Eric Bischoff Slams AEW’s Creative Vision and Claims There’s No Hope for Them

Eric Bischoff, the legendary former WCW executive, didn’t hold back during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, unleashing a scathing critique of AEW’s creative direction and future. Known for his striaght-forward opinions, Bischoff made it clear he’s given up on the company, pulling no punches as he addressed their storytelling—or lack thereof.

“They’re horrible. I’ve given up,” Bischoff declared. “I used to get frustrated because I hate seeing people screw up good opportunities. I know what that feels like, and I don’t want that to happen again. But now, it’s just like, yeah, whatever. It is what it is. There’s no hope for them.”

Bischoff argued that AEW’s problems stem from an inability—or unwillingness—to learn what makes a compelling wrestling product. “There’s no light bulb gonna go off on anybody’s head and realize, ‘Oh, this is actually getting people to watch.’ They have no idea what they’re doing and they’re too stubborn to learn,” he added.

When it comes to storytelling, Bischoff didn’t mince words, claiming AEW fundamentally misunderstands what fans want. “Not there, because there’s nobody that knows how to tell a story. There is nobody there who knows what a story actually is,” he stated. He broke it down in simple terms: “Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back—that’s a story. But they can’t even manage that.”

Bischoff even took a swipe at wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, accusing him of enabling bad storytelling. “Dave Meltzer says the problem with AEW is there are so many stories that people can’t keep up with them. I kid you not, he said that,” Bischoff said, calling such claims “laughable.”

The former WCW boss didn’t stop there, taking aim at AEW’s fanbase and Tony Khan’s approach. “Tony’s vision for the company, I guess, is to provide content for that percentage of the audience that only cares about high-risk, high-altitude, fast-paced action and not about story or characters. If that’s what you like, then more power to you. But it’s not viable for the masses.”

Bischoff wrapped up his critique by questioning Khan’s decision to refer to AEW fans as “sickos.” “Why would you want to call your fans sickos? The majority of them prefer not to be called that. Just a hint,” he said.

With Bischoff’s brutally honest take, AEW fans and critics alike are left debating whether the company’s creative philosophy can—or should—change.