencedOutspokenTikTok]

Eric still does the dance

[@ShawnBaker-d3h]

Wait a minute. Did Eric leave Conrad finally?

[@deepblue8143]

No.

[@justint8635]

It's a fucking interview dude.

[@ShawnBaker-d3h]

@@justint8635 I can hope. Also slow down there speed racer. Did I insult your favorite little podcaster?

[@justint8635]

@@ShawnBaker-d3h nah, not in the least but you ought to be concerned about your lack of common sense and how sensitive you are to words on the internet.

[@ShawnBaker-d3h]

@@justint8635 I was saying that about you there bub

[@ThatGuyX2]

I liked alex as a kid. Hated disco in their matches

[@JoeR203]

Ludwig Kaiser reminds me of Alex Wright.

[@ADAMdinho1]

Marcel is his illegitimate son

[@Mr.Majestic77]

Is AEW's Daniel Garcia the 2024/25 version on 1990s WCW Alex Wright?

[@justint8635]

No, no he's not.

[@Mr.Majestic77]

@justint8635 they both got a dance gimmick lol.

[@JamesSmith-sw3nk]

I like Eric, he's a good interview but I disagree about Lance Storm and Bully Ray. I find Bully Ray to be very annoying, ignorant and obtuse. Lance may have lacked charisma but he was very solid/good in the ring. Bully Ray needed Dvon to carry him in a tag-team. Bully Ray lacked the in-ring ability for WWE to give him a big singles push. Hulk Hogan said he liked being in a tag team with Edge and wrestling Christian & Lance Storm. They could make him look like a million $ without hurting him.

[@Pushateetee83]

Bischoff really under sold Lance Storm here. Sure Lance had a few limitations. But to say he was unaccomplished is a stretch. You can’t be mediocre and work in the top 3 most recognized wrestling companies of the biggest era. And he wasn’t just employed, he was involved in angles and carried various titles in each promotion. Bischoffs critique sounds emotionally motivated. Just doesn’t like Lance.

[@al5306]

The fall of AEW is being felt by their biggest shills too. Conrad, Dave, SRS all lost popularity and credibility

[@fredcasdensworld]

How does Tony put up with it: The check

[@drcat1313]

Alex Wright was awesome as Berlyn

[@matthewreeves8738]

I loved Alex Wright, but if I had to choose what his weakness was, it would probably be talking. Mostly due to the language barrier

[@gameshack1985]

I'm glad Eric thinks AEW is shit.

[@deepblue8143]

Eric is 100% right. Aew is horrible.

[@gameshack1985]

@@deepblue8143 I stopped watching it a long time ago.

[@maximillionzen]

6:00 Alex doesn't get the praise he deserves...

[@soundtownchicago]

Alex Wright could have been to WCW what Randy Orton s to WWE.. Could you imagine if Das Wunderkind came to WWE during the invasion? I'm pretty sure WWE would have made him into a star. Alex Wright Vs Randy Orton. Alex Wright Vs Edge. Alex Wright Vs RVD. Alex Wright Vs Jeff Hardy. Alex Wright Vs Booker T. Alex Wright vs The Rock.

[@j86485]

Great way for the video to end 🤣

[@mr.c4p]

back in 1958 I tugged wahoo mcdaniels micro rod in a roy rogers parking lot

[@rozzmin]

Rick Rude Loyal? Surely not 😂

[@justint8635]

Damn dude you worked with him? Crazy! You must have some stories!

[@rozzmin]

@justint8635 He left WWE suddenly and ended up on Nitro the same night... and ECW on the same weekend?... going behind your companies back because your livid doesn't sound very loyal...

[@Henderson1011]

@@rozzmin He wasn't loyal to a company, he was loyal to his friends. He left the WWF because he was furious with what they did to Bret Hart. He would stand up fiercely for his friends. That's loyalty.

[@maximillionzen]

10:30 ....Lance never accomplished anything? Other than holding 3 titles at one time in 2000....Maybe Eric heard Lance say something bad about him in a shoot?...Eric I love ya...Lance is an underrated talent...dare I say one of the few good things about Nitro in 2000

[@justint8635]

I liked Lance too but come on dude. "Holding belts".

[@maximillionzen]

@@justint8635 Not just that but putting on clinics...aside from Mike Awesome suddenly becoming Canadian

[@Welcome2whereverUR]

Nobody ever talks about anyone worth a shit anymore. They just bring up the same names over and over expecting the answers to change. How about Van Hammer? I want to hear what the hell he was like. He was one of my all time favorites. Always had a great look and worked incredibly well. Never was given a push. I want to know why? Stop asking about Angle and Hardy and these redundant names everyone knows and talks about. Talk about the obscure great enhancement talent.

[@zeitxgeist]

God I've never yelled THANK YOU at an inanimate object so loudly before. Alex is a GOAT

[@vikesfan63]

James can You ask Eric if he knew Marty O"Neal?.

[@vikesfan63]

in the AWA

[@mairey19]

James, why are you wearing a NJPW shirt? Swear you’ve confessed to not being a consumer of the product?

[@mairey19]

I’m hoping you’re bothering up aka a free shirt

[@Garganit]

really appreciate the Lance Storm comment, I mean talk about an ego

[@honestreviewer7788]

Always thought Alex Wright was good. Coulda been alot more. But it happens. Rick rude is THE badass

[@jikal9032]

Alex Wright was awesome but the Berlyn gimmick sucked lol

[@TheREALOC1972]

He better give Alex Wright a good review, Eric got Alex an ass whoopin because he was being stupid.

[@MortGoldbergTalent]

6:37 who else thought Eric meant coke?

[@greekokie]

Me 😂

[@smarkslowplay3512]

Wahoo was too slow and chill

[@MortGoldbergTalent]

@@smarkslowplay3512 ya but I've heard in a few interviews the guy was on speed.

