10 Worst Decisions Eric Bischoff Ever Made
3. Informing Viewers Of Raw's Huge Title Change
How do you get approximately 600,000 people to simultaneously change the channel?
"Fans, as Hollywood Hogan walks away and you look at this 40,000 plus on hand, if you're even thinking about changing the channel to our competition, fans, do not, because we understand that Mick Foley, who wrestled here one time as Cactus Jack, is going to win their world title. Ha! That's gonna put some butts in the seats."
Yep, that should do it.
Monday 4 January 1999 is an important date in wrestling history for several reasons. Not only was this the day that Mick Foley finally won the WWF Championship for the first time, but that Monday is viewed by many as the final nail in the coffin for even the most patient of WCW fans.
That, of course, is because the main event of that night's Nitro was the infamous Fingerpoke of Doom farce between Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan. Added to that, WCW announced that their advertised Nitro main event of Nash vs. Goldberg wouldn't be taking place, as Tony Schiavone stated several times throughout the broadcast how Foley was to win the WWF Title over on Raw.
So, there's no Goldberg? And there's a World Title change on the other show? Where the beloved Mick Foley finally gets his moment in the sun?
It was Eric Bischoff who had instructed Schiavone to not only 'spoil' Foley's big win, but to openly mock it, and that decision backfired in a major way.
To his credit, the second ever episode of his 83 Weeks podcast saw Bischoff admit he F'd up on this one.