For a number of weeks Eric Bischoff and Ric Flair have been trading insults across podcasts and social media. The pair had a long-running feud stemming from their time working together in WCW, but it was believed that these issues were long-since settled.
However, the most recent spat between Bischoff and Flair began with the 16-time World Champion branding Bischoff an “arrogant pr*ck” on a recent episode of his podcast. This led to an increasingly public war of war of words.
Eric Bischoff Happy To Apologise To Ric Flair
Despite neither man previously looking as though they would take a backward step, Eric Bischoff has now attempted to calm the situation. Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff said that out of respect for Flair, he doesn’t want to continue arguing on social media.
“If he wants to face-to-face just kind of talk this thing through and figure out where it’s all coming from and why and look, if I owe Ric an apology for something I said, I’m happy to do that. I just don’t want to participate in the whole social media thing. I just don’t think it’s healthy and again, because of the respect I have for Ric, I don’t want to do it, so I’m not doing it.”
Bischoff’s co-host Conrad Thompson explained that he believes the issues between the pair were reignited by comments made by the former WCW boss on the upcoming documentary, “Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair.” In the film Bischoff said that he had to make an example out of Flair and his attorney back in 1998.
At the time the Nature Boy requested time off to go and see his son compete in a wrestling competition. Although Flair wasn’t in a major storyline at the time, Bischoff turned down his request, but Flair missed the show anyway. Flair wouldn’t return to television until September.
Bischoff said that he could see why Flair may not have liked his comments, before explaining his actions.
I had 100 other talents under contract that were watching this and I couldn’t create a precedent where talent could just decide when and where they decide they want to work. That’s over-generalizing that,” Bischoff clarified, before noting his finality on the whole situation. “Ric wants to break it down face-to-face, wants to fight it out, wants to hug it out, I don’t care. I’m good either way, but not doing it over social media and on podcasts.”
“Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair” premieres December 26th on Peacock.
H/t to Wrestling Inc