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Interviews
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: Hogan-Goldberg on free TV - "I thought that was the kind of thing that could put Nitro back on the map" Nov 6, 2009 - 12:00:43 PM
On Monday, September 14, PWTorch editor Wade Keller interviewed former WCW President Eric Bischoff an exclusive multi-hour "Torch Talk" interview covering a variety of controversial subjects from the Monday Night War period, his days on WWE TV, his 2006 autobiography, and the "Rise & Fall of WCW" DVD.
The following is the latest installment of part four of the exclusive five-hour "Torch Talk" with former WCW President Eric Bischoff. This fourth part of the series picks up in the midst of a discussion about Bischoff's oft-criticized decision to put the first-ever Hulk Hogan vs. Goldberg match on free Nitro with just four day's notice. Part 4(a) of our daily Q&As will be published here at PWTorch.com, which is unprecedented with our VIP-exclusive "Torch Talk" series.
To both READ and LISTEN to the entire interview, you'll want to become a VIP member, which also includes instant access to our newsmaking multi-hour in-depth hard-hitting "Torch Talks" with other top WCW players such as Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, X-Pac, Vince Russo, Ed Ferrara, Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and others (ALL AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK FOR VIP MEMBERS). To subscribe right now and be the first to read the entire Bischoff "Torch Talk" and have VIP-only access to the audio, click here. The first audio segment and transcript installment is now available for VIP members.
We present today's latest question and answer from Part 4(a). Tune in tomorrow for the next series of Q&A's from part 4.
Wade Keller: So what was motivating you on a week-to-week basis to do anything? On the Hogan-Goldberg situation, if your motivation wasn't, "I think we can draw a huge rating and I think we can change the course of the Monday Night War," which at that point was off the rails for Nitro, it was starting to. The streak was over and you guys were trying to get back ahead of Raw and that gratification of getting ahead again was a big motivator at the time. If you didn't think that would lead to a consistent increase in ratings going forward, to me that's the one thing that justifies doing it, so I'm confused. So why not then put it on PPV and at least have the profits?
Eric Bischoff: You're mixing up past and present. Present we have the luxury of 20/20 hindsight where I can say it wouldn't have mattered. At that time, it's exactly what I've been saying to you for the last 20 minutes, yes, I thought that was the kind of thing that could put Nitro back on the map and was consistent with the formula that was consistent with the formula we used to build Nitro from the beginning. It would become that water cooler conversation that would allow us to get back into the game. That's exactly what I've been saying.
Keller: Okay, clarification noted. I didn't differentiate between saying, "Given what I know now, nothing would have made a difference." I was thinking maybe you thought that at the time.
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AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?
