WWE Hall-of-Famer Eric Bischoff has again taken a shot at AEW, this time bashing them for disappointing television ratings for the heavily advertised debut of former WWE star Mercedes Mone, AKA Sasha Banks.
If you haven’t been following up until this point, former WCW president Eric Bischoff and AEW CEO Tony Khan don’t have a great relationship. Despite a previous appearance for the No. 2 company in the pro wrestling business, Bischoff has been honest in his assessments of AEW in recent years and it has rubbed their top decision-maker the wrong way.
Well, earlier this week the man who helped create the legendary New World Order faction spoke his mind on the TV ratings for the March 13 of AEW Dynamite and they weren’t positive. The special “Big Business” episode was heavily advertised and the fact that Mercedes Mone was expected to make her promotional debut was the worst-kept secret in the industry.
However, the episode that also featured the third appearance of NJPW icon Kazuchika Okada pulled in just over 801,000 average viewers. It was a disappointing number considering the hype around the event and the amount of money the promotion reportedly has invested in their recent free-agent signings.
During a new edition of his recent episode of “Strictly Business” podcast Eric Bischoff gave his thoughts on the ratings results, and also blasted veteran pro wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer for his consistent defense of AEW’s television numbers, which are lower than they were at this time in 2023 and 2022.
Erich Bischoff slams the lack of ‘impact’ WWE veterans have had on AEW ratings
“Same thing here with Mercedes. I mean, 800,000 viewers on the show where you’re bringing in arguably one of the more recognizable female stars in the wrestling industry? Who spent — I don’t know how, many years? A decade at a high profile position within the largest wrestling company in the world. And you bring her into AEW, and you get 800,000 viewers? And I know — you know, Dave Meltzer immediately went ‘Well, they didn’t advertis her, that’s why.’ Bulls**t, who are you kidding? If there was anybody who was a wrestling fan, or a fan of AEW who didn’t know that Mercedes was going to make her debut in Boston? Then I don’t know what to tell you.
“If people like Dave want to believe that, there’s nothing that I’m going to say that’s going to change anything for them because they’re stuck in a rut, in a small way of thinking, and nothing is ever going to change for them. But the numbers don’t lie. 800,000 viewers for Mercedes Mone? I don’t know. And I know everybody’s all, ‘Well, wait till next week, now that everybody knows!’ I have news for you, folks. If that number moves three to 5% either way, plus or minus, I’ll be surprised.
“I’ve said I said it six months ago, when the rumors started floating around about Mercedes going to AEW. And the question was, ‘Oh, do you think you’ll have any impact?’ And my answer was, ‘No, it won’t’. Just like no one else that’s come from WWE has made an impact on the ratings. It’s not the talent.”
-Eric Bischoff (h/t Ringside News)
The March 20 edition of AEW Dynamite also did not deliver notable numbers as it had just 800,000 average viewers for the second appearance of Mone on the flagship show.
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