Eric Bischoff Says It Was Harder For DDP To Become A Wrestler Because of Their Friendship

In an interview with Busted Open Radio (via Wrestling Inc), Eric Bischoff spoke about Diamond Dallas Page becoming a wrestler in WCW and why it was more difficult for him than others. DDP was friends with Bischoff and started at a later age, making his in-ring debut at 35.

Bischoff said: “Once Page started really doing the work and putting in the time and improving so much, people couldn’t deny it. It wasn’t about whether he was my neighbor or my close friend or not, it was about what people were seeing in the ring. He will tell you; I was really hard on him. It was harder for him to get an opportunity in WCW because he was friends with me than he would have been if he didn’t have a relationship with me and he wasn’t my neighbor. I don’t think Page ever — I don’t think he was mentored by anybody outside of professional wrestling that helped give him his perspective or desire to help people. That was Page, that was part of his DNA, he was like that even in WCW to the point where he would drive me crazy.“