Earlier this summer, Eric Bischoff accepted the Executive Director position for the SmackDown brand. This position is Eric's first wrestling based position since ending his time with TNA wrestling in 2013.
During the latest episode of the 83 Weeks podcast, the former WCW President was asked why Kevin Sullivan hasn't reappeared in a backstage role in pro wrestling now that the business is once again thriving. This question allowed Eric to expand on the importance of making yourself acquainted with the modern-day product if you want to journey back into the industry.
"I know that feeling. You know, when you're not thinking about the business of the wrestling business, especially on the creative side for, you know, five, ten, fifteen, twenty years. You know, it's a little bit like ring rust. It doesn't come back overnight. It's not like you can flip a switch and be right back to where you were five, ten, fifteen, twenty years ago. In terms of your feel for what works and what doesn't work. Combine that with the fact that what works what worked twenty years ago or fifteen years ago or even five years ago won't necessarily work today."
Eric, who recently moved to Stamford Connecticut to better tackle the Executive Director position, would continue to break down why his first piece of advice to anybody getting back in the industry would be to watch the current product, "I can tell you from personal experience, just even most recently with WWE, the first thing that I would do would be to immerse myself in the product that exists today. Look at what works today, because a natural tendency for anybody is an I don't care how on top of your game you are and how active you may be in this business today," he said. "Your natural instinct is to go back to what worked recently or five years ago or four years ago as a starting point. Doesn't mean you're going to do it, but as a starting point you're going to reflect back to [it]."
Eric would equate the instinct for a creative mind in wrestling to go back to what worked when they were on top of their game to the movie industry and how a lot of successful properties have been rebooted in recent years.
"And I think the same thing happens with movie producers and television producers. That's why we see so many, you know, the new 'whatever,' you know, in the feature film business. They're rebranding or reintroducing old brands. You know, people go back to a formula that works," continued the former WWE Raw General Manager. "I think in wrestling for a guy like Kevin Sullivan, or anybody else that's been out of it for a long time, I think you have to really understand what's working today and why it's working today and then start applying once you've kind of, you know, re-engage that, you know, creative muscle again in. And because of that, that muscle in your brain, that creative muscle, much like the muscles in your body, there's a muscle memory there. There's a creative muscle memory, I think that exists. But before you start trying to use it, you've got to condition it. And I think you have to condition it into a way that allows you to really understand what's currently working and then start applying. I think some of the formulas that have worked for you in the past."
Eric Bischoff is getting ready to lead the SmackDown brand over to the Fox network on October 4, you can listen to the full 83 Weeks podcast with this discussion via the embedded player below:
As for Kevin Sullivan, the catalyst for this conversation, he was last seen on the MLW Fusion product last year:
If you use any portion of the transcription please credit Fightful.
