10 WCW Ideas Eric Bischoff Can Use To Boost SmackDown

2. Go With What Works

eric bischoff
WWE.com

One of the most sensible ideas that Bischoff and WCW had was to simply listen to what fans responded to and go with what works. Listening to your fan base? What a crazy concept!

Need an example of how WCW were best served by listening to their fans? Bill Goldberg. Now, Da Man’s impressive physique and raw power was always going to have WCW hoping that he could become a star, but do you really think that WCW always planned to send the former NFL star on a (admittedly exaggerated) 173-0 tear?

WCW saw the increasing interest in Goldberg and so began to feature the rookie in more prominent matches as he worked his way up the card. In doing so, the powers-that-be created a talent who was undoubtedly one of WCW’s top three stars ever.

On the flip side, Bischoff can look back at times WCW did not listen to their audience. Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Benoit serve as three prime examples when, despite the hot crowd responses to these talents, WCW refused to give them the main event spotlight. All three would go on to become World Champions in WWE.

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.