Jim Ross was the guest on the latest episode of former WCW head Eric Bischoff's podcast "Bischoff on Wrestling," which you can listen to below. They sent us these submitted highlights:
During the episode, Bischoff and Ross talk about WWE’s recent "raid" on top independent stars and whether it’s comparable to what Bischoff and Vince McMahon did during the Monday Night Wars era and back when Vince shuttered the territories.
“Now they’re signing a bunch of Cruiserweights to have their own show,” said Ross. “Then you see that they are having their own thing in England. I think it’s very obvious that they are doing all they can to strengthen all their shores. All of their borders. They are doing that and I think it’s a natural thing. Something that you and I would do, the same thing, if you and I were in charge.”
Bischoff replied, “Let me play Devil’s advocate a little bit and look at history. It’s very easy I think in a conversation like this to put things in the right context to be 'politically correct.' I’m not accusing you of trying to do that. I’ve never known you to do that or for it to be your instinct. It’s one thing to say, 'Look at what Vince did by taking these guys like AJ (Styles) and (Shinsuke) Nakamura and all these guys from New Japan.' Well, that’s raiding a territory. Look at the history of what WWE did to Mid-South to the AWA to all of the territories. In my own case I kind of lived it not first hand but shortly there after. Gene Okerlund, Bobby Heenan, Hulk Hogan, Curt Henning… he offered them a better deal and those guys had the ability and the freedom to make that choice. But when I did the very same thing I was accused of STEALING and RAIDING. What’s the difference between Vince McMahon shoring up his borders and grabbing some of that talent and bringing them over under exclusive contracts to WWE and what Vince McMahon did (to the territories) and what he accused me of in WCW? Where’s the fine line?”
Ross answered, “I don’t know that there is one to be honest with you. If there is a fine line--and there may be, arguably--if there is it’s so minuscule that it’s meaningless.”
