10 Worst Decisions Eric Bischoff Ever Made

2. Turning Down Mike Tyson AFTER His First WWE Appearance?

Steve Austin, Mike Tyson
WWE.com

Speaking on WrestleZone's Lapsed Fan show, Dave Meltzer claims that Eric Bischoff and WCW had the chance to sign Mike Tyson ahead of WrestleMania XIV.

That 1998 edition of the Showcase of the Immortals famously had Tyson walk in alongside Shawn Michaels and DX, but Iron Mike ultimately ending up laying out Michaels as Stone Cold emerged victorious and launched the Austin Era.

If Meltzer is to believed, Tyson's representatives approached Bischoff after Mike's initial Raw confrontation with Austin. Reportedly, the Baddest Man on the Planet hadn't actually signed a deal with the then-WWF at that point - and Tyson's reps asked WCW to match the $3.5 million guarantee that was on the table from Vince McMahon.

Deciding against this, Bischoff - again, if Meltzer is correct - turned down the chance to sign away the man who was a pivotal cog in turning the Monday Night War in the favour of WWF.

Similarly, these claims have been backed up by Bret Hart, who has also stated how WCW decided to pass on Tyson weeks prior to WrestleMania XIV.

For his part, Bischoff outright denies that signing Mike Tyson was ever offered to him during this period.

Eazy E has been so open with past failings and poor decisions, yet Dave Meltzer has a proven track record of largely being correct in his reporting - so it's up to you who you believe on this one.

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 and Presenter, 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 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 and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.