[@deepblue8143]

No.

[@brianthomas3451]

These 2 have good chemistry. Eric needs to ditch Conrad

[@mickholohan4266]

Bit harsh on lance

[@brianm2850]

I guess Eric listens to Cornette with that drizzling shits comment.

[@brianm2850]

Conrad looks and sounds different here

[@justint8635]

It's a common industry term, dude. Especially amongst old times.

[@midwestmind691]

I like EB's interviews, but grew annoyed of Conrad years ago. Miss listening to Eric.

[@Idiedin1980]

Didn't Eric fire Sid and suspend Arn? 😂

[@Rwrtnbf]

My favorite moment was when he answered the question about how bad the AWA’s attendance got toward the end. Great line, and deadpan delivery.

[@joshhildreth]

I wonder if Tony S. doesn't realize how bad AEW is or if does and he's just being the team player Bischoff says he is. Jim Ross gets it. But Tony stepped away for 20 years, and one of the last things he saw was Russo and WCW 2000 stuff. So he may actually like this compared to the dying days of WCW.

[@chrisk5270]

Sure Eric AWA using green screens and comping houses is comprable to AEW that draws a thousand+ to double digit thousands for PPVs.

[@StuUngar]

Vern shouldve purified himself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.

[@WallStreetIceCream]

James interview russo and ED

[@dragonchaserkev]

I would love to see James interview Bret Hart, Lance Storm, come up to Calgary, winter is just starting here.

[@jamesarnold1819]

plus could not runit vern lost touch

[@Tr1ckypants]

How much does this guy weigh?

[@johnfrankart702]

Lance Storm gets crapped on a lot, but Eric is mostly right about him. IDk, He was successful in ECW and came to WCW with gold. but Lance's problem was that he had ZERO charisma. Lance needed a manager like a Heyman or Cornette etc. HIs wrestling ability was great, dude just was boring at everything else.

[@johnnybeefum]

when Eric said that Wahoo gave his son his first bump I thought he was referring to the white powder

[@noonionsplz]

I get a didisingenuous feeling from eric...not in this interview tho

[@linkvagar2336]

Would have loved to have seen the Berlin gimmick in the WWF during the attitude era

[@nathanwagner9895]

Bischoff loves the bratwurst

[@Q1stcuvwxtyz]

Eric admits he didnt have skills or talents and went on to become the head of wcw and destroyed wrestling

[@scottgeene1770]

Only in liberal democratic States with some stuff like that happened.. to the story of Vernon's property..

[@jamesarnold1819]

lance was boring on the mic

[@Natz519]

Alex wright could never be a major player..good wrestler no personality

[@waynedoyle5584]

tony schiavone is not great nice guy .....read bobby heenan book ....then you see tony,s true self

[@mtrossi4192]

As always Eric is bashing AEW when it's not brought up

[@jimwhitt]

I always thought the Berlyn gimmick could have been huge

[@firstlast-kz5ll]

Why is eric hating on aew so much?

[@MusicmanDavid]

I'm continuously amazed at how Eric always has such harsh words for AEW. It's as if he forgot or doesn't realize how absolutely shitty WCW was under his leadership. I don't care what anyone says, HE DESTROYED IT. He was clueless and reckless. And it was obvious to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention. Bobby Heenan also made this perfectly clear in his book. Eric is trash.

[@kenjiniru1]

Wtf does imminent domain have to do with borrowing against a property and not being able to pay it back ? He sounds dumb af

[@ReeseArt]

He borrowed against property he owned. Then he didn't thanks to imminent domain. He no longer had the property to borrow against.

[@HIVPositiveMD]

He's also wildly exaggerating how eminent domain is exercised. The government doesn't just waltz in and seize your property for a dirt cheap rate. They have to have just cause in using your property for public use (i.e. a dam, irrigation system or school) and pay you roughly the exact amount you purchased the property at.

[@justint8635]

He was clearly talking about two different things.

[@BlitzSportsNetwork]

AWA's Destruction Crew (WWF's Beverly Brothers) even knock down a building via green screen. 😂 Great nostalgia reference!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2jWc52nr5Zsmbcsi=Vfk5mGWaIfMSfFjV&t=354

[@smyersfishingadventures]

I was an NWA then WCW fan, but the second Alex Wright would come on, it was an instant turn of the channel to WWF. The gimmick was awful, and despite the ridiculous push, he never gained traction. Just one more example of Bischoffs poor judgement. The NWO was truly the perfect example of a blind squirrel finding a nut.

[@dionruffin3996]

The women loved Alex in the 90’s and the guys would root from the heel to beat him up lol. Arn Anderson would cheers for hurting him

[@tommyfraz.]

Alex played that role similar to Shawn Michaels. Baby face for the ladies, while the guys hated him. He was a solid worker, and the Berlin character got halted because Buff Bagwell didn’t want to do business with him. Alex Wright the person, is a solid dude.

[@smyersfishingadventures]

@@tommyfraz. The guy couldn't draw. Look at the match against Paul Roma (the one where Roma went in to business for himself). That was in the heart of Wright's undefeated run, Roma was the arrogant/scumbag heel, but the crowd was still cheering for Roma. I am not denying his wrestling ability, Das Wonderkind was a horrible gimmick, I put that on Bischoff (in fairness to Wright, nobody was getting over with that gimmick). It was also still a time when mostly monsters were getting over.

[@smyersfishingadventures]

@@dionruffin3996 The guy couldn't draw flies with shit, that is why he never went anywhere, despite a ridiculous push. People didn't lke him.

[@KrAkHeN87]

It's so weird seeing Eric not come off as a douche... aka he seems nice without the persona he portrayed for decades... although I will say he tried his best to paint everyone with respect in this conversation