CONTROVERSY CREATES CASH REVIEW
By L.M. Owen on 11/21/2006 10:42 AM
Eric Bischoff’s Controversy Creates Cash is a must read for every type of wrestling fan: from casual to hard-core. It’s not what you would expect however, from the man who was in middle of it all. When many fans heard about the book, we expected to hear about all of the interpersonal conflicts at WCW: stories about the wrestlers, writers, managers and about EB himself, who ran the company for many years. Of course, we would expect it to be biased, as any human perspective is, but this book doesn’t really provide that type of inner glimpse from the man who lived and breathed it. However, the book does offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into Turner Broadcasting and the Turner/Time Warner/AOL merger, to which Mr. Bischoff attributes much of WCW’s demise.
For starters, Bischoff gives us an interesting synopsis of his early life. It’s the most personal chapter in the book and tells about his humble beginnings growing up in a modest family during the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Bischoff mentions playing rough and getting hurt, becoming interested in motorcycles vs. drugs, and how he has pretty much worked since he was six or seven years old. Through his candor about his youth, the book gives a lot of insight on how he became the leader he is today.
“Ken Doll†explains and clears up what Bischoff deems “bull†about his involvement in the American Wrestling Association or the AWA. He writes about how he started as a Marketing person and fell into the role of announcer. An interesting note is how he built/made his own office area there, since there was no real space for him. Also mentioned is how the business at that time was not open to outsiders, which he was back then. He goes on and details how the end of the AWA affected his life and how his family suffered financially during his tenure there.
Next, he discusses becoming a third-string announcer within World Championship Wrestling a.k.a. WCW. Bischoff goes through the various leaders before him and what was happening within the company at those times. It is also in this chapter that we get our first glimpse inside the political environment within Turner. Bischoff describes how he took steps to become WCW’s Executive Producer. He billed himself as a non-wrestling guy and explained what he thought the company needed to do to become successful. We find out how the WCW partnership with Disney came to be and how subsequently, he was promoted from Executive Producer to Vice President to President. He positions himself as the person who was trying to make WCW better, not a back-stabber as some have suggested. Interesting take on things…
Chapter 5 is about Hulk Hogan…“brotherâ€ÂÂÂ. It describes how pivotal Ric Flair was in bringing Hogan to the company and what Bischoff felt that Hogan could bring to WCW. Fascinatingly, he seems to hold Flair in high regards, which is contrary to popular belief. He writes about his visit to Japan to watch wrestling there and how he tried to find ideas that he could bring back home to shape WCW. He describes how the Japanese blurred the line between reality and make-believe and how he envisioned that as a key to success for WCW. He also mentions WCW’s trip to North Korea and how that affected him to see the dictatorship. It is a remarkable point in the book, as this is also the time that “Nitro†the television show was conceived.
Bischoff then goes to the hay-day of the nWo storyline and more of the inner politics at Turner/Time Warner. He also writes about becoming the “heel†or bad guy character that he is known for today. This is also where the television show “Thunder†came to be. After that, he records how he was figuratively strangled in terms of what he could and could not do and how WCW “unraveledâ€ÂÂÂ. He reveals that he became indignant and detached from the company. Mr. Bischoff hashes through the many “storms†WCW had brewing at the time and how they each aided in the demise of the company. He gives his side of how he was taken out of power and his reaction to it. Bischoff summarizes what happened after he was removed and how he eventually came back to head creative, partnering with Vince Russo. In a sad note, he also writes about his father’s death and how Russo essentially took advantage of it at the pay-per-view no one will ever forget: Bash at the Beach.
“The Art of the Non-Deal†reveals how Mr. Bischoff almost bought WCW and how the deal fell through his hands. In his opinion, the Turner/Time Warner/AOL mergers killed WCW. We are then treated to how he came to the WWE. He notes that he is comfortable with the way things have turned out and that his run as General Manager of Raw has ended. He also lends his experience to what he would do if he ran WWE.
Throughout the book, Bischoff hails himself as an innovator, someone who thought outside the box. His insights are humorous, witty, and the book is quite easy to peruse. While he felt his story was “quite frankly, not that interestingâ€ÂÂÂ, it makes for a pretty fascinating story. He does an exceptional job explaining why he believes controversy does create cash and how he proved that to be true. All wrestling fans and those who are interested in joining the wrestling business will benefit from reading this book. From a female perspective, there was not enough about Eric Bischoff himself, the man behind the character. For example, there are no EB’s favorite things, although he does talk about his hair…perhaps he will be more intimate in a sequel? His fans can only hope.
In the epilogue, Bischoff states he no longer has the passion he once did regarding the business and that he wouldn’t want to do it again. He is content with his role in wrestling history and his legacy to the business. Mr. Bischoff mentions that he does not believe there will ever be another company to challenge WWE the way that the WCW did. This is where Mr. Bischoff and the author of this review differ greatly. As I sit here, listening to my WWE anthology and Bischoff’s theme plays---inspiration, if you may---I feel it will take someone with a hell of a lot of passion and fight in them, but anything is possible. If the situation and timing were right, there would be another great battle, but that is a whole other report/argument to be made. However, after reading the book there are two things that Mr. Bischoff and the rest of us can agree on: “never say never†and you guessed it…â€ÂÂÂControversy Creates Cash.â€ÂÂÂ
Copyright, L. M. Owen, 2006.
