On September 14 and October 1, 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 eight of the exclusive five-hour "Torch Talk" with former WCW President Eric Bischoff from October 1 - before Bischoff joined TNA and was just starting negotiations with TNA at the time. Part 8 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 8. Tune in tomorrow for the next series of Q&A's from the Eric Bischoff Torch Talk.

Wade Keller: You mentioned Vince Russo earlier. You said he conned his way into WCW. I made a note here to have you elaborate on that. What does that mean he conned himself into WCW?

Eric Bischoff: Well, I'm not the first one to say this, but I think when he got into WCW—and I say this first–hand because I talked to Brad Siegel, who was one of the ones who made the decision to bring him in—was that he convinced everybody who was desperately in need of being convinced at the time that he was the one who was the architect who was responsible for the Attitude Era. That was his calling card. That was his interview. That is how he got himself hired. And I think that's fraudulent. I think that's bullshit. You probably talked to more people who were involved in it at the time than I did, but certainly when I was there at WWE, naturally, they wanted to know what I was thinking back when I doing the things that I was doing, conversely I had some of the same conversations. And I was curious. I didn't know for sure. Maybe he was. I didn't know. When I suggested that might have been the case or asked if that was indeed the case, the looks along made it pretty clear that wasn't the case. I'm not saying that he didn't contribute, because I think he did have his fingerprints on some of it. Maybe more than I gave him credit for.

But again what I will tell you, people forget this, I've talked about this in the past, Vince Russo was trying to get a job working for me when Nitro was rockin' and rollin' and the NWO was rockin' and rolling' and they were still doing Doink the Clown. I talked to him on the phone when he was still a writer with the magazine. I didn't hear anything that impressed me. Kevin Nash was the one who told me, "This guy is great." He was Kevin's friend. He said he was great. I said, "Great, I'll talk to him." I talked to him, asked him a few questions, tried to feel him out, and I didn't hear anything that moved the needle for me. So it was thank you, but no thank you. And then fast–forward six months later, a year later, however it was he got Vince's ear, probably because they were in such a state of disarray, they were getting their asses kicked, ratings were falling through the floor. Knowing Vince McMahon, he'd listen to anybody in that situation. I don't think Vince was really watching Nitro. I don't think if Vince watched Nitro he could probably really understand why it was having the success it was having at the time. I think any impact or creative that Russo brought to Vince was simply by watching what we were doing and really repackaging it and saying, "Hey, look at this great idea I have!" I think a lot of the talent that was involved probably had a lot more to do with the success of the Attitude Era than any of the architecture created by Vince Russo. I worked with him. I looked under the hood. I got a look at what he had.

MORE TO COME TOMORROW IN THE LATEST INSTALLMENT OF THE BISCHOFF TORCH TALK SERIES...

CLICK HERE FOR THE MOST RECENT BISCHOFF Q&A SNIPPET FROM PART 8

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