10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (August 23)

5. Eric Bischoff Almost Quit WCW 24 Hours Before Leaving

Eric Bischoff WCW
WWE Network

By late-1999, Eric Bischoff was totally exhausted and mentally crying out for a much-needed break. He'd get his wish on 10 September when Harvey Schiller called 'Easy E' into his office and hastily relieved him of his duties as Executive Vice President of WCW. That was that. Eric was free to spend time with family, go hunting and enjoy a holiday.

The surprising thing is that Schiller had turned down Bischoff's request less than 24 hours earlier.

Via his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric told co-host Conrad Thompson that he'd phoned Harvey and said he wanted to quit the company. Schiller, who was likely buying himself time to find a replacement, talked Bischoff off the ledge and said it wasn't the right move for anyone concerned. By the end of the call, Eric agreed.

Then, the next day, he was canned and sent home by the same man. Bill Busch was put in charge of WCW's financial affairs and a crack team would handle Bischoff's other duties in the interim. Looking back, although he was stunned by Schiller's sudden change of heart, Eric says he wouldn't have changed a thing.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.