Eric Bischoff has questioned the effect that the partnership between All Elite Wrestling and IMPACT Wrestling is having on either company.
A working relationship between AEW and IMPACT was solidified on screen in December 2020 when IMPACT Executive Don Callis helped Kenny Omega to win the AEW Championship. Since then AEW President Tony Khan has appeared on IMPACT on AXS TV in weekly ‘paid advertisements.’ AEW Champion Kenny Omega is due to face IMPACT World Champion Rich Swann in a ‘Title vs. Title’ match at Rebellion in April 2021.
Former WWE Executive Director Eric Bischoff discussed the relationship as part of a wider conversation about wrestling companies working together. Appearing on Everything Is…with Kory and Ant on the Woodward Sports Network, Bischoff was asked if he could see AEW and WWE ever working together.
Bischoff responded:
“No, I don’t see it. Oh, and not for the reason that people think. Look, when I was in WWE the last time – as an executive for four months – that was right when WWE had just signed a deal with FOX three months before I got there. And so, WWE had a show on FOX and a show on USA Network. Well, these are two different companies. They’re not gonna do anything to try to help each other. They’re not, you know. It was a big issue when I was there. FOX wanted their talent to be exclusive to their network. USA wanted their talent to be exclusive to that network.”
“And they didn’t want a lot of talent crossing over, that’s the way networks are. If a network is going to use their platform to build a star, they don’t want to invest – because they’re investing too. They’re paying money every week for that show to be on their network. They own that real estate, so to speak, and as that talent emerges on their real estate, they don’t want that talent going over and helping another network that they’re not related to.”
“That’s like you putting the biggest star, Roman Reigns, on AEW. That would work out better for them than you putting somebody like Kenny Omega in a WWE. That won’t move the number for them … It’s not beneficial.”
Eric Bischoff then elaborated on his thoughts about the relationship between AEW and IMPACT:
“I’m sorry, does anybody give a f**k? I don’t. And guess what? Just because I don’t, doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense, but if you look at the ratings for Impact and you look at the ratings for AEW, I stand by what I said. Nobody gives a f**k. It hasn’t changed anything.”
Recent WWE Hall Of Famer Eric Bischoff recently revealed that he was working without a contract during his brief return to WWE in 2019.