Eric Bischoff Recalls Hulk Hogan Whipping David Flair at Souled Out ’99, Ric Claiming Hogan Went Too Far

– Eric Bischoff discussed the infamous angle from WCW Souled Out where Hulk Hogan whipped Ric Flair’s son David repeatedly in the ring. The angle took place after David and Ric teamed up to face Curt Hennig and Barry Windham. The Flairs won the match but the nWo came out and attacked Arn Anderson and Flair, then handcuffed Ric to the ring ropes. The nWo then grabbed David and held him down while Hogan whipped him repeatedly with his weight belt, then spray painted “EZE” on David’s back.

David and Ric have both gone on record in the past as saying Hogan was originally supposed to hit him just a few times with the belt and not the 15 – 20 times that actually happened. Ric went so far as to say in one interview that he would never forgive Hogan for it. Bischoff discussed his recollection of the angle and his thoughts on Hogan potentially taking liberties with Flair; you can check out highlights and the full podcast below:

On his reaction to rewatching the angle: “There was a guy I met many years ago, by the name of Jeff Pollack. He was a director, producer, really really successful. Super successful guy. And I remember I was in a meeting with him — I don’t remember what we were pitching or what we were discussing. But he said something to me, and he’s since passed away, but he was was a super-successful director and producer in Hollywood … he said, ‘Eric, the way I approach every project I touch whether it’s film or television, is when it comes to story the end always hangs on the beginning. That’s the first thing I think about. So when I think about a project, I think about the end of the project. What’s the last scene, what’s the outcome, and then I work backward from there. Because the end hangs on the beginning.’

“And as you asked me this question, I looked at this match. And I understand the controversy that surrounded it. But when you asked me the question, the first thing I think about is, ‘Okay well, if the end hangs on the beginning, then it was a f**king awesome piece of business.’ Because the end of this is so emotional and believable and real. And we both know — and so does the audience. Anybody who’s been listening to this show for more than a couple episodes. We’ve covered how Ric Flair can be. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, on his collar, on his forehead. He wears a hat that he can attach his emotions too. There’s no doubt when you’re around Ric Flair how he’s feeling or where he’s at emotionally, because he wears it. And obviously in this case, he was very emotional and justifiably so. I don’t know that I could have taken it.”

On Hogan whipping David repeatedly: “Now, when it went down — again, I wasn’t an agent. I didn’t sit down and lay out matches with guys. Especially somebody like Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. That was their job. And they had agents and things like that, but really when it came to Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, they produced themselves for the most part. And I wasn’t necessarily a part of it. But when I was watching it, my assumption was — and just knowing Hulk the way I know Hulk, that’s something that he would have discussed with Ric. Hulk was never the type of person — isn’t the type of person — that would take liberties like that. Especially with somebody like David. At least, that was my impression at that point.

“I still don’t know. I’ve never sat down and talked to Hulk about it. I’ve never really followed up and talked to Ric about it. I don’t really know what the communication was between Hulk and Ric. Had Hulk Hogan taken those liberties as Ric suggested that he did, and I have no reason not to believe Ric, then I think it was inappropriate. As much as Hulk’s a friend of mine and I love him to death. We all do things in the heat of the moment or at the peak of a situation where we sometimes don’t use our best judgment. But I just can’t imagine that Hulk would have just done that without having some kind of communication with Ric and/or David. It’s hard to believe. But if he did, I think he took it too far. But the end of it — David’s got a hell of a story and we’ve got a great finish.”

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