Eric Bischoff: Encyclopedia II - Eric Bischoff - Bischoff joins forces with McMahon

Eric Bischoff - Bischoff joins forces with McMahon

In 2002, despite years of bad blood, Bischoff was hired by WWE to be the on-air general manager of RAW, a role he played until late 2005. Bischoff resurected his characteristic brand of smarminess with his GM position. Many in the company were shocked that Bischoff was brought in, and some - who did business with him in the past - were unhappy. Ric Flair would eventually pick a fight with Bischoff backstage, but it was quickly broken up.

On the night that Bischoff was introduced as the general manager of RAW, he met his longtime business rival McMahon for the first time in over ten years. It was in the backstage area just 15 minutes before the two hugged on-screen. The two briefly met during a job interview where Bischoff tried out for a WWF announcing spot back in 1991.

McMahon on hiring Bischoff: "No I don't remember his audition (in 1991), and I don't know why I wouldn't. He has a great look, he has a great on-camera presence. You know, why not use that? Why, just because he tried to put me out of business, as did Hulk Hogan. I can put as much blame on Hogan as I can on Bischoff. Bischoff was the decision-maker, but I know Hogan and others influenced him tremendously. I'm willing to put my personal ego to the side for the sake of the company. That's been proven time and time again with all the guys that have come back. Bischoff is an excellent performer. And he was innovative, and he was unquestionably ruthless. Those are qualities that anyone can endear themselves to me."

Despite numerous changes to the general manager position on competing brand Smackdown!, Bischoff would remain the Raw general manager until 2005 (with numerous temporary absences and two occasions where he had to share GM duties), when he vowed that, at the 2005 Survivor Series, his team of Raw superstars would beat general manager Theodore Long's stars on Smackdown!, that he would personally triumph over his Smackdown! counterpart, and that WWE Champion John Cena would lose his belt to Kurt Angle - none of which happened. The next night, on November 28, 2005, Vince McMahon told Bischoff to set and achieve a goal for that night, or he would be fired and replaced by Shane McMahon. He set the goal of making WWE Champion John Cena, whom he has butted heads with since the 2005 Draft Lottery, lose his title in a Submission Match with submission experts Kurt Angle and Chris Masters (both Angle and Masters used submission holds as their finishing manuevers, while Cena's "F-U" was not a submission move). When Cena won with an STF on Masters, Vince was seen telling Shane backstage, "I think next week, it's time to take out the trash." While all it appears Vince was referring to Bischoff, a connection was never absolutely established between Bischoff and the "trash" McMahon mentioned.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bischoff joins forces with McMahon", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki