'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AEW President Tony Khan recently made headlines with his controversial tweets regarding the booking of Jinder Mahal. Several within the wrestling industry jumped into the fray, but perhaps the most volatile interactions were between Khan and WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff.
Despite having appeared on AEW television twice in the past, Eric Bischoff has revealed that he lost respect for the All Elite honcho after the latter mentioned Ted Turner in October 2021.
Speaking on the latest edition of Keepin' It 100, Bischoff recalled his reaction after Khan's controversial comments on Turner. He also revealed that the AEW President contacted Bischoff's podcast partner, Conrad Thompson:
"I came out of my podcast, and I just blistered him," said Bischoff. "So much so that I guess Tony called up Conrad [Thompson]. No, he didn't call him, he was texting him. Conrad, I said, 'Man, he's spending way too much time reading Tony Khan texts.'" (1:45 - 1:59)
The former WCW Senior Vice President further challenged Khan to either compete with WWE or "shut the f*** up."
"But he was, Tony was p***ed off at me because I read him the Riot Act, said 'Just shut the f*** up and wrestle, dude. Quit trying to compare yourself to WWE. Quit trying to say you're better than them. Quit, just stop – wrestle! Or compete with them. Do one or do the other, but you don't get to do both.'" (2:00 - 2:17)
What did Tony Khan say about Ted Turner that made Eric Bischoff lose respect for him?
Eric Bischoff famously bristled at Tony Khan's 2020 interview with Financial Times, in which the All Elite President stated that WCW had been "badly mismanaged." However, it wasn't until a year later that the feud between the two truly began.
In October 2021, Khan sent out a tweet stating that if Ted Turner knew even 1% of what he knew about wrestling, WCW would still be on WBD's networks. This was the comment that Bischoff referenced on Keepin' It 100.
On a recent episode of 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff claimed that Tony's mention of Turner was ultimately what made him lose all respect for the promoter:
"That comment was so disrespectful, f***ing stupid, because Tony didn’t have any idea what happened to WCW inside Turner. The only thing Tony Khan knows about WCW is what he read in dirt sheets. For that punk a** to come out and take a shot at Turner while his a** has a show on Turner Broadcasting was so disrespectful to Ted that I lost all respect for him. Once I lose respect for somebody, I’m not as inhibited about my opinion."
With AEW off to a hot start in 2024, it can be assumed that Tony Khan will have plenty to say about the world of wrestling this year. Fans will have to keep a close eye on the beef unfolding between the AEW President and other wrestling personalities to catch all the drama.
Do you think Eric Bischoff is right to be angry with Tony Khan, or do you think the latter is justified in defending himself from criticism? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below!
