5 Uncredited Architects Of WWE's Attitude Era
1. Eric Bischoff
Bischoff's legacy in wrestling has been compromised in the eyes of some by his uneventful period at the helm of TNA, during which he was accused of crowbarring 20th century ideas into a 21st century product. Of course, TNA has gone from strength to strength since his departure...
But this does a mighty disservice to his enormous contribution to the grapple game. Bischoff was pro wrestling's consummate magpie. He had an incredible knack for spotting what worked elsewhere and seamlessly integrating into his WCW product which, between 1996 and 1998, wasn't just among the greatest in wrestling's history - it was the monster which Vince McMahon had to slay in order to rule the wrestling waves once more.
Without Bischoff's role as Vince's strongest ever enemy, the landscape of wrestling in America would look decidedly different today.
You could argue that his imprint on the Attitude Era was ancillary - but it was of monumental importance, all the same. He didn't merely reimagine Vince's creations to short-term success. The pioneering backstage NWO segments he produced, in which the area behind the curtains became as important to the action between the ropes, helped shape the onscreen language WWE adopted in 1997 and beyond.
Moreover, it was his commitment to wrestling, not just sports entertainment, which unwittingly gave the WWF the final upper hand in their march towards Monday Night Wars victory. By raiding WCW for the Radicalz in early 2000, who rose to prominence under the pencil of the Bisch, the WWF's cards became sufficiently well-rounded enough to become the one-stop shop for the majority of wrestling fans in the U.S.
Bischoff, incidentally, is creeping back into the business - he can be seen stepping foot in a WCPW ring during our August show in Newcastle, relieving Adam Pacitti of his general managerial duties for the night. Bischoff evidently doesn't love it...