Eric Bischoff On His Issues With AEW’s Storylines, Responds to Tony Khan Saying WCW Had Matches Without Story

Eric Bischoff has clarified his issues with how AEW’s storylines are lacking and responded to Tony Khan pointing out that WCW had matches without stories behind them. As previously noted, Khan responded to previous criticism by Bischoff of AEW having no real stories for their big matches and said that many WCW matches under Bischoff didn’t have stories, saying, “probably less than half the matches on Nitro had a story and that was fine. It was the industry standard show.”

On the latest episode of 83 Weeks, Bischoff responded to Khan’s comments and talked about how some matches on WCW didn’t have stories but clarified he was talking about the top matches on the card, where he said that there were “excuses for a match” but not a real storyline. You can see highlights below:

Eric Bischoff on Tony Khan pointing out that Bischoff booked matches without stories behind them in WCW: “I’m aware of it and look — hey, I’ve criticized myself plenty on this show for things that I wish I would have done differently, or things that I’ve learned subsequent to my time in WCW that I wished I had the knowledge or the instinct or Insight that I have now, 25 years ago. It would have been a better show. But there were certainly random matches that didn’t have any story in WCW, I’m not denying that.

“But I’m also going to point out I, don’t think I ever said in any of my commentary about AEW that I believed that every match should have a story. When you’re introducing new talent, or when you’ve got talent that you haven’t really matched up storyline-wise with an opponent yet, but you want to expose that talent. You want the audience to become familiar with that talent, you want to establish that talent. Sure, put them in there in a match, or put people in matches that don’t really have story. But use that time in non-storyline matches to give us some real back story and information about said talent. Make us care. It doesn’t always have to be in the form of a storyline, a traditional structured act one-act two-act three kind of story. So I’ve ever given the impression that I thought every match on Nitro had a storyline, forgive me now. Never meant to.”

On his criticism of AEW’s story-less matches: “My issue and my comments about AEW and the creative behind it is really about your top matches that don’t have sufficient story or structure, or at least a compelling one. There’s always an excuse for a match. there’s always an angle you know. Your traditional from the back in the beginning of time inciting moment that creates a match or creates a storyline. But your top matches your A, B, C, and D storylines? That’s different. And I’ve seen a lot of matches, a lot of storylines — well what AEW considers a storyline — that I feel are just nothing more than excuses for a match. They’re not well-crafted stories.

“That’s my criticism. It’s not a shot, not making fun of anybody, I’m not trying to belittle anybody. I’m pointing out that I believe in today’s competitive environment, with television being what it is that if you want to — pay attention Tony — build and grow your audience, you’re going to have to do it with well-crafted compelling well-structured storylines. And I don’t see it. I see excuses for matches and that’s not a storyline. So that’s my critique, constructive is I hope it is interpreted, but clearly won’t be.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit 83 Weeks with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.