Eric Bischoff Talks About Why WCW Teased Hulk Hogan for Spring Stampede 1994 and Didn’t Deliver

On the latest episode of the 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff podcast, Bischoff talked about why WCW hyped up their Hulk Hogan signing in the lead-up to the 1994 Spring Stampede, teased he would be on the show, but then didn’t have him appear on the show, which led many to accuse them of false advertising.

“There were a lot of conversations during the course of the week. Ric Flair and Hulk were talking together quite a bit, I was talking to Hulk a lot. There was a lot going on as we were getting ready to close that deal [with Hogan]. I don’t think, well it’s not that I don’t think, I know that there was no deliberate intention to mislead anybody. We were under the impression, at least for the better part of a week, that Hulk was going to be there, and I think he intended to be there. But as so often happens when dealing with talent, what they say and what they’re actually able to do sometimes come info conflict. I don’t know what the situation was with Hulk, I don’t know why he ended up not coming, but originally, we thought he was going to make it in.”

Bischoff also talked about how Gene Okerlund teased Hogan being at the show during the actual show on his hotline even though he knew Hogan wasn’t going to be there, because he was incentivized to make as much as possible with his 900 hotline.

“There’s no denying that that was a horrible decision. I would have to take responsibility for that. Even though I wasn’t the one promoting it. I certainly didn’t instruct Gene to do so. But again, as we’ve covered in past podcasts, Gene was incentivized to generate as much revenue as he possibly could, with the 900 line, and I think Gene took it upon himself, quite honestly, to stretch the truth that may have existed on Wednesday or Thursday when we thought he was coming in, when we thought Hulk was coming in. I think Gene decided, ‘Ya know what, I’m just going to pretend I don’t know he’s not here, and promote the fact that he was going to be there.’ It’s regrettable.”

If using our quotes, please credit the 83 Weeks Podcast with an h/t to 411mania.com.