10 WCW Ideas Eric Bischoff Can Use To Boost SmackDown

4. The Sting Blueprint

eric bischoff
WWE Network

Not so much the radical character change, per sé, but the slow and methodical narrative of Sting’s transition from all-cheering surfer to WCW’s conscience is one idea that Eric Bischoff could do well to learn from when moving forward in his new role overseeing SmackDown.

While WWE is clearly in need of some quick fixes to their Raw and SmackDown output right now, that’s not to say that elongated, elaborate storylines need to be ignored. The drip-feeding of Sting’s character change is one of the best handled wrestling plots in history; the WCW icon first being absent from TV, then lurking in the shadows and staying mute, then starting his vigilante-style attacks, before finally being the one to topple Hollywood Hogan and the ever-dominant New World Order.

Nuanced, delicate storytelling is a true artform, and when done right it’s the foundation of what has wrestling fans tuning in. Even if an in-ring product isn’t quite hitting the highs of a Meltzer-approved 5-star classic, if audiences are given engaging stories and interesting characters, that will keep people tuning in each week.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.